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My Two Favorite Phrases
By: Dan Moore
There are two phrases we love to hear around RBS.

The first is, “I made a mistake.”

I am a big believer in personal accountability, so much so that we celebrate when a team member says, “Oops, I messed up.” That means that we can skip over the finger-pointing and get right to fixing the problem.  This time, I am the one admitting to a mistake.

Last month, I shared that RBS has partnered with Apollo Healthcare, a new startup company that is bringing value to the proton industry. In my article, I stated that founders Ben Frank and Chris Gonzalez were former executives at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Proton Center.

I was mistaken.  I apologize for the confusion and would like to set the record straight.

Ben was most recently the President of Provision Proton Therapy in Nashville.  Prior to that, he served in multiple positions with Provision. Ben worked at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center’s Division of Radiation Oncology as the Administrative Director of Radiation Oncology Operations and multiple other positions at M.D. Anderson.  Ben was mentored by Dr. Stephen Hahn, Chairman of Radiation Oncology at the time.  Dr. Hahn now serves as the Commissioner of the FDA.

Chris served as the Manager of Patient Services at Provision CARES Nashville. Prior to that, he was the Clinical Program Manager at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Proton Therapy Center. Chris is a Medical Dosimetrist CMD who worked at Texas Oncology under Dr. Vivek Kavadi, Medical Director, and also at the University of Florida Proton Therapy Institute under Dr. Nancy Mendhenall, Medical Director.

Regardless of pedigree, these guys know how to get the job done. Apollo is already working with two proton centers and helping patients on a daily basis.

My other favorite phrase is, “Well done, Team Member!”  I think you’ll agree with me that our VP of Marketing and Business Development, Denise Gerlach, really exemplifies our value of giving back to our community and serving others.  Read more about her latest project below.

Finally, speaking of giving back, we have an important update on this year’s 5K run. I hope you’ll join us for our first virtual race as we raise funds to help cancer patients who were affected by COVID-19.

Thank you for all that you do to help cancer patients, as well as others in need.
Employee Spotlight: Denise Gerlach
The fight to end Alzheimer’s Disease is personal for Denise Gerlach, VP of Marketing and Business Development at RBS. She not only lost her mother to Alzheimer’s Disease, but also her grandmother, her uncle, and two aunts.  

To help support researchers in finding a cure, Denise recently participated in the Alzheimer’s Association’s fundraiser, “The Longest Day.” On the summer solstice, participants take part in an activity from sunrise to sunset to raise funds and awareness for the disease and other forms of dementia.    
Because of her mother’s love of baking and sweets, Denise chose to organize an online bake-a-thon. Family and friends joined in by sending recipes, stories, videos, and photos. A few even baked along with Denise on Instagram Live. 

Denise is grateful to RBS for supporting her efforts through the company’s Matching Funds program. “I love working for a company that not only supports charities within our industry but also supports the charities that are important to me.” 

With RBS’s help, Denise was able to raise over $3,500 for the Alzheimer’s Association. Denise would like to thank everyone who has already donated.

You can see all of the recipes from the fundraiser online (including a few from Denise’s coworkers). If you’d like to help support the cause, there is still time to donate as well.

Denise and her family plan to make this an annual event. “I don’t know if they will find a cure in my lifetime, but I have to do what I can to help, and hope that they might have answers for the next generation.” 
A Message from Dan: Denise and her team are the ones who put this newsletter together every month to provide you with important industry information. If you’ve benefited from any of the tips we’ve shared with you over the past few months, I’m personally asking you to please give back by donating $1 or $5 to help support Denise’s cause. Thank you for your generosity!
Working through COVID
By: Katlyn Rippy
My role as a Patient Advocate includes many things, however my favorite aspect of the job is the interaction I get to have with patients. I love the fact that patients can communicate with me during any point in time throughout their treatment journey, including after they’ve completed treatment. When patients call RBS, they speak to an employee of RBS who can assist them with their account; RBS does not outsource to call centers. A patient advocate always answers the phone by the third ring to ensure our patients can obtain help with ease and convenience.

We keep our phone lines open 7 am-7 pm CT to offer flexibility for our patients, as many of them are in different time zones. I have the opportunity to work until 7 pm, and many of the patients I speak with during those after hours are grateful that we have a live person to help them.

Due to COVID-19, we shifted to working remotely for the safety of our employees. Our patients and clients saw no interruption in service. Even at home, we were there with our phones and computers working to care for them. Whether it was a loved one calling in or a patient, they were all so appreciative that we were still here during the pandemic to assist them with their accounts. I know that our patients are already going through so much, they didn’t have to ask how I was doing or even tell me thank you for doing my job. But, they did. It meant so much to me that what we considered normal for our work routine stood out to them, and they appreciated it.

We were able to transition to working remotely seamlessly. We pulled together as a team and were still able to provide Gold Standard service for our clients. Our culture and values here at RBS shined through during the pandemic. Each team member truly believes in the mission and values of RBS. I am honored to work for a company that never stops.
A Different Kind of Year Calls for a Different Kind of 5K
Our annual 5K has become a tradition that many ASTRO attendees look forward to every year.  Because the ASTRO annual meeting has gone to a virtual format for 2020, the 5K will also be virtual, allowing participants to get in on the fun from anywhere.

This year’s event will have a different beneficiary as well. “We have been proud to support the ROI over the last ten years, and are grateful that our 5K has raised over $400,000 for our industry,” says CEO Dan Moore. “However, this year, we feel it is important to go beyond ourselves, and make an impact where it is needed the most, to patients in the epicenter of the pandemic.  This year, all funds raised for the 5K will go to benefit Northwell Health’s fund for cancer patients who have been affected by COVID-19.”

More information will be coming soon.  We hope you’ll join us!
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