10/26/2023

Roma Bhatia, MD

2nd Year Fellow

It is a great privilege to be selected as a second-year fellow board member of the MSHO. I am thankful for the opportunity to serve as one of the voices of the
hematology - oncology fellows across the state.

Across Michigan and beyond, we are reminded of the generally turbulent state of our health care system and society. The healthcare workforce continues to shrink, while the number of patients and their needs continue to grow. Among the growing health care needs, we witness the growing divides - access to clinical trials, clinical care and expertise, affordability of cancer care therapy, and more. We are consistently asked to do more with less to best serve our patients.

Yet, as the future of hematology-oncology practitioners in Michigan and beyond, just as we learn clinical medicine, we must learn to advocate for our profession, our autonomy, and for our patients. I look forward to working with the board to develop programs, policies, and initiatives for fellows and seasoned physicians alike, that bring us together in this mission of advocacy across the domains of research, patient care, and education.

A bit about me: I am a Michigan native who is thrilled to be back in Michigan after a decade of training out of state. As a mom of two energetic toddlers, you can find me at neighborhood parks (Maybury, Plymouth Parks) rain or shine. This year, our family goal is to check out as many of the wonderful children museums we have in Michigan (my kids adored the Hands-on-Museum in Ann Arbor and the Great Lakes Children’s Museum in Traverse City). Our family of early risers also enjoys consuming caffeine, cooking, and playing with legos, cars, and generally anything with wheels.

I wish you all the merriest of holidays, and most of all, health for you and your loved ones. I look forward to connecting with some of you at upcoming MSHO events.