Amina Ahmed, MD, is tasked with a level of responsibility that could keep any physician up at night. As director of RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center, her work crosses 20 departments, divisions and sections in both inpatient and outpatient areas, including professional clinical activities and work with Rush University.
“My day is never-ending, but it is very fulfilling,” Ahmed said. “I love what I do.”
, who is also the Sheba Foundation Director of the Rush Cancer Program, received her medical degree from Rush Medical College in 2001 and returned to join the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Rush in 2015. From 2016 to 2020, she served as division chief for gynecological oncology. Ahmed was named interim director of the cancer center in 2021 and permanent director in 2024.
She recently answered questions about the growth of Rush’s cancer care and research, how philanthropic support helps build new programs, what Rush’s partnership with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston means for our patients, and more.
What drew you back to Rush after completing your residency and fellowship?
I came back to Chicago and to Rush to be closer to my family who live in the south suburbs. I was recruited to Rush in 2015 and have been very happy to be back. I had the best clinical experience during medical school. During my first year of medical school, I participated in research in ovarian cancer, which was the start of my love of the field of gynecologic oncology.
I attended the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics for residency and then matched for fellowship. I also worked at University of Iowa as an attending and faculty member. When I came back to Rush, the collaboration of both clinical care and research was outstanding.
When a patient comes to Rush, we know that they are going to see a really great, high-volume clinician who is also a teacher and a researcher, participates in clinical trials, and has some involvement in the academic realm. Rush attracts people who love patient care and have other academic interests.
Can you tell me more about RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center? What makes it unique?
RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center essentially encompasses all areas that touch patients with cancer — clinical, quality and research. We collaborate across these areas and grow all aspects together. The cancer center has 20-plus specialties and is expanding. Patients who have cancer need a comprehensive approach to care, which includes excellent primary oncology care, supportive oncology and survivorship care. People are living longer lives with evolving oncology treatments. At RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center, we are addressing all aspects of patients’ health so they can lead active, healthy lives.
We strive to provide cancer treatment that is similar in quality across all the sites of Rush University System for Health. Our physicians travel. For example, patients can see at ֱ and at our new Lisle outpatient cancer clinics. That type of continuity of oncology care is unique in the Chicago area.
How can philanthropic partnerships help Rush keep pace with the evolution of cancer care?
Philanthropic partners can help us recruit the best physicians and researchers to allow us to grow the program to ensure we are able to offer the most robust cancer care across the Rush system, for all cancer types.
We are committed to being a leader in providing comprehensive cancer care to patients and their loved ones. Our supportive programs, survivorship, high-risk screening, cancer research and clinical trials program all need resources to grow and flourish. Philanthropy has been an excellent partner in helping the RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center grow in all these areas.
Philanthropic support is building novel programs that are essential to a cancer program, and Without Boundaries: The RUSH Campaign is going to help us get there by delivering medical advances and research breakthroughs across our cancer care locations.
How does health equity intersect with your work?
We are committed to continually improving the patient experience, which includes expanding access to clinical care and ensuring our patients have access to resources and support. We screen all new patients prior to treatment to assess the social and environmental factors that influence health and health outcomes. We ask questions related to food insecurity, transportation to and from appointments, ZIP code, health insurance, financial needs, etc.
If patients face any type of barrier that would preclude care, we provide resources to help support their needs. To that end, we are building a community navigators program for patient clinical support and to help navigate through our clinical trials program.
Additionally, because oncology drugs are very expensive, part of our survivorship program includes addressing financial barriers and potential financial toxicity. Patients may meet with our financial counselors in the cancer center. Every treatment plan gets vetted by our financial team. Many drug companies generously help support the cost of drugs to patients when the circumstances necessitate it.
, serves as the cancer center’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion officer. She works closely with the RUSH BMO Institute for Health Equity to ensure our clinical trials reflect our community and that all of our health equity initiatives are effectively incorporated into our center’s operations.
Can you tell us anything else about Rush’s partnership with MD Anderson Cancer Center? What are the benefits? What does it mean for our patients?
For our patients, their physician and team does not change. Their care will be enhanced by the opportunities that we can offer with this partnership.
My goal is to significantly increase our clinical trials portfolio over the next two to three years. We are aiming to open the MD Anderson trials from Houston, as well as the MD Anderson partner trials at Rush. These added portfolios will enhance our clinical trials program significantly.
The partnership is great for our junior faculty, as it provides additional exposure to the faculty at MD Anderson and potential research collaboration. Overall, our patients receive excellent cancer care from our faculty at Rush and having the partnership provides an added array of opportunities for the faculty and our patients.
