Dan Mulkerin Elevated to Newly Created Leadership Position at Wilmot Cancer Institute
Dan Mulkerin, MD, has been promoted to Medical Director and Associate Chief Medical Officer for Wilmot Cancer Institute. The new position took effect September 1, 2023.
Mulkerin joined the team at Wilmot two years ago as Associate Director, Regional Operations for Wilmot Cancer Institute and Vice Chair, Regional Operations for the Department of Medicine for the University of Rochester. Prior to coming to Rochester, Mulkerin, an oncologist with a clinical and research focus on gastrointestinal malignancies, worked in a similar role at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center. It was at Carbone, that Mulkerin was able to reorganize clinical operations and create a more cohesive program that was disseminated across its Midwest regional network. His task will be similar at Wilmot, as leadership will look to Mulkerin to streamline its multidisciplinary operations at the cancer center hub and throughout Upstate New York.
In this new dual role, Mulkerin will report to the Cancer Center Director, Jonathan Friedberg, M.D., M.M.Sc, as Medical Director and report to Strong Memorial Hospital’s Chief Medical Officer, Michael Apostolakos, M.D., as Associate Chief Medical Officer. He will be responsible for quality improvements in clinical care, clinical IT infrastructure, pharmacy interactions, creating a uniform patient flow in both outpatient and cellular therapy, developing a cohesive physician voice, and creating a collaborative network to discuss patient care. Mulkerin will remain clinically active in this new role and will continue to treat patients at the cancer center.
“As Wilmot continues to mature and grow as a cancer center, creating this new position is in keeping with our NCI-designated peer institutions across the country,” said Friedberg. “I’ve been impressed with Dan’s commitment to Wilmot’s regional network since he arrived in Rochester two years ago, and coupled with his experience in Wisconsin, he was the perfect candidate to fill this role. We are better equipped to provide unparalleled access to cutting-edge care in Upstate New York, by acknowledging the strengths of our providers and furthering integration across departments when it comes to patient care.”
During his tenure as associate director for Wilmot’s regional operation, Mulkerin led the team as Wilmot opened its 14th regional location in Webster and recruited additional faculty members to grow the overall capacity to care for patients, to extend collaborative research throughout the region, and to enhance education opportunities for Wilmot providers and patients.
More than half of Wilmot’s patients receive their care at regional locations, and Mulkerin has been able to extend the benefits of a university cancer center into communities where Wilmot patients live. He is particularly proud to have opened the new Wilmot-Webster location as a center with a broad array of clinical services and infrastructure to support Wilmot’s research initiatives.
“Wilmot leadership has built a system with an amazing array of services available to patients at our main campus, and we have also created a cohesive network to deliver high-quality cancer care closer to home,” said Mulkerin. “There are always opportunities for improvement, and that is where I am looking to start. How can we offer a consistent experience to patients from initial diagnosis throughout their treatment, wherever they choose to be treated? In the spirit of Meliora, this is what we are striving for.”
