National Comprehensive Cancer Network CEO Named Vice President of Executive Board of Patient Advocate Foundation

ROCKLEDGE, PA, August 22, 2002 – William T. McGivney, PhD, was recently elected vice president of the executive board of Patient Advocate Foundation (www.patientadvocate.org).

Patient Advocate Foundation is a national non-profit organization that serves as an active liaison between the patient and their insurer, employer and/or creditors to resolve insurance, job retention and/or debt crisis matters relative to their diagnosis through case managers, doctors and attorneys. Patient Advocate Foundation seeks to safeguard patients through effective mediation assuring access to care, maintenance of employment and preservation of their financial stability.

“Dr. McGivney is the personification of the consummate patient advocate,” said Nancy Davenport-Ennis, the foundation’s founding executive officer. “His level of sensitivity to a patient’s pain and personal insecurity as they deal with confronting their own mortality is reflected in each decision that Dr. McGivney renders as a member of the board of directors of Patient Advocate Foundation. He singularly understands and appreciates the complexities in the health care delivery system due to his background as a national vice president of Aetna Healthcare, through his current leadership of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, and through his service to patients on our board of directors.”

Dr. McGivney is the Chief Executive Officer of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. He is a recognized expert in coverage policy and drug and device regulatory policy, and was awarded the FDA Commissioner’s Medal of Appreciation in 1989. Dr. McGivney earned his Ph.D. at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), an alliance of 19 of the world's leading cancer centers, is an authoritative source of information to help patients and health professionals make informed decisions about cancer care. Through the collective expertise of its member institutions, the NCCN develops, updates, and disseminates a complete library of clinical practice guidelines. The NCCN’s spectrum of programs emphasizes improving the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of oncology practice. Programs include: Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology, Treatment Guidelines for Patients, Oncology Outcomes Database, Clinical Trials Network, educational conferences and symposia for clinicians, the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, and collaborations with managed care organizations.