Anne Gross, PHD, RN, Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, Dana-Farber
? Anne Gross, PhD, RN is senior vice president for patient care services and chief
nursing officer. There are more than 700 registered nurses, nurse practitioners,
clinical specialists, and nurse scientists working at Dana-Farber.
? Anne can give insight into the challenges overcome by the amazing nursing staff
during the COVID pandemic. What they have done and achieved since 2020 inspires
her and keeps her optimistic for the future.
? She can also provide insight about the often emotionally powerful relationship
nurses form with patients and why it's a unique nursing career.
? Since 2020, along with continuing to provide cancer treatment, oncology nurses had
the added challenge of protecting patients and each other from COVID hrough strict
isolation procedures and the use of personal protective equipment (also known as
PPE).
? The nurse acquired new skills to care for immunocompromised patients in special
COVID intensive care units.
? In other settings, oncology nurse navigators transitioned their practice to be remote
so they could care for patients while they were in their homes through telehealth
visits and clinical trial nurses innovated standard operations, such as shipping
investigational drugs to patients’ homes, to enable them to safely remain on their
studies.
? Anne takes great pride in Dana-Farber’s nursing and patient care services staff and
the patient experience at Dana-Farber remains as strong as ever: As a patient you
are never alone.
? Anne leads a nursing staff focused on the future:
? Continuing to manage through the lingering threats of the pandemic while
focusing on building a pipeline for the future
? Addressing the national nursing shortage with the goal of training the next
generation of oncology nurses

? Expanding access to our care by opening Foxborough location and expanding
South Shore