The San Francisco VA Division of Hematology/Oncology provides outstanding, high-quality care to the veterans of Northern California. It consists of a multidisciplinary team of Physicians, CNS in Oncology, NP in Oncology, RNs, Pharmacist, Social Worker, Dietician, Clinical Research Coordinator, Cancer Registrars, and Administrative Staff.
Our Hematology/Oncology attendings have joint appointments at the University of California, San Francisco. Our academic interests include clinical trials research, outcomes research, quality improvement, medical informatics and education. We are a major center for the clinical education of UCSF students, residents and fellows. We are deeply committed to providing high-quality patient care, engaging in innovative research, and teaching the next generation of medical providers.
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT: Carling Ursem, MD
Dr. Carling Ursem joined the SFVAMC Hematology/Oncology Faculty as an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, joint appointment with UCSF. She is a distinguished graduate of Columbia University Medical School, Duke University Internal Medicine Residency, and our very own UCSF Hematology/Oncology Fellowship. Her recent clinical and research work has been focused on the fields of GI, GU and Geriatric Oncology.
During her training, she has won numerous awards for teaching and clinical excellence. She has also completed the T32 Aging Research Fellowship, and has recently presented her research work at GI and GU ASCO. We highly anticipate that her expertise will elevate our educational, clinical and research efforts at the SFVA Hematology/Oncology Program and look forward to an exciting and productive future.
OUR CHIEF: Sunny Wang, MD
Dr. Sunny Wang, Associate Professor of Medicine, assumed her role as Chief of the Division of Hematology-Oncology for the San Francisco VA Health Care System (SFVAHCS) in 2018. Sunny had been serving as the interim Division Chief since 2016, as well as Director of the Hematology-Oncology Clinic.
Sunny received her bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and MD from the University of Pennsylvania. In 2002, she moved west to UCSF for her internal medicine residency, and subsequently served as chief medical resident. She remained at UCSF for her fellowship in hematology-oncology before joining our faculty in 2009, based primarily at the VA.
Sunny has a strong clinical and research interest in lung cancer. The SFVAHCS has been a national leader in the use of low-dose CT for lung cancer screening, and Sunny has played a key role in the program’s success. Her current research focuses on barriers to lung cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes – particularly within the geriatric population. As division chief, she will work to expand access by VA patients to clinical trials, especially among patients with lung, prostate, GI, and head and neck cancers.
Sunny is a fabulous educator who has served as the hematology-oncology fellowship site director since 2014. The consistently high ratings of the SFVA rotation among heme-onc fellows and students reflects her deep commitment to education. In recognition of her achievements, she has received teaching awards from the UCSF oncology fellows and the Haile T. Debas Academy of Medical Education (AME). She was inducted into the AME in 2014.