Anne M. Suskind, MD, MS, FACS, Associate Professor UCSF 
Urology & Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, was awarded first place, for the 2019 Joseph F. McCarthy Physician Essay Contest for the Western Section American Urological Association (WSAUA).
The entry entitled: “Time spent away from home in the year following high-risk cancer surgery in older adults.” discusses results from a retrospective cohort study using Medicare Inpatient claims and the Minimum Data Set (MDS). Researchers looked at beneficiaries ages 65 and older undergoing cystectomy, pancreaticoduodenectomy, gastrectomy and esophagectomy from 2010-2012 who spent time away from home recovering in the hospital and/or nursing facility.
“This information is crucial in counseling patients on post-operative expectations and may additionally influence pre-operative decision-making,” says Dr. Suskind.
The paper will be presented at the WSAUA’s 95th Annual Meeting to be held in Monterey, California on November 3-7, 2019.