For Immediate Release
March  30, 2007

BUFFALO, NY -  Michael Kuettel, MD, MBA, PhD, Chair of the Department of Radiation Medicine at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI), has been named President-elect of the American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO). Dr. Kuettel also serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University at Buffalo School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences.

ACRO’s mission is to ensure the highest quality care for radiation therapy patients and to promote success in the practice of radiation oncology through education, responsible socioeconomic advocacy and integration of science and technology into clinical practice.

ACRO is managed by a 15-member Board of Chancellors who are elected by the society’s membership. Dr. Kuettel is a member of the Board of Chancellors and serves as Chair of the Socioeconomics Committee.

Dr. Kuettel is a member of numerous professional organizations including the American Society of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (Health Policy Council; Regulatory Committee; Practice Management Committee Chair; Code Development and Valuation Committee, Vice Chair; Payment Systems, Vice Chair), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Advisory Panel on the Ambulatory Payment Classification Group, the American Medical Association - Specialty Society Relative Value Update Committee and the Center for Health Dispute Resolution. He has collaborated with the national prostate cancer patient advocacy and support group – Us Too! – to establish the Western New York Prostate Cancer Consortium, a unique partnership among community urologists, academic institutions, health care organizations, insurance companies and a comprehensive cancer center.         

As Chair of the Department of Radiation Medicine at RPCI, Dr. Kuettel oversees a team of specialists that includes board-certified physicians, board-certified medical physicists, board-certified medical dosimetrists, board-certified radiation therapists and other support staff. The Department provides and ensures access to quality, state-of-the-art patient care; offers cutting-edge treatment through in-house protocols and participation in national studies; and trains future generations of physicians and paramedical professionals in radiation oncology.

Roswell Park Cancer Institute, founded in 1898, is the nation’s first cancer research, treatment and education center and is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York. RPCI is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers. Roswell Park has affiliate sites and collaborative programs in New York, Pennsylvania, and in China. For more information, visit RPCI’s website at www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or e-mail askrpci@roswellpark.org.

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