July 6, 2021

Winship physicians awarded Kennedy professorships

Photo of Winship physicians awarded Kennedy professorships

Winship Cancer Institute physicians Chad W.M. Ritenour, MD, and Ashesh B. Jani, MD, have been selected for James C. Kennedy professorships at Emory University School of Medicine.

Two Winship Cancer Institute physicians have been selected for James C. Kennedy professorships at Emory University School of Medicine. Ashesh B. Jani, MD, professor of radiation oncology, has been named James C. Kennedy Professor in Prostate Cancer. Chad W.M. Ritenour, MD, professor of urology and director of the division of men's health and infertility, was selected as James C. Kennedy Professor in Prostate Health. They were honored in a virtual ceremony on June 29.

The professorships were established in 2015 as a component of a $25 million gift from the James M. Cox Foundation to create the Kennedy Initiative for Transforming Care. It accelerates efforts within Emory to provide more streamlined and reliable care for patients and families using Lean and other performance improvement approaches. John G. Pattaras, MD, FACS, professor of urology, continues to hold the James C. Kennedy Chair in Prostate Surgery.

"When my doctor said to me 'you have cancer' it changed my life forever," says Kennedy, chairman of Cox Enterprises, who was treated at Winship after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. "It makes me proud to help these incredible physicians study and learn more about prostate cancer. Every day, their work makes so many lives better."

Jani, a member of the Cancer Prevention and Control research program at Winship, specializes in the treatment of cancers of the prostate, bladder, kidney and other genitourinary malignancies. His research focuses on understanding the demographic, disease and treatment factors influencing cancer control outcomes. Jani leads several clinical trials involving radiation for prostate cancer and is interested in the development of imaging technologies and algorithms to improve radiotherapy planning. He is a Georgia Research Alliance Cancer Scientist.

Ritenour established the Emory Men's Health Urology Center, a program offering comprehensive evaluation and treatment of conditions such as male infertility, sexual dysfunction and prostatic conditions. As vice-chair of education and faculty affairs within the Department of Urology and director of the Emory Urology Residency Program, Ritenour teaches and mentors medical students, urology residents, post-graduate fellows and junior faculty members. He is also chief medical officer for Emory University Hospital.

Through these professorships, the School of Medicine's Department of Urology and Winship Cancer Institute will strengthen their partnership to safely and effectively deliver the highest quality health care to patients.

About The James M. Cox Foundation

The James M. Cox Foundation is named in honor of Cox Enterprises' founder and provides funding for capital campaigns and special projects in communities where the company operates. James M. Cox was Ohio's first three-term governor and the 1920 Democratic nominee for president of the United States.

The Foundation concentrates its community support in several areas, including: conservation and environment; early childhood education; empowering families and individuals for success; and health.

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