2025-2026 MCW Radiation Oncology Annual Report - Flipbook - Page 11
2025-2026 Medical College of Wisconsin, Radia琀椀on Oncology Annual Report
The New Zablocki VA Medical Center (ZVAMC)
Radia琀椀on Oncology Department- Leading State of
the Art Cancer Therapy for our Veterans
The Radia琀椀on Oncology Department at the Zablocki
VA Medical Center (ZVA) remains a leader in
mul琀椀disciplinary cancer care and clinical research at
the ZVA. In 2025, the program successfully renewed
ASTRO’s Accredita琀椀on Program of
Excellence (APEx) accredita琀椀on, reaffirming its
commitment to quality and safety standards. The
department thrives through collabora琀椀on with the
Medical College of Wisconsin, integra琀椀ng four
physicians and five physicists to bring
essen琀椀al exper琀椀se to the VA. Elizabeth Gore, MD, is
the Chief of Radia琀椀on Oncology and Medical Director
of the ZVA Cancer Clinical Trials program. Natalya
Morrow, PhD is the Chief of Physics.
Department upgrades completed in 2023 enabled the achievement of many strategic goals by 2025. A key focus of the
redesign was enhancing the pa琀椀ent experience and mee琀椀ng the rising demand for care among women veterans. By
2025, the department saw more than 70% increase in the number of women treated. To address these growing needs,
Dr. Adam Currey, a na琀椀onally recognized breast cancer expert—recently assumed leadership of the ZVA mul琀椀disciplinary
breast cancer team, marking an important contribu琀椀on by the department.
A linac-based stereotac琀椀c radiosurgery (SRS) program, led by Drs. Lindsay Pucke琀琀 and Evan Liang, along with
physicists An Tai, PhD, and Haidy Nasief, PhD, launched in June 2025. The team delivered seven treatments in 2025 and
established workflows that will support future expansion to Froedtert & MCW satellite loca琀椀ons.
Faculty members also provide leadership beyond
the ZVA department including R&D and Cancer
Commi琀琀ee Chairs and VISN 12 Radia琀椀on Oncology
Cancer Commi琀琀ee lead. Notably, Dr. Pucke琀琀, as part of
the Na琀椀onal Radia琀椀on Oncology Program collaborated
with NROP and ASTRO to publish the DVH Compendium,
an interna琀椀onal open-access resource for treatment
planning.
Dr. Gore con琀椀nues to lead the ZVA Cancer Clinical Trials
Program. As an NRG affiliate under MCW, the ZVA
provides meaningful contribu琀椀ons to NCTN trial accrual
and educa琀椀on in support of the MCW LAPS grant. In
2025, 93 pa琀椀ents enrolled in clinical trials, of which 37
were treatment trials, including two IITs through MCW’s ROCKET program.
11
