Robert Rodvien, M.D.
Dr. Robert Rodvien is the Executive Director of smartermedicalcare.org, a California based not-for-profit corporation he founded in 2007 in memory of his wife, Rayna, who died of ovarian cancer. After receiving an A.B. in mathematics from Columbia College and an M.D. from Columbia Physicians and Surgeons, Dr. Rodvien did his internship, medical residency and hematology fellowship at Tufts University. He then completed two postdoctoral fellowships, one at M. I. T. in molecular biology and another at Harvard Medical School in biomaterial sciences. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and Hematology, and practiced hematology and oncology in San Francisco for over 30 years beginning in 1974. Dr. Rodvien cofounded the Association of Northern California Oncologists. He was the chairman of the Divisions of Hematology and Oncology at California Pacific Medical Center until 1995. He continues his activities at the medical center, both as an administrator, and as the founder and medical director of the Anticoagulation Clinic.
Dr. Rodvien has written more than 50 papers and co-authored one book. His life-long goal has been to help people with serious illnesses help themselves through a better understanding of the medical system.
J. Michael Berry, M.D.
Dr. Michael Berry received his training as an internist at the University of California in San Francisco and then went on to be trained as an oncologist at Stanford University. He joined with Dr. Rodvien in private practice in San Francisco in the 1980s before returning to UCSF as an oncologist in the anal cancer program. Always interested in identifying how people can help themselves when patients, he was part of the Cancer Options’ program, helping to write extensive, individual monographs for people with cancer.
Kathy Troutner, R. N.
Ms. Troutner, trained initially as a bedside oncology nurse, has become an administrator as well, helping to run the Alta bates Cancer Center in Berkeley and then the UCSF Cancer program’s outpatient infusion center before returning to Alta Bates as the Director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center. Kathy was also part of the Cancer Options’ program, helping to write extensive, individual monographs for people with cancer.
Peter Krause
Mr. Krause has been a person threatened by a bone marrow cancer since the age of 19. His life was profoundly changed by being told his “diagnosis”. Eventually, he learned how to live with his illness, eventually becoming self-trained in business. He now is involved with his own real estate-based company that helps other companies use the MLS data bases. Among his other skills, he has the capacity to help people in business interact with informatics’ people. He continues to be passionate in his quest to help others understand medicine better.
Chuck Cole
Reverend Chuck Cole served as a minister for churches with up to 3,200 members with budgets up to $4 million. He also worked with the Billy Graham Association and Campus Crusade for Christ International. Chuck has also worked with a wide variety of types and sizes of local as well as global for-profit coporations and nonsectarian nonprofit organizations. He is a business generalist specializing in strategic planning, organizational development, administration and marketing. For the past five years Chuck has worked as a consultant with a variety of nonprofit organizations to help them be better governed, better managed, and better funded. Chuck received his BA and MPA at California State University, and his theological education at Western Seminary.
Brian Rodvien
Brian Rodvien has had a lifelong interest in being sure people understood the nature of their illness, procedures and treatments. He was a close observer of how his father, the founder of Smarter Medical Care, Inc., practiced Hematology and Oncology, and his interests only intensified as he watched how his mother’s illnesses (lymphoma and then ovarian cancer) were made less painful to her by the knowledge she gained about her illnesses and care from his Dad. Brian received his BS in Cognitive Science from the University of California at San Diego. He is a board member, audio engineer and producer of the podcasts, and serves as the interface with web site personnel.