Abdul Saied Calvino, MD, MPH, Receives American Cancer Society  Award

Abdul Saied Calvino, MD, MPH, assistant professor of surgical oncology and associate director for the Surgery Clerkship, is the recipient of the 2021 American Cancer Society Lane Adams Quality of Life Award.

The award recognizes individuals who consistently provide excellent and compassionate care, as well as address the complex needs of cancer patients and their families. They go above and beyond to ensure a “warm hand of service,” a concept that Lane W. Adams emphasized when he served as executive vice president of the American Cancer Society.

Calvino earned his MD from the University of Panama School of Medicine and received his MPH from the University of Illinois-Chicago. He completed his surgical residency at the University of Illinois-Chicago, and a two-year fellowship in complex surgical oncology at Roger Williams Medical Center, Providence, RI, a BUSM clinical affiliate, where he currently serves as a  surgical oncologist.

Calvino was chosen for his dedication, insight, advocacy and unwavering commitment to patient care  for underserved populations in Rhode Island. He and his team have worked to educate and increase awareness of colorectal cancer screening, treatment, and prevention by holding more than 20 outreach events for Hispanics, Southeast Asians and Native Americans

Together with colleagues at Roger Williams Medical Center, he developed and launched a community outreach and navigation program for Hispanics in Rhode Island focused on increasing colorectal and breast cancer screening rates. More than 800 patients have enrolled in the program with screening completion rates above 85 percent, with 90 percent of surveyed patients stating that they would not have completed the procedure had it not been for this program. Calvino has worked closely with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ASC CAN) to pass a bill in Rhode Island to remove financial barriers to colorectal screening.

Cancer caregivers have been recognized through the Lane W. Adams Quality of Life Award since 1998.

Submitted by Harshitha Dudipala, MD.