Physician Spotlight
Kimberly Ku, MD
Illinois CancerCare
https://illinoiscancercare.
Kimberly KU, MD is board certified in Hematology/Medical Oncology, Internal Medicine and specializes in Breast, Colorectal, Hematology, Lung, Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS), Myeloma / Amyloid, Pancreas, Prostate, Ureter / Bladder cancer
What CSN programs have you participated in and what value has CSN provided to you?
Leadership exchange conference, COFAI, in general virtual and in-person meetings whenever available. This has gifted me with an abundant sense of community, advocacy, empowerment, and networking.
What do you find most rewarding about the field of oncology?
Endless learning opportunity and the like-minded curiosity often embodied in the field of medical oncology/hematology. Patients seem to truly build trust and rapport with us, there is a unique bond and relationship that is deeply fulfilling.
What do you think are the biggest challenges facing independent oncologists today?
Many competing business, management, non-medical needs to address with lack of time and coaching to navigate as a collective group let alone through one’s own individual careers, leading to difficulties understanding and managing pervasive problems such as burn out and maintaining collaborations across practice settings and multi-disciplinary teams.
What advances are you most excited about in Oncology right now?
Technological improvements such as liquid molecular testing strategies, interest in AI integration, and movement toward value-based care as a means of understanding how we are improving outcomes based on patient-centered evidence.
In addition to Cornerstone programming, how do you stay up to date on advances in the field of oncology?
Trying to look at every moment as a learning opportunity, including patient care, quizzing myself in clinic to look up anything I am uncertain about, asking colleagues their thoughts, signing up for conferences even when feeling tired, getting involved in stimulating projects within my true passions, and doing a little bit each day to the point it is an ingrained mindset as opposed to a carved-out exercise.
What are your motivations for your current practice?
Being in early-mid career, I have a lot of motivation to keep growing personally and professionally, often deriving this energy from my deep passion for learning and seeing how far I can challenge myself to grow.
How do you describe your work style?
As a community doctor with an empathetic and enterprising style at an independent group practice, I think of myself as being in the practice of relationships. Hence my work reflects my core values of being relationship-oriented and curious, resulting often in thorough and comprehensive care plans with multidisciplinary collaboration yet also efficient and intentional communication focused on authenticity.
How do you stay patient-centered?
I find time to take care of myself so I can focus on being a deep empathetic listener while at work, thinking about patients based on their life stories and the collective medical profession as having its own history and conscious trajectory of aspirational advancements.
Do you think oncologists have a role to play in early detection and prevention of cancer?
Absolutely- as community oncologists we are the cancer experts. Often the community of doctors , professionals, and patients rely on us to educate, advocate, and bring to them new technologies to think proactively about their health in a way that feels empowering.
Can you describe your most meaningful achievements, professionally and personally?
Any moment for which I was authentically myself, including deferring my partnership temporarily in order to responsibly keep working full time through the pandemic while simultaneously having two more children.
Outside of your profession, what are your interests? How do you spend your free time?
I adore family time with my three sons, husband, and parents in all forms of our many group activities and deep relationship building in our personal communities.
Additionally I am an executive producer for Abundance Studios, with a 22-time Emmy Award winning film crew. As part of my role, I additionally enjoy co-authoring books and public speaking/story-telling for humanitarian causes and curiosity-based enterprises.
