President, NYH HealthCare Communications Group, 1985-present.
Literary & Medical Author & Book Reviewer; Collaborator on books and articles;Web Content Writer-Editor, Seminar Leader, Lecturer, and Editor.
Author/collaborator on textbooks, articles for peer-reviewed journals, and patient-education materials to augment physicians’ explanations of disease, medications, procedures, and treatment; and help patients cope with disease and adhere to medical recommendations; Web content writer-editor for medical web sites;Author/collaborator with physicians, nursing associations, and pharmaceutical houses on medical books, training programs, and articles for peer-reviewed journals and popular trade magazines; Author of trade books, web content for medical web sites, articles for journals and popular magazines, training scripts, and corporate backgrounders; International lecturer to physicians, health-care educators, nurses, pharmaceutical teams, and HMO leaders.
Contributing Writer-Editor for Content for Arthritis Pain Division of www.pain.com
Writing and Communications Collaborator with Physicians, Pharmaceutical & HMO Executives, Critical Care Nurses, Medical School Curricula:
GOALS: Awakening the world to the joys of reading; Helping doctors communicate better with patients; establishing better relations among healthcare providers, patients, and scientific colleagues;improving care of physicians who are ill; coping with and triumphing over such diseases as breast, prostate, renal, and colon cancer; diabetes; erectile dysfunction; growing older; understanding genetics; high blood pressure, heart disease, and coronary bypass surgery; menopause; obesity; rheumatoid and osteoarthritis; joint replacement; osteoporosis; pain therapy; retinal diseases; ADHD; craniofacial deformities.
Patient-Satisfaction and Adherence Specialist/ Physician-Satisfaction Specialist:
Specializing in improving patient satisfaction, minimizing medical errors of omission and commission; Enhancing physicians’ satisfaction with their practices;
Encouraging physician-patient partnerships to improve outcomes;
Working with medical students and residents to improve communication and care
Helping patients cope with chronic and acute pain;
Helping patients adhere to medical recommendations;
Helping patients prevent, understand, and cope with chronic and acute conditions and accompanying pain; Helping patients partner with physicians and act as advocates in hospitals, nursing facilities, and at home; Helping physicians, medical students, patients, and families understand the patient’s pain.
Collaborator/editor of Medical Communications for Physicians and Patients
Writing articles on clinical findings, procedures, and treatment for peer-reviewed journals and web sites;
Assisting physicians, medical school curricula, and pharmaceutical houses in explaining conditions, treatment, outcomes, and products to medical colleagues, house staff, medical students, and patients.
Producing pharmaceutical information packets for physicians and patients;
Helping physicians, nurses, and pharmaceutical houses deal with geriatric, communication, palliative care;
Helping physicians follow evidence-based medical guidelines for diagnosis and treatment.
International Lecturer, Educator, Seminar Leader on:
Encouraging Adherence to Medical Treatment, Coping with Disease, American Culture and American Literature in United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Norway, Netherlands, Austria, Spain, France, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Greece, South Africa, Belgium, Korea., Italy, and Lithuania.
Medical Author, Writer, Collaborator, Managing Editor, Book Reviewer
Author, editor, collaborator on textbooks, articles for peer-reviewed, scholarly, and popular journals; Specialist in writing medical web content; textbooks, popular articles and books, trade books, pharmaceutical publications, and health maintenance organizations.
Workshops on Clinical Trials, Marketing New Products, Medical Writing,
Training Programs on Communicating Better with Patients, Medical Colleagues, and Staff:
Crafting medical writing and presentations for pharmaceutical personnel to inform physicians, patients, medical directors, and HMO leaders about new treatments;
Educating physicians to partner with patients in detecting, treating, and coping with disease;
Improving communication among specialists in different fields;
Developing adherence and coping strategies for patients to optimize outcomes and ensure safety;
Bolstering communication between HMOs, patients, providers, and corporations.
MAJOR PUBLICATIONS:
Genetics for the Non-Geneticist Physician. ReMedica Publishing, London, 2001.
Cardiac Output Module for Certification Training. American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, 2001.
Breast Cancer: A Practical Guide to Diagnosis (with Wende W. Logan-Young).Vol. I: Procedures, 1995; Vol. II: Benign Diseases, 1996; Vol. III: Malignant Disease, 1997.
Change of Heart: The Bypass Experience. Harper Collins (Paperback), 1987.
Change of Heart: The Bypass Experience. Harcourt Brace (Hardcover), 1985.
Diabetes Freedom in a Sugary World. Eastman Kodak, 1984.
WORKS UNDER CONSTRUCTION:
I Never Wrote for My Father: A Memoir
The Boomer’s Guide to Act II: Writing the Script for Life’s Second Chances;
The Patient and Physician’s Manual on Working Together.
Fixing Doctors: When MDs Get Sick.
PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT:
Associate Professor of American Literature,
St. John Fisher College, Rochester, New York.
Special Clinical Investigator for Surgeon General of U.S.Army, Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
Special Series: The Grand Old Men and Women of American Medicine, JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association.
Writer/Editor, Medical Services Division, Eastman Kodak, Rochester, New York.
Weekly book reviewer, Los Angeles Times.
Book reviewer, Gannett News Service.
Author and Communications Consultant, Ochsner Medical Institutions, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Director, American Guardian Life Insurance Co., Jenkintown, Pennsylvania.
Director, Advisory Board, Community Savings Bank, Rochester, New York.
General Editor, Aureomycin Digest, Lederle Laboratories, American Cyanamid, New York.
English Professor to Japanese Professorial Faculty, U.S.I.S., Kyoto, Japan.
VISITING ACADEMIC LECTURESHIPS:
Visiting Faculty, St. Catherine’s College,
Oxford University: Teaching Communication in Medicine.
Visiting Faculty, Cardiothoracic Surgery Symposium: Coronary Artery Bypass: The Patient’s View.
Visiting Professor, University of New England, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Portland, Maine..
National Endowment for the Humanities Lectureship in Medical Humanities and American Studies.
Visiting Professor of Women’s Studies and American Literature, University of Rochester.
NATIONAL TELEVISION APPEARANCES (local TV appearances are omitted):
AM Canada.
CNN.
Good Morning, America.
Good Morning, South Africa.
Hour Magazine.
John Siegenthaler’s Authors and Editors.
The Larry King Show.
The Oprah Winfrey Show.
NATIONAL RADIO APPEARANCES
The Larry King Show.
National Public Radio: Scott Simon.
National Public Radio: Marketplace.
Various major talk shows in Canada, Australia, South Africa, and the United States
HONORARY SOCIETIES AND AWARDS:
National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship Outstanding English Professor of New York State
Phi Beta Kappa
Current Board Memberships
Rochester Health Commission, Chairperson, Palliative Care and End-of-Life Advisory Board
Monroe County Community Hospital Foundation Board.
MAJOR LECTURE ENGAGEMENTS,
European Society for the Philosophy of Medicine and HealthCare, Vilnius University, Lithuania.
VIth European Conference on Health Promotion and Education, Equity, Solidarity, and Responsibility for Health, Perugia, Italy.
International Conference on Communication in HealthCare, Warwick University, UK.
XVIIth World Conference on Health Promotion and Health Education, Paris, France.
3rd Jerusalem International Conference on Health Policy, Jerusalem, Israel.
EACR XVI: European Association for Cancer Research, Porto Carras, Greece.
XIth International Congress of Senology, Latin American Congress of Mastology, Cancun, Mexico.
2nd European Breast Cancer Conference, Brussels, Belgium.
9th International Congress on Anti-cancer Treatment, Paris, France.
American Roentgen Ray Society, San Francisco.
International Conference on Communication in Medicine, Amsterdam.
Connecticare Seminars for HealthCare Providers, Hartford.
ECR--97: European Congress of Radiology, Vienna,Austria.
The Physician in Transition: Is Hippocrates Sick? Oslo, Norway.
Keynote Speaker, Pacific Health Research Institute, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Congress of Psychology for Scientific Professionals in the Americas, Mexico City.
Asia Pacific Cancer Congress, Hong Kong.
Visiting Faculty, Teaching Communication in Medicine, St. Catherine’s College, Oxford University, UK.
Visiting Faculty, International College of Angiology, Barcelona, Spain
Keynote speaker, AMAssociation International Conference on Physicians’ Health, Chandler, Arizona.
Roentgen Centenary Congress, Birmingham, England.
Commonwealth Club, San Francisco, California.
Capetown Hospital and Heart Association, Capetown, Johannesburg Hospital and Heart Association, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Grand Rounds, The Alfred Hospital, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Psychiatric Grand Rounds, The Alfred Hospital, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Medical Grand Rounds, Prince Henry Hospital, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Keynote Speaker, Women’s Health Conference, Spokane, Washington.
Chautauqua Literary & Scientific Round Table, Chautauqua, New York.
Nashville Book and Author Dinner, Nashville,
Genesee Valley Psychological Association, Rochester, New York.
Monroe Community College Coronary Rehabilitation Group, Rochester
Bridgeport Hospital, Bridgeport, Connecticut.
MEDICAL & LITERARY PUBLICATIONS LIST on request: I've written too much in too many places to list them all here but I'd be glad to send the list to you. They range from menopause to Milton, wonderful stories (because the subjects were wonderful) about the Grand Old Physicians in the United States, lots on breast cancer, much on improving doctor-patient relations (i.e. The Buck Stops Here, New Engl J Med.) Brain Tumors, Intellihealth Cancer Zone, a gazillion articles and a three-volume textbook on breast cancer; several popular culture articles on physicians as writers--both ept and inept, and a slew of articles--plus a book--on heart disease, coronary bypass surgery, and changing your Type A personality to a B+.
PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES & ADVISORY BOARDS
American Academy on Physicians and Patients. Society of Authors (U.K.).
American Association for the Advancement of Science.
American Diabetes Association (Council).
American Diabetes Association (Professional Section).
American Heart Association.
American Medical Writers Association
American Pain Society.
American Society of Journalists and Authors.
American Culture Association
American Urological Association.
Authors Guild.
Biopsychosocial Studies Program.
Drug Information Association.
European Society for Philosophy of Medicine and Health Care
International Congress of Radiologists.
International Science Writers Association.
Modern Language Association, American Studies Division.
National Association for Female Executives.
National Association of Science Writers.
National Council of Teachers of English.
New York Academy of Science.
New York State Bar Association Committee on Courts and the Community, Advisory Board.
New York State English Council.
Popular Culture Association.
Society for Technical Communication.
PROFESSIONAL HONORS & AWARDS
Listed in Who’s Who in America.
Listed in International Authors & Writers Who’s Who.
Listed in Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare
Listed in America’s Registry of Outstanding Professionals.
Listed in Who’s Who in Science and Engineering.
Listed in Who’s Who among Business Leaders.
Listed in Who’s Who in Medicine.
Listed in Dictionary of International Biography
Listed in Who’s Who among Human Services Professionals.
Listed in International Who’s Who of Professional & Business Women.
Listed in Two Thousand Notable American Women.
Listed in Who’s Who of American Women.
Listed in Who’s Who in the East.
Listed in World Who’s Who of Women.
Instructor of Excellence, New York State English Council.
EDUCATION
MS. with High Distinction, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York.
B.S. with High Distinction, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York.
“There is a great satisfaction in building good tools for other people to use"
Freeman Dyson, Physicist (1992)
NANCY YANES-HOFFMAN--WHO'S SHE? Medical writer, editor, co-author, reviewer, health care strategist in doctor-patient communication to produce better patient adherence for better outcomes, and specialist in preventive health care and diet advice, Nancy Yanes-Hoffman calls herself, "Nancy the Health Care Nag." As The Writing Doctor, she doctors the writing of physicians, other medical professionals, and pharmaceutical companies to produce readable, memorable, publishable medical writing. This is the Satisfaction Blog. As THE WRITING DOCTOR, I help physicians say what they mean to achieve the best medical outcomes possible. Carefully tailored, simple and practical strategies will assist doctors and other health care professionals explain the ins and outs of medical problems better to patients and medical colleagues. Patients who understand their disease, its procedures, and its treatment, will be much less likely to pocket-veto their prescriptions. Patients who can partner with their physicians in their medical care are far more likely to adhere to medical recommendations. If your reports to referrers are clear, your medical colleagues will respect you more. Careful reports to referrers make sure that patients don't get lost between the cracks. My professional career has been dedicated to communication, to partnering with readers in finding books, partnering with health-care professionals, pharmaceutical houses, and managed care organizations in achieving better relationships with medical colleagues and patients. Partnering is the name of the game. It's my avocation and my vocation--and my obsession. Come partner with each other and with me. Many medical professionals would “rather have a root canal than write an article for a peer-reviewed journal”--even though their credentials and promotions are dependent on writing such articles. Many physicians don’t have the time to explain all the fine points of a disease and its treatment to patients. Without this knowledge, patients have trouble coping with disease. Lacking information and explanations, patients often do not adhere to medical advice and pocket-veto their prescriptions. Many subspecialists do not convey the nuances of their findings to referring physicians. But without detailed information from the subspecialist, many referring physicians feel as though the ball has been tossed back in their court and the game has been called because of rain. Even though someday all of us will have to consult a physician for medical problems that beleaguer us, many patients don’t know how to go to the doctor and gain the most help from the time allotted for their medical visit. NYH, THE WRITING DOCTOR, can help both literary and medical professionals meet on common ground and partner together. Since I love to talk, Nancy the Nag is an international lecturer, speaking at meetings from Oxford to Hong Kong, from Amsterdam to Seoul. My lectures and writings emphasize better communication among us all so we can understand each other and work better together. Partnering in decision-making between physicians and patients, listening to each other's agendas, so that patients can cope better with chronic and acute conditions, adhere to medical advice, and most of all, work to achieve the best outcomes possible. Nancy Yanes-Hoffman’s books include: Change of Heart: The Bypass Experience, Breast Cancer: A Practical Guide to Diagnosis, and Genetics for the Non-Geneticist Physician. Yanes-Hoffman has written more than 80 articles on medical and health-care subjects for such peer-reviewed journals as the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the New England Journal of Medicine, Radiology, the American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR), and the American Journal of Managed Care. As a literary critic, reviewer, journalist, essayist, and humanist, she has also published widely in non-medical publications, both scholarly and popular. As a college professor, Yanes-Hoffman's specialties are medical and technical writing, twentieth-century American literature, and the thorny nature of relationships in literature and life, whether they are relationships between men and women, the old and the young, parents and children, physicians and patients, referring physicians and subspecialists. Nancy Yanes-Hoffman has appeared on many American television and radio programs including stints with Larry King, Oprah Winfrey, Good Morning, America, NPR, and CNN, as well as many major programs in Canada, South Africa, and Europe.