About The Agency
Mission Statement
The mission of thesecondopinion, provided by the Regional Cancer Foundation, is to provide free multidisciplinary second opinions to adults in California diagnosed with new or recurrent cancer.
How Patients Benefit
Instead of getting the opinion of a single consultant physician, the patient benefits from the combined opinions of four to seven physicians from diverse cancer-related specialties. Unlike a typical hospital tumor board, in which patients do not participate, our program puts the individual patient at the center of the process, taking full part in the discussion. Also, we do not charge for our services.
Physicians Who Volunteer
At the heart of our program are the volunteer efforts of a large group of Board Certified physicians who are expert in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. They come from six Bay Area counties, and include private practitioners, university faculty, and physicians from county medical centers, private hospitals and HMOs.
Our Independence
Thesecondopinion is not an affiliate of or advocate for any hospital, medical group, drug company or medical equipment manufacturer. Providing free second opinions to adults in California who have been diagnosed with new or recurrent cancer is the only thing we do.
How We Are Funded
The funding for thesecondopinion comes from individual donations, private foundation grants and corporate grants. We do not bill patients, insurance companies or government agencies.
Agency Organization
Thesecondopinion is a California 501(c)3 non-profit agency. The agency is governed by an active Board of Directors that is deeply committed to our mission. All Board Members have direct experience with cancer, either as physicians who volunteer on our Review Panels, as family members of a cancer patient, or as cancer survivors themselves. All of our Board Members actively serve on one or more committees and make significant gifts to the agency.
Board of Directors
Officers
| Mr. Wells Whitney, President Chief Scientist (Retired) RayChem | Mr. George Pfau, Vice President Executive Director, Private Wealth Management Morgan Stanley |
| Ms. Kathleen Meeker, Secretary Proprietor My Rose Garden,Inc. | Mr. James Morse, Treasurer Senior Vice President Atlantic Trust Co |
Members
(Hon) Paul Alvarado Judge (Retired) Superior Court of San Francisco | Dr. Robert Ignoffo Clinical Professor of Pharmacy (Retired) |
| Ms. Susan Johnson Outside Sales Representative Zep Manufacturing | Dr. Leon Kaseff Clinical Professor UCSF Radiologist (Retired) Mills Peninsula |
Dr. Ann Lanzerotti | Dr. Karl Ludwig General Surgeon (Retired) Kaiser Permanente |
| Ms. Beverly Reihm Business Executive | Mr. William H. Rusher Chief Executive Officer Rusher, LoScavio & LoPresto |
| Dr. Carl Thomas Chief of Urology Kaiser Permanente/SF | |
Emeritus
Arthur Inerfield
Board of Advisors
We are truly grateful to the following leaders in philanthropy who have graciously allowed us to publicly present their names as supporting thesecondopinion:
Jane Blumberg – Goldberg
J. Peter Cahill
William Draper, III
Richard N. Goldman
Robert & Kim Hammer
S. Allan Johnson
Howard H. Leach
Duncan Matteson
Toby & Sally Rosenblatt
The staff of thesecondopinion currently consists of our Executive Director and our Program Coordinator. In addition, our Medical Director provides program leadership on a consultant basis. Panel Chairs may be compensated for associated administrative work but all other panel members are volunteers.
| Michael Stoll Executive Director | Ann Lanzerotti, MD Medical Director |
| Lori Bode Program Coordinator | Wynne Drevers Accounting Services |
Allison Keeley |