Making Cancer History® Voices Oral History Collection: This is MD Anderson

Interview with Michael Ahearn, PhD  
Explore the full interview (here)

Dr. Ahearn on Dr. R Lee Clark and MD Anderson as a Place of Love

"[Dr. Clark], a very dedicated person and [had] concern... and that kind of concern has never left the institution, even though we have increased in size.  The care and the love of people, the Anderson spirit has been there, and I think it’s very unusual for an institution to move from a small place like that with that kind of feeling and caring from the leadership all the way down to the present time, and I think you still see that, people that are trying and concerned and helping other people…. I think that’s been something that we’ve been blessed with, and certainly has been nurtured by the administration of this institution."

Interview with Angela Cheves
Explore the full interview (here)
 

Reflecting on the Children's Art Project partnership with Radko

"We never did anything that didn't have the child's name on it. But in that box, we would do an insert card. So it would show the piece of artwork so that somebody could see this three dimensional object came from this piece of art and then that card would say, 'This design was created by patient Michelle, age 15, in conjunction with the Christopher Radko company.' So we figured out a way to really carry on the conversation, I think."

Interview with Martin Raber, MD
Explore the full interview (here)
 

Dr. Raber on MD Anderson's mission

"[T]he MD Anderson has an intense sense of mission. …. eliminating cancer…. Everybody who works here understands what the mission is…[a]nd each of us understands what we’re doing here to achieve that, and that’s true whether you are the professor of medicine or the woman who is cleaning the room after the patient has been discharged. That understanding of mission is missing in most medical institutions…..

This is an exciting place to be…. We always talk about the world’s greatest cancer care. We actually believe that we deliver the world’s greatest cancer care, and our patients believe that. And that’s why our patients are here."