Cincy 360 -- Tony Pike with Dr. William Barrett

Tony talks with Dr. William Barrett from Cincinnati Cancer Foundation on ESPN 1530!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
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good taste. Pennstation East Coast Subs order online today. This
is ESPN fifteen thirty, Cincinnati Sports Station.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
All right, welcome back. It is our number three on
SINCY three sixty and we got a special guest to
kick off our number three today in studio, which is
always more special than over the phone, even though we
don't want to disparage our over the phone callers as well.
But uh, doctor Bill Bairrett of the Cincinnati Cancer Foundation
is joining us today. There are some really cool events,

(00:40):
meaningful events that are coming up, but also just what's
going on with Cincinnati Cancer Advisors and the Foundation in itself.
So one, we appreciate you joining us today and stopping in.
Thanks so much for having me. Really appreciate being here.
Thanks Tony the Cincinnati Cancer Foundation. Just talk about what
led into one to get that started and wanting to

(01:02):
make the impact that you guys are making already.

Speaker 3 (01:04):
Sure are a lot of people in this city are
doing a lot of things they can to try and
improve the prognosis of people with cancer, and nobody wants
this diagnosis, but if you have to face his adversary,
we want this diet to be the very best place
in the world to be. And so we're lucky here.
We have a lot of great nurses, physicians, technicians, therapists
about the city, excellent hospitals, excellent medical offices. But something

(01:25):
that had occurred to me a while back was something
that could be helpful, that could add benefit, would be
a completely objective second opinion from somebody who's not going
to assume treatment, assume the actual care. And so often
somebody has a new cancer diagnosis and they one another opinion,
and very often they go out of town. It's inconvenient,
it's expensive, the quality is quite variable. There may or

(01:47):
may not be communication with the local physicians. If somebody
goes from multiple opinions, they almost never talk to each other,
often just adding to confusion for often conflicting suggestions. And
very importantly, there's almost always an attempt to recruit the
patient to the new place where cares and is frankly,
that's where the revenue is. So the concept since that
cancer advisors was to be the opposite of all that local, convenient,

(02:08):
no charge whatsoever, So no financial barriers for anybody. Platinumlevel
consultation the physicians spend literally two hours face to face
the patient, your family, answer every question immediately called the
treating oncologists discuss the patient and our group are very
well connected nationally, have a great network, so they'll call
around see who has expertise with a particular problem. Really

(02:29):
that the treating oncologists, and there's no attempt to change
the patient's place of care, so it's consultation only gives
it this ultimate honest broker approach. You feel with cancer,
and unfortunately nowadays everyone in some way or another is
impacted by cancer and their family and where things are at.
And I think what comes up far too often is

(02:49):
the feeling of maybe being alone when you get a
diagnosis like that, and to your point, you think about
where are we going to go, what's the insurance look like,
what's it going to cost? And you worry about so
much more than just the actual care and the person
themselves seeing it firsthand, and what it is able to
give these patients. It's a peace of mind and a

(03:11):
lot of times it's it's hope and a path forward.
You mentioned that the two hour consultation, actually feel like
a human and not just a number. It's you're being
filed somewhere else from start to finish. That has to
be One of the more rewarding sides of this is
to see the impact it makes from a diagnosis that
so many times leads someone to feel alone. Absolutely, and

(03:31):
you've hit the nail on the head in many respects
here and when somebody receives this diagnosis, all the questions
that go through your mind, You what do I have
to go through? What's our prognosis? This this now life
changing event. In one of our taglines is great care
begins the great plan. And once a plan is in place,
the patient and your family are confident with mentally things
get easier. It's remarkable. We are honored to see the

(03:54):
very best in human nature on a daily basis. For
people are going along, life is fine. All of a sudden,
this life changing, potentially a life threatening to diagnosis is amazing.
So often how quickly people quickly change to fighter mode,
and it courage, the grace, the dignity people show going
through this and helping get for family and merth their friends.
And on the professional side, all the professionals and the

(04:16):
medical personnel that collaborate for the patient's best interest. And
so that is the idea is for people to have hope,
to have a plan, and so often these days we
have ways to go with cancer. But things are getting
better and better, and people's prognosis is a lot better
now that it was twenty years ago with this disease.

Speaker 2 (04:33):
When you look at obviously what you guys are trying
to do, it it doesn't just happen for nothing. There
are obviously money that needs to be raised to continue
to do what you guys are doing. And there's obviously
a lot of ways that you can support Cincinnati Cancer's Advisors.
But I know you guys got some events coming up
as well that people can attend or people can sponsor
as well. Let's start with the Steve Abbott Memorial Golf Classic.

(04:54):
I know this is newly renamed the Cincinnati Cancer Foundations,
I believe executive director who went through a decade long
battle with prostate cancer unfortunately passed last year. But talk
a little bit about the Golf Classic and everything coming
up in August.

Speaker 3 (05:10):
Now, the Golf Classic started as Bearcats and Muskies against cancer,
with the symbolism that if the two biggest rivals in
the city can collaborate on something, then still can all
the health systems. And that was the idea. And so
the Bearcats and Muskies against Cancer Golf outing has been
a great event for the last several years. And then
Steve very unfortunately passed away last summer and incredibly courageous

(05:31):
person who battled prostate cancer for ten years and everything
anybody could possibly do and had tremendous family and support,
and it's our honor to name this tournament in his name.

Speaker 2 (05:43):
Now, now I know that in the tournament, our guy
John John from Kiss one of seven is going to
be doing the heckel hole. Is this your idea? Have
you experienced a heckle hole at any point before? No,
this is new. This is new. It's interesting because there
are so many people. Golf is this private, quiet event,
and now you got someone that's going to make fun
of you on the whole. But it does add a
very cool aspect to this. But it is a day

(06:06):
that you can obviously get together, you have fun, but
when you're doing that and also at the end of
the day, knowing that you're making a difference and that
you're impacting and there are many different ways to make
that impact, but it does go a long way to
have events like this building throughout the year that that
can help raise the money necessary to do what you're doing.

Speaker 3 (06:22):
That's right, and so we had the Sistant Cancer Foundation,
which is what funds Cinstant Cancer Advisors and personally, I've
never taken a die from this whole thing. My involvement
since starting this ten years ago has been totally on
a voluntary basis. But we have absolutely first rate personnel.
We have world class posicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, medical assistants,
and so they get a salary as they should, and

(06:44):
so to be able to afford the incredibly high level
of expertise we have throughout this group, it requires funding.

Speaker 2 (06:51):
The Steve Abbott Memorial Golf Classic is August twenty fifth,
and then in September, September thirteenth, you guys have Ride Cincinnati.
I believe this has been around since two thousand and seven.
Talk a little bit more about what Ride Cincinnati is. Yeah, right,
since I started. Unfortunately, Marlene Harris passed away from breast
cancer and her husband, Harvey, doctor Harvey Harris, avid bicycle

(07:13):
rider and with his daughter Allison got together and my
sister in law, Aleen, who had had breast cancer, and
they got together and decided to have a benefit bicycle
ride to benefit cancer research in the area. And historically
the funds have gone almost exclusively for research, and this
year we're opening up. This year it's going to be

(07:33):
there will be funding available for not just research research
for sure, basic science research, clinical research, but in addition
to that clinical care and education.

Speaker 3 (07:42):
So it opened every health system, every cancer organization. So
if anybody in the city has the idea they want
to have a prominent speaker come in and speak and
need funding for it. If somebody has an idea for
helping patients get transportation to a particular medical facility, just
get help with that. If somebody has a basic science
or racle the idea, that need to have initial funding

(08:04):
to see if the idea has fruition, and so that's
the idea. So people will have the opportunity and this
is open to the whole city. Anybody who participates in
the ride that is involved with the cancer organization can
apply for a grant and then we'll have a review
committee composed across the city of really experienced people in
the cancer realm that will decide worthy grants anywhere from

(08:25):
five thousand dollars to fifty thousand dollars for different projects.

Speaker 2 (08:28):
You guys, are you make a such a huge difference
in the lives of cancer patience. I think sometimes what
goes overlooked maybe is how it affects the families as well. Absolutely,
how much or are there things obviously in place that
can help educate the families along the way because they
feel helpless at many times along the way because you
don't really know how to approach or help along the way.

(08:50):
So how much is the aspect of making the difference
of the lives of those families as well.

Speaker 3 (08:56):
Important to you? It's a great point, and so there
are We're fortunate in this city they have a lot
of really good hearted people working hard for the patients
as well as their family members, and so there will
be ideas what come forward, will be people who have
new ideas for what could help kids whose parents have
had cancer, parents whose kids have bad cancer, siblings, family
members or spouses. And it's, as you know, it's a tough,

(09:21):
tough disease. And but I said earlier, and often paradoxically
brings out the best in human nature. I mean the
courage that the grace people often show going through this
and everybody coming together for what's best for a particular
family member or friend. The medical professionals, it's we see
the best in human nature on a daily basis.

Speaker 2 (09:41):
I feel like it's such a valuable asset that that
still not enough people around know about. And again, as
you mentioned, you're talking about the consultations and free and
not having to worry about what the insurance is doing,
and feeling like an actual human and not just a
patient to someone For those that may be hearing about
it for the first time or those that want to
learn more, what is the easiest way that you would
direct folks to go check out?

Speaker 3 (10:01):
Now, there's websites since that Cancer Advisors and describes the
experience very well, and people can request the consultation either
by calling and the phone numbers on there or by
emailing the numbers on there the email addresses on there,
and it's unique that this exists no place else in
the world. The idea you can get a platinum level
second opinion no charge whatsoever. And so the idea is
to be helpful to the patients, helpful to the physicians

(10:24):
taking care of this patient and we think it has
been We send surveys to all the patients have been seen,
who universally find this extremely helpful. We send surveys to
the physicians whose patients have been seen, and they also
find it really helpful too. Instead of people getting defensive
about maybe being a second guest, instead they find it
really helpful that the patient is typically reassured that you're

(10:45):
in good hands and the plan may have been augmented
by the recommendation of the group here, so it's all positive.

Speaker 2 (10:51):
You're essentially just trying to eliminate the noises around it
and treat someone for the actual cancer of what's the
best treatment route, not where does the instruyurans matchup? Where
does it does it? It gives the peace of mind
and I think, as you mentioned that the two hour
consultations that someone can sit down and talk like a human.

Speaker 3 (11:09):
Does right, because if you have this new diagnosis, you're
not really sure where to go, who to talk to,
what to ask for. Trust, So our people know, so
our people know exactly who the expert is in the country,
they'll call that person on your behalf. Really that too,
year seting oncologists, and so the idea is to optimize
the plan.

Speaker 2 (11:25):
Awesome stuff again for those listening. August twenty fifth is
the Steve Abbam Memorial Golf Classic. September thirteenth is Ride Cincinnati.
And would you say the Cincinnati Cancer Foundation dot org. Yeah,
easiest way to just find out all the information possible. Yeah,
in the right Cincinnati. It's a really great event.

Speaker 3 (11:42):
This will be the eighteenth year and it starts at
swear Point and people have different options of crossing the
bridge and going down Routate heading east and as far
as you want and come back as far as sixty
miles and or there's a closed loop downtown and the
celebration afterwards. It's a great event.

Speaker 2 (12:00):
Not recommend everything that you guys are doing more at
the Cincinnati Cancer Foundation. That is Doctor William Barrett, thank
you so much for your time today. We appreciate your time,
and more importantly, we appreciate the impact and everything you're
doing here in the greater Cincinnati area.

Speaker 3 (12:12):
Thank you, Tony. It's a privilege. Thank you.

Speaker 2 (12:15):
We will be right back plenty more to go. Our
number three of since E three sixty Next on ESPN
fifteen thirty Cincinnati Sports station.

Speaker 3 (12:22):
Now your chance to win a thousand