Shaping the future of cancer care through Academic Affairs

Kerry Wallace’s Northwell Health journey started right after college graduation and has grown with her through each stage of her 35 years here. Today she’s director of Academic Affairs at the Northwell Health Cancer Institute, where she is responsible for their educational activities including fellowship program accreditation and continuing medical education programs.
Throughout her long career here, Kerry always felt supported by an organization she feels is preparing a workforce for the future era of healthcare. And as an individual with spina bifida, she’s felt supported as a team member with a disability as well. “Being disabled can definitely be a challenge in many situations. However, I’ve always felt supported during my career with Northwell and the door for opportunity has always been open for me. I also enjoy the work I do with the N-ABLE BERG to help individuals with disabilities advance their careers like I have done.”

After interning for two summers with the heath system, Kerry joined the Northwell team full-time as a cancer registrar at North Shore University Hospital (NSUH). It was while working here doing cancer data management and state reporting that Kerry earned her master’s degree, receiving assistance from Northwell’s tuition reimbursement program. “I knew continuing my education was important to future career goals,” says Kerry. “In addition to tuition reimbursement, the leadership at NSUH also allowed me the opportunity to do an administrative internship after hours and still work at the hospital.”
From there, Kerry’s career journey included working as an administrative coordinator with the Cancer Program at NSUH, a manager in Research and Education and later in Educational Initiatives at the Monter Cancer Center.
The diverse programs she experienced throughout her career were ones she valued. “I was a science major in college and always liked to learn more scientific information on cancer and potential treatments,” says Kerry. It also helped prepare her for her current role of working in Academic Affairs. “Now I am able to assist in bringing new knowledge to our clinicians and in my own way help advance care of cancer patients in the future.”

While impressive already, Kerry’s career journey isn’t finished yet. She wants to continue to grow and develop while doing her part to advance the treatment and survival of cancer. “Northwell has been a large part of my life, from college summer jobs, to various stages of my career, to the birth place of my daughter. Throughout my career, my career moves often had to do with not only need, but the desire to learn new areas of the field. I have stayed for so many years because of the new opportunities I have been given along the way.”