Delaware Hospice continues to lean on three great pillars of strength—its dedicated staff, its committed volunteers, and its generous contributors. Our care team members are to be commended for the commitment and compassion shown every day in bringing relief and comfort to our families, even in the face of increasing requests for our services. We are blessed with more than 700 volunteers, and the special partnership between our staff and volunteers has allowed us to expand and to meet the needs of our community. We also appreciate the many talents and the gifts of personal time of committee members who make our fundraising events a success and the volunteers who assist in our offices. Delaware Hospice’s fundraising efforts have blossomed in recent years, especially through our first capital campaign which raised $4 million for the construction of the Delaware Hospice Center in Milford.

The Delaware Hospice Center has expanded our options of care by allowing us to provide specialized, 24-hour care in a home-like environment. The creation of the Delaware Hospice Center has enabled us to reach out to the community through the Family Support Center’s bereavement and caregiver support programs and through offering a meeting place for organizations in the Community Conference Room.

We are so grateful to everyone in our community who has empowered us to continue offering our programs and meeting the needs of our families through your encouraging words, personal contributions, or dedicated service.

Fellowship
Hematology- Oncology, Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, NY

Internship and Residency
Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY

Education

• M.D. - Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
• Honors: Distinguished Student Scholarship
• A.B. - Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
• Honors: Detur Prize (academic achievement); John Harvard Scholarship (Honorary); Magna cum laude in Chemistry

• National Board of Medical Examiners
• American Board of Internal Medicine
• National Board of Internal Medicine - Hematology
• National Board of Medical Examiners - Oncology
• National Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine

Licensed

• Delaware and Pennsylvania

Current Research

• Clinical Investigator: Cancer Trials Support Group (CTSU); Cancer and Leukemia Group B (CALGB); Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG); Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG); National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP).

Current Committee Appointments

• Symptom Intervention Subcommittee, Cancer and Leukemia Group B; Pain and Palliative Care Committee, Medical Center of Delaware; Hospice Care/ Hospice Services Committee, Delaware Hospice, Inc.; Delaware Medicare Carrier Advisory Committee.

Current Publications

• Guarino, M, Schneider, C, Grubbs, S, Biggs, D, Himelstien, A, Tilak, S, Hogaboom, K. Dose Escalation Study of Weekly Topotecan, Cisplatin and Gemcitabine in Inoperable or Recurrent NSCLC. Proc. ASCO, 18:541a, 2000 (abstract).
  
  
• Guarino, M, Schneider, C, Grubbs, S, Biggs, D, Himelstien, A, Tilak, S, Hogaboom, K. Dose Escalation Study of Weekly Topotecan, Cisplatin and Gemcitabine in Inoperable or Recurrent NSCLC. Proc. ASCO, 19:271b, 2001 (abstract).
  
  
• Guarino, M, Schneider, C, Grubbs, S, Biggs, D, Himelstien, A, Tilak, S, Hogaboom, K. Dose Escalation Study of Weekly Topotecan, Cisplatin and Gemcitabine Front-Line Therapy in Patients with Inoperable Non Small Cell Lung Cancer. The Oncologist, 7:509, 2002.
  
  
• Martin, ES, Rossano, C, Pentimalli, F, Yoder, C. Fischel, R, Himelstien, AL, Martin, SE. Godwin, AL, Negrini, M, Croce, CM. The BCSC-1 locus at chromosome 11q23-q24 is a candidate tumor suppressor gene. PNAS, 100:11517- 11522, 2003.
  
  
• Guarino, MJ, Masters, GA, Schneider, CJ, Biggs, DD, Grubbs, SS, Himelstien, AL, Martin, SE, Micheals, LM, Guarino, AJ, Rejtos, L. Barriers Exist to Patient Participation in Clinical Trials. Journal of Clinical Oncology: 2005 ASCO Annual Meeting Proceedings, 23:531s, 2005 (abstract).
  
  
• Rosenberg, JE, Halabi, S, Sanford, BL, Himelstein, AL, Atkins, JN, Hohl, R, Seagren, SL, Bajorin, DF, Small, EJ. CALGB 90207: Phase II Trial of Bortezomib in Patients with Previously Treated Advanced Urothelial Tract Transitional Cell Carcinoma (TCC). Journal of Clinical Oncology: 2006 ASCO Annual Meeting Proceedings, 24:237s, 2006 (abstract).
  
  
• Himelstein, AL. Earlier Hospice Referrals Help Patients, Families, and Physicians. Delaware Medical Journal October, 2006, Vol 78, No10.

Peer Review

• Abstract Reviewer, American Society of Hematology 43rd Annual Meeting, 2001.
• Coordinating Abstract Reviewer, American Society of Hematology 44th Annual Meeting, 2002.
• Moderator, Health Services and Outcomes Research Simultaneous Session, American Society of Hematology 44th Annual Meeting, 2002.
• Reviewer, Delaware Medical Journal, 2003.

Recent Presentations

• “Chemotherapy Reimbursement: New Indications for Existing Policies.” Presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology/ American Society of Hematology Second National Meeting of Hematology/ Oncology Carrier Advisory Committee Representatives, Washington, D.C. June 2000.
  
  
• “Lost Opportunities with Late Hospice Referrals.” Presented at Christiana Care Pain Management and Palliative Care Grand Rounds, Christiana Care Health System, Newark, DE, February, 2005.
  
  
• “Medicare and Hospice.” Presented at Bayhealth Medical Center Interesting Case Conference, Dover DE, February, 2006.