From the Duke Cancer Institute archives. Content may be out of date.
When Alexa Balthazar was diagnosed with leukemia at age 28, she ultimately needed a bone marrow transplant. Knowing that her transplant physician, Mitchell Horwitz, MD, had a plan was very encouraging, but she still faced a whirlwind of emotions. Teen and Young Adult Oncology Program nurse navigator Jackie Balliot, BSN, RN, OCN, was there to help. She made several referrals, including connecting Alexa to medical family therapist Geoffrey Vaughn, LMFT, ATR.
“What you go through is traumatic, and to be able to talk with someone who is not a family member or friend about very serious topics was helpful for me,” Balthazar said. In May 2023, she celebrated her one-year transplant birthday.
Duke University Health System is expanding access to cell and gene therapies with an aim to accelerate the adoption of these treatments for current and future patients.As a leading, first-in-region provider of several cell and gene therapies, and the only center in the region to offer the full breadth of commercial products available, Duke Health will leverage its expertise, resources, and established clinical care pathways to streamline treatment delivery across specialties.“We are proud to have built one of the world’s most comprehensive cell and gene therapy programs” said Greg Pauly, President of Duke University Hospital and Group President of Acute Care Services for Duke Health. “We want to ensure that groundbreaking science and medicine translates into real patient access locally, regionally and nationally.”New research suggests that cellular therapies could be used in many different types of diseases beyond cancer, particularly in autoimmune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as certain neurological and endocrine disorders. Duke will work to support the expected growth of these therapies to ensure the provision of the necessary expertise, resourcing, infrastructure, and financial oversight."This represents a pivotal step in advancing our leadership in cell and gene therapy, enabling Duke to scale innovation, expand into new therapeutic areas, and seamlessly deliver transformative care to more patients,” said Mara Bloom, JD, MS, Administrative Vice President of Oncology Services for the Duke Health.
Duke University Health System is expanding access to cell and gene therapies with an aim to accelerate the adoption of these treatments for current and future patients.As a leading, first-in-region provider of several cell and gene therapies, and the only center in the region to offer the full breadth of commercial products available, Duke Health will leverage its expertise, resources, and established clinical care pathways to streamline treatment delivery across specialties.“We are proud to have built one of the world’s most comprehensive cell and gene therapy programs” said Greg Pauly, President of Duke University Hospital and Group President of Acute Care Services for Duke Health. “We want to ensure that groundbreaking science and medicine translates into real patient access locally, regionally and nationally.”New research suggests that cellular therapies could be used in many different types of diseases beyond cancer, particularly in autoimmune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as certain neurological and endocrine disorders. Duke will work to support the expected growth of these therapies to ensure the provision of the necessary expertise, resourcing, infrastructure, and financial oversight."This represents a pivotal step in advancing our leadership in cell and gene therapy, enabling Duke to scale innovation, expand into new therapeutic areas, and seamlessly deliver transformative care to more patients,” said Mara Bloom, JD, MS, Administrative Vice President of Oncology Services for the Duke Health.
