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Wendy S. Harpham, M.D.

Biography

Click here to read CURE magazine's story on Dr. Harpham, "Cancer Chronicles"

Meet Dr. Harpham

Wendy Harpham is a doctor of internal medicine, best-selling author, long-term cancer survivor and mother of three. Throughout her career, she has pursued her mission: "Helping others through the synergy of science and caring."

Born, raised and educated in New York, she moved to Texas in 1979 to complete her post-graduate training in internal medicine. In 1983, she opened a solo practice at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, where she combined the best of modern technology with old-fashioned caring. Based on her belief that well-informed patients do better and feel better, she developed teaching tools to educate her patients about their illnesses and treatments.

Dr. Harpham told her patients she’d care for them until she retired on her 80th birthday. But her dream was shattered in 1990 by her diagnosis of non-Hodgkins lymphoma. She was only 36 years old. Dr. Harpham has been in and out of treatment ever since.

With the same determination that marked her work as a physician, she has overcome the many challenges of life as a cancer patient. She has learned how to find hope when treatments aren’t going well. How to make difficult treatment decisions. How to calm fear of recurrence. How to deal with chronic post-cancer fatigue. And how to balance hope and acceptance.

When ongoing illness forced Dr. Harpham to stop practicing medicine and redefine her career, she turned to writing as a way to continue to educate, comfort and inspire patients. From her useful perspective as physician-patient, she began sharing her hard-won insights and tips for getting good care and living as fully as possible.

With the publication of her first book in 1992, she coined the term “Healthy Survivor” and presented her three step approach to “Healthy Survivorship”: (1) Obtain sound knowledge, (2) Find and nourish hope, and (3) Act effectively.

Her later books also made significant contributions to survivorship by discussing the notions of a “new normal” and “post-cancer fatigue,” as well as offering the practical “Harpham Decision Tool” to help patients make wise treatment decisions. All Dr. Harpham’s books blend scientific evidence-based information with practical philosophy.

In addition to her books and articles for patients, Dr. Harpham writes for a professional publication, Oncology Times. Her popular column—View From the Other Side of the Stethoscope—addresses common yet rarely discussed patient dilemmas and professional challenges in the care of cancer patients.

Known for her wit, Dr. Harpham has become a nationally recognized keynote speaker. At survivorship conferences and celebrations, Dr. Harpham connects with patients and their families as only a survivor can, sharing stories and advice that both educate and inspire.

For her keynote lectures at medical Grand Rounds and at all-day medical conferences, Dr. Harpham addresses doctors, nurses and allied health professionals. From her shared background as a healthcare professional, she offers valuable insights and suggestions for healing patients in today’s medical world of high-tech treatments, Internet-savvy patients, and ever-increasing time pressures.

Dr. Harpham’s lymphoma is in remission, but limited stamina prevents her from returning to clinical medicine at this time. So she continues to devote her energy to helping survivors through her speaking, writing (books, articles and blog) and activities as a patient advocate (member of steering committees, oversight boards and think tanks; interviewee on national shows such as The Today Show and The Oprah Winfrey Show; captain of Wendy’s Eagles).

In her free time, she enjoys reading, classical music, visits and calls with her now-grown children, and time with her husband, Ted, a professor at the University of Texas at Dallas. She looks forward to expanding her collection of commemorative thimbles, which represents all the cities in which she has done work to help patients become Healthy Survivors.

 

(left to right) Becky, William, Jessica, Wendy, Ted                 

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Education & Professional Experience

1983- present (on medical leave since 1993): Attending Physician Department of Internal Medicine,  Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.

1997: Elected to Fellowship of American College of Physicians (F.A.C.P.)

1983-1992: Solo Practice, Internal Medicine. Dallas, TX.

1983: Board Certified in Internal Medicine

1981-1983: Residency in Internal Medicine, Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas

1980-1981: Internship in Internal Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center Health Science Center at Houston. M.D. Anderson Hospital and Hermann Hospital. Houston, TX.

1980: Medical Degree. University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. Rochester, New York.

1976: Bachelor of Science with Distinction. Cornell University.                                                        [TOP]

Professional Associations

1983- present: American College of Physicians

1983- present: Texas Medical Association

1983- present: Dallas County Medical Association

1980- present: American Medical Society                                                                                    [TOP]

Awards & Honors

2007 Editor’s Choice Award for “Hope” poem. International Library of Poetry. 

2007 Silver Medal from American Society of Healthcare Publications, category “Regular Column: Contributed” for “View from the Other Side of the Stethoscope.”

2006 Tree of Life Award. National Office Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. 

2006 Book of the Year Award, category “Consumer Health Publication” awarded by the American Journal of Nursing for When a Parent has Cancer: A Guide to Caring for Your Children. 

2005 Torah Fund Honoree. Congregation Beth Torah. January 30, 2005 

2004-2005 Inclusion in Consumers’ Research Council of America’s “Guide to America’s Top Physicians” www.consumersresearchcncl.org 

2002 Alan J. Underberg Lecturer.  Davey Memorial Award Dinner.  James P. Wilmot Cancer Center.  Rochester, N.Y. October 3, 2002

2002   Outstanding Service Award.  Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.   

2001   Together Award.  Cure for Lymphoma Foundation. 

2001   (Inaugural) Ellen Glesby Cohen Leadership Award from the Lymphoma Research Foundation of America

2000   Governor's Award for Health; Inducted into the Texas Women's Hall of Fame

1998   Natalie Davis Spingarn Writer's Award from the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship

1997   Elected to Fellowship of American College of Physicians (F.A.C.P.)

1995   Barrett Lectureship in Oncology. Baylor Medical Center. Dallas, Texas.

1978   Dr. John H. Leak Memorial Summer Fellowship for Study in Oncology.
          Clinical Clerkship in Radiation Therapy at Stanford University.  Preceptor, Dr. Sarah
          Donaldson

1977  Summer Fellowship in Preventative Medicine. University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. 
         "Preventive Gynecological Care in College Women"

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Other Professional Activities (Selected)

Member, editorial board, HEAL: Living Well after Cancer. 

Member, editorial board, C U R E: Cancer Update, Research and Education. 

Helped develop NCI brochures, “Facing Forward: When Someone You Love has Completed Cancer Treatment” and “When Someone You Love is Being Treated for Cancer”  

Consultant, Lance Armstrong Foundation.  Survivorship Journal Brainstorming Session (for LAF website).  Austin, Tx.  July 24-25, 2003.

June 2003 participant, "Building Partnerships to Advance Cancer Survivorship and Public Health Workshop" co-sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Host, ACS Cancer Survivors Network (numerous shows, taped and live)

 Member, editorial board, C U R E: Cancer Update, Research and Education.

 Member, Board of Directors, Cure for Lymphoma Foundation, 1995 - 2001.

 National Speaker for National Cancer Survivors Day 1995 to present

 Consultant, Healthcare Associates of New York State (HANYS): helped develop "Provider Tools for Bridging the Gap.  A Resource Kit for Helping Newly-Diagnosed Breast Cancer Patients."

 Consultant and host on show for an NCI SBIR (Small Business Innovative Research) Grant #R43CA78102-01 “We Can Cope: Family Support When A Parent Has Cancer”(Winner of Silver Medal at International Film Festival 2000.  Winner of Silver Meal at New York Film Festival 2001.) Innovative Training Systems.   1998 to 1999

Member of working group for Rippel Project, "Optimizing The Physician-Patient Relationship in Oncology Care"  Hastings Center.  1999-2000.

Consultant for the National Cancer Institute Initial Review Group Relating to the Cancer-Center Support Grant. 1998. Bethesda, Md.

Participant, 2015 Quality of Life goals for ACS, workshop to develop goals to present to the Board of Directors of the American Cancer Society. Atlanta, Ga. May 4, 1998.

Advisor to Children's Task Force of The American Cancer Society 1997.

Participant, "Unresolved Issues in Cancer Survivorship." (breakout group on physiologic effects) Office of Cancer Survivorship, National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, Md. November 4-5, 1996.

Advisor to and editor of the "Principles and Guidelines for Human Dimensions in Cancer Care" (1994)

Participant, Consortium on the Prevention and Management of the Serious Side Effects of Chemotherapy, a multi-constituency group organized to draft principles and guidelines for the prevention and management of the serious side effects of chemotherapy. Communicore, Communications in Medicine. Dallas, Texas. November 10-11, 1994.

Participant, Consensus Conference to draft a set of guidelines for Texas on "The Human Dimensions of Cancer Care" and to adopt an action plan for future changes. Funded by the Texas Cancer Council. Conducted by the Institute of the Medical Humanities. University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Omni Hotel. Austin, Texas. July 23-24, 1993.

Member, Steering Committee for the Comprehensive Cancer Center. Presbyterian Hospital. Dallas, Texas. 1991-1994.

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This website is not a medical consultation service. Any information or opinion expressed is provided only to supplement information provided by your doctors and nurses. It is not intended as a substitute for competent medical care. Any use of the information in this website is at the user's discretion. Dr. Harpham disclaims any and all liability arising directly or indirectly from the use or application of any information contained in this website.

Copyright 2000 by Wendy S. Harpham. All rights reserved. Last updated January 9, 2008

P.O. Box 835574 Richardson, Texas  75083-5574
harpham [at] tx.rr.com

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