Medical oncologist and hematologist joins Hematology-Oncology Associates
By Chris Motola
Q: Let’s get the important stuff out of the way first. Did you get that snowstorm you were hoping for when you moved back here from Florida?
A: You know, we did! I was pretty impressed. My parents still live in Upstate New York, so I had been visiting them. I hadn’t been too impressed by the snow the last few years, especially around the holidays, but this year I feel like we had a good amount of snow for a while. Though outside my office window I can see green grass already.
Q: They don’t make winters like they used to.
A: I always wonder if it’s just because when you’re a kid every snowstorm feels like a big snowstorm. I don’t know if I’m just older now and that’s the change, but I do think the winters have been different lately. I think one of the best things about Upstate New York is the change of seasons. I’m excited to see all of them come and I’m excited to see all of them go.
Q: How long have you been back?
A: I came back this fall. I started at HOA in October. We moved back a few weeks before that.
Q: What’s your experience with HOA been like so far?
A: It’s been great. It’s been a really wonderful place to work so far. I really enjoy collaborating with all the other doctors. There’s a lot of expertise, especially in the new physicians just starting out. I’ve been so welcome to ask questions and bounce cases off of them. They’ve been really supportive. But then all of the other support staff too, the nurses, the schedulers; everyone has just been great. I’m so impressed as I continue to learn about the services that HOA offers and the things we try to do for our patients. It just feels like a really comprehensive patient experience. Hopefully patients feel that way as well.
Q: How did you become interested in hematology and oncology?
A: So I really like getting to know patients and getting the opportunity to build a relationship with them over time. I like that I get to focus in on a few different problems. I think there are a few areas of medicine, including oncology, where there have been so many recent advances. They’ve really been game-changing. While a lot of sad things can happen here, there’s also so much hope and so many new opportunities. This industry was one way of really getting to know patients while staying at the cutting edge of research.
Q: Are you involved in research?
A: It’s slow at first, but I’ve been shocked and impressed by how much research there is at HOA, how many clinical trials. As a new doctor here I’m slowly working my way into the research department. I have a couple patients on clinical trials, and I’m working closely with the department.
Q: How much of a patient base have you been able to build up so far?
A: There are a few patients who were transfers from physicians who moved to the Camillus office. So I’ve inherited them that way and through referrals from different people in the community. So I’ve just been slowly building my practice that way. I see a lot of general oncology, but have been starting to see more GI oncology. GI includes some blood cancers. Some of the more chronic leukemias, though some of the more acute ones are better treated at a transplant center like University of Rochester. Though I might be their local liaison here as they’re getting care in both places. But some of the more chronic leukemias and lymphomas I take care of as well.
Q: Are blood cancers harder to manage than most other cancers? Easier?
A: Fortunately there are so many new developments that treating all cancers has become a lot more nuanced. We look for specific markers and use that to guide treatment, and with blood cancers there are a lot of specific things. It can be a little bit tricky, but overall I think we’re well-prepared for them.
Q: Is there much of a regional difference in the prevalence of certain cancers in Upstate New York relative to Florida?
A: I would say typically no, but I think they do see more skin cancer in Florida as people are exposed to more sun, but we do see a lot of skin cancers up here as well. Some cancers are more common in older people, so where the population is older we’ll see more of them.
Q: It’s a little bit of a stereotype, but D.O.s tend to be more associated with primary care, and you almost considered going into it yourself. Are there expectations you had to overcome?
A: No, I don’t think so. Historically D.O.s have leaned toward primary care, but over the last few decades that’s been evolving and changing. I never had any issues applying to jobs, fellowships or residencies that I was interested in. I think in general osteopathic medicine encourages treatment of the whole person, which can include manipulative medicine. I don’t include it in my day-to-day practice, but I do try to practice clear communication and how conditions affect people physically and mentally. When a patient comes in with a new cancer I try to make sure they’re connected to ancillary services and communicate goals and expectations rather than just telling people they have cancer and here is the chemotherapy they’re going to get. That’s one thing I like about HOA, they really try to take the whole patient into account.
Lifelines
Name: Natalie Hartigan, D.O.
Position: Medical oncologist hematologist at Hematology-Oncology Associates of CNY
Hometown: Little Falls
Education: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Affiliations: Crouse Hospital, St. Joseph’s Health Hospital
Organizations: American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Board of Internal Medicine
Family: Husband, one child
Hobbies: Cooking, gardening, reading