The Medical Team Approach

In order to provide patients with the most effective patient care possible, M. D. Anderson's Leukemia Department has developed the Inpatient Medical Team Approach. Each team member has a specific responsibility, ensuring that every aspect of your care is performed thoroughly and efficiently. Each month, three teams are headed by on-call leukemia physicians who oversee the work of other team members, including fellows, physician assistants, pharmacists, advanced practice nurses, and patient care coordinators. 

This innovative approach allows for interaction and shared ideas among members, who bring knowledge from their particular specialities. Learn more about the responsibilities of each team member from the links below. 

Leukemia Physicians: meet our faculty members and learn more about their specialties and clinical interests. 

Fellows are physicians who are board-certified, board-eligible in internal medicine, and in training for medical oncology. They help team members with patient examinations, prescribing acute care treatments and medications.

Mid-Level Providers:  Advanced Practice Nurses and Physician Assistants help the physicians gather data and document response. They spend most of their time in direct contact with the patient. They do physical assessments, coordinate care, and perform lumbar punctures and bone marrow aspirations. Mid-Level Providers evaluate patients in the Fast-Track Clinic. 

Pharmacists do more than just dispense medicine. They use their extensive knowledge of medications and drug interactions, to help find the best possible treatment for each patient.

Clinical Nurses take care of inpatients at M. D. Anderson, addressing all of their physical and psychosocial needs.

Outpatient Nurses care for leukemia patients who are ambulatory and not hospitalized.  

Patient Care Coordinators work with health insurance companies, so you can focus on fighting cancer.

Social Workers assist our patients and family members with non-medical concerns, and help coordinate services within the health care system and in the community at large.