December 18, 2019, Morristown, NJ – Bonni Lee Guerin, MD, hematologist/oncologist and medical director of the Breast Cancer Treatment Program at Atlantic Health System’s Overlook Medical Center, was named Medical Honoree at the American Cancer Society’s 40th Annual Diamond Ball. The gala was held November 24 at the Westmount Country Club, Woodland Park, NJ.
“This recognition is so meaningful to me, as I support the important work of the American Cancer Society,” said Dr. Guerin. “The Diamond Ball raises critically needed funds to assist people in our community who have cancer and their families. Over the past 10 years alone, this event has raised more than $2 million for cancer research, education, advocacy and patient services.”
A long-time supporter of the Society, Dr. Guerin recently served as keynote speaker for the American Cancer Society Relay for Life in Chatham, NJ. She has also been honored by Curemonos, a New Jersey nonprofit dedicated to supporting medically underserved women with breast cancer. She is a recipient of the Pfizer Award for Excellence in Biomedical Research.
“Dr. Guerin is not just a talented and compassionate clinician, but a brilliant breast cancer researcher, whose work has benefited not just our patients but the entire breast cancer community,” said Eric D. Whitman, MD, medical director, Atlantic Health System Cancer Care. “She is among the physicians who have made Atlantic Health System a top destination for cancer diagnosis and treatment. This recognition is well deserved.”
Dr. Guerin is chair of Overlook Medical Center’s Breast Panel, Multidisciplinary Breast Tumor Board and as director of Oncology Education. On a national level, she has served as chair of the Women’s Oncology Forum, Network for Oncology Communication and Research (NOCR) since 2002. She is a member of the Expert Panel on Consensus Guidelines for Systemic Therapy for Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma.
Under Dr. Guerin’s leadership, in 2015 the Overlook Medical Center became accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) of the American College of Surgeons. The NAPBC is a consortium of professional organizations dedicated to the improvement of the quality of care and monitoring of outcomes of patients with diseases of the breast. This mission is pursued through standard-setting, scientific validation, and patient and professional education. Its board membership includes professionals from 20 national organizations that reflect the full spectrum of breast care.
Overlook Medical Center has also been recognized as a Best Practice hospital for Patient Navigation and has been chosen to be part of the NAPBC Best Practice Repository.
“Our focus is on helping the patient navigate the treatment process and survivorship, treating her not just as a ‘patient’ but as a total woman,” commented Dr. Guerin. “We offer a comprehensive, inclusive approach that encompasses physical therapy, mind-body connections, nutrition, genetic counseling, preventing psychosocial issues of survivorship and more.”
As a medical oncologist with more than 20 years of experience, Dr. Guerin is dedicated to providing the most up to date, cutting edge treatment for each patient. Her philosophy is one of collaboration, working with all members of the care team to provide the best outcome possible. Dr. Guerin believes that compassion and being a good listener, traits she learned from her mother, help tailor a treatment plan that reflects not only the highest order of medical care, but also one that uniquely reflects each and every patient.
In addition to her forward-looking clinical approach, Dr. Guerin is the principal investigator (PI) of numerous clinical trials exploring new ways to incorporate the latest advances in the management of breast cancer. Dr. Guerin was PI at Atlantic Health System, with the largest number of study participants of any center in the New York-New Jersey metro area, for the landmark TAILORx clinical trial. This 10,000+ patient multinational study looked at whether women with the most common type of early-stage breast cancer needed chemotherapy. The study demonstrated that for 70% of these women hormone therapy (without chemotherapy) will prevent the spread of cancer.
“Because we had more participants than anyone else in the tristate area, many local women with breast cancer benefited from participation,” said Dr. Guerin.
Dr. Guerin has been named by Castle Connolly as one of the New York/Metro Top Doctors for the last 10 years, as well as a Top Doctor for Women's Health.
Most recently, Overlook Medical Center was recognized with the 2020 Women’s Choice Award® for America’s Best Breast Centers and America’s Best Hospitals for Cancer Care.
The recognitions are based on a robust set of criteria that considers female patient satisfaction, clinical experience, and what women say they want from a hospital. To learn more about the methodology for each award, visit the The Women’s Choice Award®.
About Atlantic Health System Cancer Care
Atlantic Health System Cancer Care offers an unparalleled network of cancer specialists and resources for more than 70,500 patients annually through its flagship Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Morristown and Overlook medical centers, as well as its comprehensive oncology programs at Chilton, Hackettstown and Newton medical centers.
Atlantic Health System Cancer Care is the lead affiliate of Atlantic Health Cancer Consortium (AHCC) - the only New Jersey-based National Cancer Institute (NCI) Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP). With
more than 250 cancer specialists and medical professionals, all five hospitals and Atlantic Medical Group are designated Blue Cross Blue Shield ‘Blue Distinction Centers’ and have been recognized nationally for the role in advancing the fight against cancer. Morristown, Overlook, Chilton and Newton medical centers earned the coveted American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer Outstanding Achievement Award and earned Three-Year Approval with Commendation. Atlantic Health System Cancer Care is affiliated with the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) of Phoenix, Arizona, to create the nation’s first Breakthrough Oncology Accelerator, a pioneering research and clinical collaboration that offers multiple early and late-phase clinical trials, available at only a few centers around the world.
About Atlantic Health System
Atlantic Health System has a long-standing tradition of providing exceptional patient outcomes and experiences. Home to seven award-winning hospitals including Morristown Medical Center, the number one hospital in NJ according to U.S. News & World Report, Castle Connelly and Newsweek’s World’s Best Hospitals, the system has been ranked first in New Jersey in consumer preference by Monigle and first among health systems in New Jersey as a “best workplace” by both Modern Healthcare and Fortune Magazine.
Many of the system’s programs have received national accolades and designations, including Morristown Medical Center’s Cardiology and Heart Surgery program ranked among the top 30 in the nation by U.S. News and World Report; Morristown Medical Center’s Orthopedics program ranked among the top 35 in the nation by U.S. News and World Report and Atlantic Health System’s Cancer Care program, New Jersey’s first and only National Cancer Institute National Community Oncology Research Program.
Additionally, Atlantic Health System Neuroscience at Overlook Medical Center, working with Atlantic Mobile Health, was the first in the nation to deploy and use portable Telestroke technology in ambulances for routine pre-hospital assessment of stroke patients.
Powered by a passionate workforce of 17,000 team members and 4,800 affiliated physicians dedicated to building healthier communities, Atlantic Health System serves more than half of the state of New Jersey, including 11 counties and 4.9 million people. The system provides care for the full continuum of health needs across a wide array of settings, including Atlantic Medical Group, one of the largest multi-specialty practices in New Jersey with more than 1,000 physicians and providers, 12 urgent care centers, Atlantic Rehabilitation Institute, Atlantic Home Care and Hospice and Atlantic Anywhere’s Virtual Visits. Facilitating connections between these services on both land and air is the transportation fleet of Atlantic Mobile Health.
With a clear sense of purpose and an unparalleled culture, Atlantic Health System attracts top leaders in the field of health care, from CEO Brian Gragnolati, who is currently Chairman of the American Hospital Association, to the numerous team members who serve as leaders across national clinical associations and research entities.