From Process to Quality Improvement: Lessons Learned on Addressing Quality Care in Ovarian Cancer

Matthew P. Smeltzer, PhD, MStat, is an Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Dr. Smeltzer's primary research interests include clinical epidemiology, applied biostatistics, and implementation science in cancer and sickle cell disease. He is active in the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) and the NIH funded Sickle Cell Disease Implementation Science Consortium (SCDIC). Dr. Smeltzer is Principal Investigator of the Tennessee sickle cell disease surveillance program (SCDC) funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additionally, he is the quantitative lead for the NIH funded Mid-South Quality of Surgical Resection (MS-QSR) lung cancer cohort.

Prior to joining the University of Memphis faculty, Dr. Smeltzer spent 11 years in the Department of Biostatistics at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and is an Accredited Professional Statistician by the American Statistical Association. Dr. Smeltzer has more than 90 peer-reviewed publications, with additional research experience in childhood cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, immunology, anesthesiology, and biomedical engineering.

After receiving her degree as a registered nurse from Northwestern State University in Louisiana, Carrie entered the field of clinical research and has dedicated the past 26 years to conducting research trials. Mrs. Gaskin has earned the distinction as a certified clinical research coordinator from the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP). She has had the opportunity to serve as a site liaison and mentor to clinical sites on the national level. This diverse experience has afforded her the knowledge and skills necessary to build and support clinical sites in their research endeavors successfully.

Ms. Gaskin has been instrumental in assisting sites during the selection process from feasibility to implementation, performing site evaluations, and developing an individualized plan to optimize enrollment.

Before joining Trials365, LLC, Ms. Gaskin served as Director of Clinical Research at Willis-Knighton Health System and successfully built a research program that consistently surpassed enrollment goals. By joining Trials365, Carrie hopes to develop further public awareness of clinical research benefits and support community practitioners in developing an infrastructure to provide research opportunities to all patients.

As the only gynecologic oncologist in North Louisiana, Dr. Black provides cancer care to women facing complex health issues. In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Black founded Trials365, L.L.C. to expand research opportunities for patients in Shreveport and surrounding communities. Dr. Black began her clinical practice in 2007 at Willis-Knighton Cancer Center following fellowship training at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. Upon graduation, she was recognized as the top surgical fellow receiving the Michael E. Burt Award for clinical excellence. In 2021, Dr. Black received a Master of Health Administration from the College of Business at Louisiana State University Shreveport. Dr. Black is the Director and Clinical Professor of gynecologic oncology at L.S.U. Health Shreveport. Dr. Black has authored numerous peer-reviewed research papers and book chapters. She is a member of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology, American Society of Clinical Research, American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Association of Clinical Research Professionals, and local and state medical societies.

Mallory Lit is the clinical program manager for GYN Oncology at the The Blavatnik Family Chelsea Medical Center at Mount Sinai in New York City.  In her current role, she helps provide day-day oversight for staff and program management while seeing patients with the Gyn Oncology team.  Mallory has been with the Gyn Oncology group since 2017.  Her previous experience was at Duke University Hospital where she worked as a medical oncology RN for 5 years while she pursued her MSN at the University of North Carolina.  She received her BSN from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and currently resides in Jersey City with her husband Max, 9 month old son Jesse and 3 year old dachshund – poodle mix, Missy. 

Dr. Blank specializes in treating patients with gynecologic cancers, including ovarian, fallopian tube, primary peritoneal, uterine and cervical cancers, and in caring for women at increased risk of cancer. She has conducted extensive research on women’s cancers on topics including genetic predisposition to cancer (BRCA 1 and 2, Lynch Syndrome and others), novel treatment approaches, fertility preservation, survivorship, and quality of life.  By serving on the Ovarian Committee of the NRG, Dr. Blank is involved in the development of NCI- sponsored practice-changing clinical trials, and she has been a principal investigator for multiple trials. She also collaborates with other researchers at the Tisch Cancer Institute on translational research in fields such as immunotherapy and DNA repair. Dr. Blank is broadly published in peer-reviewed journals and textbooks, and she frequently presents at national and international conferences on women’s gynecologic oncology issues.

Dr. Blank is the recipient of many honors and awards, including Castle Connolly Top Doctors, Super Doctors, and the Council on Resident Education in Obstetrics and Gynecology Teaching Award, among others. She serves on numerous boards and committees and is actively involved with many professional organizations, including the Society of Gynecologic Oncology, NRG Oncology, Foundation for Women’s Cancer, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Dr. Blank earned her medical degree from the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine. She completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the New York Hospital – Cornell Medical Center and a fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center.