Inova Radiation Oncology 2022 Donor Impact Report

SCHAR CANCER INSTITUTE

RADIATION ONCOLOGY AND MATHER PROTON THERAPY PROGRAMS

2022 Donor Impact Report

Thank you for your support and partnership!

Thank you for helping make 2022 a year of growth, innovation and many “firsts” for radiation oncology here at Inova Schar Cancer Institute. These are achievements that would have been unimaginable just five years ago, and I am pleased to share with you just a few of those including:

Investing in collaborative and original research – including clinical trials – led by Avani Rao, MD, Director of Research, whose position has been philanthropically funded since 2021

Creating a new Medical Physics Residency one of the few in the country and one that helps us recruit top talent in radiation oncology and proton therapy.

Elevating our leadership in radiation oncology with team members sitting on boards of the American Society for Radiation Oncology and National Association for Proton Therapy, giving us a voice where we can directly impact national policy, advocacy and decision making

Transformational gifts from philanthropic partners like you are what have made these accomplishments possible – from original research to recruiting top researchers and physicians to assuming leadership roles on a regional and national stage.

As you read through your impact report, you will see how your generosity touches the lives of patients and team members throughout our communities now and in the years to come.

With gratitude,

Ashish K. Chawla, MD Chairman and Medical Director Department of Advanced Radiation Oncology and Proton Therapy Inova Schar Cancer Institute

Our state-of-the-art radiation oncology services are provided to patients at the Inova Schar Cancer flagship facility as well as Alexandria, Fair Oaks, Loudoun and Woodbridge locations. Last year we saw record growth with key highlights including:

21% growth in radiation oncology treatments, averaging 235 treatments a day for a total of nearly 60,000

26% increase in number of patients receiving proton therapy = 300+ new patient starts!

50% increase

521 pediatric and young adult (18-21) proton therapy treatments in total unique proton therapy treatments

2 new physicians from top training programs to handle increasing proton therapy patient volumes

Largest community-based enroller in the U.S. to a phase 3 breast cancer study for proton therapy versus standard photon radiation

“My Inova story began in 2016 when I had my daughter at Inova Fairfax Hospital. Fast forward to December 2021 when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I knew Inova Schar was the place for me. My favorite doctor has been Dr. Chawla. There was a lag time in getting my insurance squared away for proton therapy, but he was able to expedite my approval and I completed all active treatment by December 2022. ”

Caroline Finklea-Vizzuto Inova Schar Cancer Institute Patient

RESEARCH UPDATE

Unprecedented Growth Driven by Proton Therapy Studies

Meet Avani Rao, MD

Dr. Rao has seen firsthand the importance philanthropy plays in research. In 2021, Dr. Rao’s position was funded as part of a transformational gift by Dr. Gary D. Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather to create the Mather Proton Therapy Center. Since then, she has seen tremendous changes in the program.

“Proton therapy has opened doors for us in terms of joining national research studies. From a research perspective, our footprint has grown and will continue to grow, ” says Dr Rao “Before we had proton therapy available, the majority of trials were not radiation-centric. Once we opened the Mather Proton Therapy Center, we were able to significantly expand our portfolio of clinical trials. ”

As for future research, Dr. Rao sees tremendous growth potential ahead. “As our program expands, I see more opportunities for us to expand our research and engage the next generation of investigators. ” Dr. Rao was awarded young investigator awards in 2022 for both NRG Oncology and Children's Oncology Group and serves on the Core Voting Committee of the Non-Colorectal GI Committee and the Cervix/Vulvar Subcommittee.

“In 2022, we’ve experienced unprecedented growth both in collaborative and original research initiatives that have led to successful outcomes. My own position was initially 100% funded by philanthropy, so I cannot emphasize enough the role that our donors play in our ability to support our research initiatives. ”

Avani Rao, MD, Director of Research, Inova Schar Cancer Institute

Research highlights:

Largest community-based enroller in the U.S. to a phase 3 breast cancer study for proton therapy versus standard photon radiation. This study is designed to help discover if one type of radiation is better, about the same, or worse in terms of side effects, cure rates, length of life or quality of life after radiation

Abstracts presented at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiation and Oncology (ASTRO) and original research papers submitted to Alternative Payment Model (APM), the highest volume in recent history

18 research studies, including cooperative research with the Proton Collaborative Group and National Research Group to compare proton and photon therapy in certain cancers, including:

Adjuvant or Salvage Proton Therapy for Prostate Cancer

Comparing Proton Therapy to Photon Radiation Therapy for Esophageal Cancer

Comparing Photon Therapy To Proton Therapy To Treat Patients With Lung Cancer

Dr. Gopal Bajaj, President of Radiation

Oncology Associates, gave an educational session presentation at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO)’s 2022 Annual Meeting, where he spoke about “The Role of Clinical Leadership in Mitigating Staff Burnout. ” Dr. Bajaj is the Chair of the Government Relations Council on the Board of Directors for ASTRO and serves on the Finance and Practice Accreditation Committees.

“I was grateful that I could stay close to home and get world-class proton therapy treatment. I especially wanted to give back to support those who had given me so much at a time when I needed it most. ”

Joyce Johnson Inova Schar Cancer Institute patient and philanthropic partner, with her husband, Bob.

INVESTING IN TOP TALENT Prioritizing Education, Recruitment and Team Resilience

Proton therapy treatments continued to grow at a remarkable level as Northern Virginia patients gained access to world-class radiation treatments right in their own backyard. To adjust to the increasing volume of patients we ramped up our clinical recruitment efforts, including:

Adding two new physicians, Sarah Gao, MD, from Yale University and Emily Kowalski, MD, from the University of Maryland

Applying for an accredited Medical Physics Residency program to attract high-level physicists/PhDs who are critical for our

program’s growth.

Inova is in the process of becoming one of the few programs in the country to have an accredited Medical Physics Residency program. Proton therapy allows us to attract the very best physicists to our team, raising our visibility and elevating the care we provide for our patients.

At the same time, we continued to support and invest in our current team members. In 2022, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continued to hit our team of nearly 100 hard as they worked tirelessly to ensure that patients received first-class care, every time and every touch.

Artists-in-Residence are working with Inova Schar team members through a Staff-Care Series, using the arts as a vehicle for mindfulness and stress reduction.

Sarah Gao, MD

Emily Kowalski, MD

2022 Radiation Oncology Giving Snapshot:

$586,000 RAISED

$327,748 DEPLOYED

Our team remains committed to raising dollars and deploying those funds towards our mission with the utmost transparency and efficiency. You, our philanthropic partners, continue to play a key role in all of our efforts, and we want to assure you that every dollar donated is used to make a meaningful impact in the communities we serve. We are so grateful for the donors who enable us to activate and sustain these programs and projects that extend over multiple years. Thank you for your ongoing support and trust in us.

We are so grateful to our friends at Team Mathias for their longtime support of the Radiation and Proton Therapy Pediatric Oncology Program at Inova Schar Cancer Institute and for joining us in the fight against childhood cancer. The 9th Annual Team Mathias Golf Tournament was a huge success and culminated with special gift of $150,000 in honor of Mathias’ heavenly 21st birthday to be deployed later this year.

over $10 million

in 2022.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2023 AND BEYOND

We are serving more patients than ever before – 20% more than in 2021 –and that volume continues to increase. Patients no longer have to travel to other cities for specialized treatment because they can get world-class care right here in Northern Virginia.

As we look ahead to 2023 and beyond, we continue to build on our successes, expand our research efforts and solidify our position as an industry leader. All while expanding our services to give even more patients in our community access to the latest cutting edge therapies and technologies.

Thanks to the generosity of committed friends like you, we raised for Inova Schar Cancer Institute