[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/dr-orsini-awarded-medal-of-honor-at-international-conference\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/dr-orsini-awarded-medal-of-honor-at-international-conference\/","headline":"Dr. Orsini Awarded Medal of Honor at International Conference","name":"Dr. Orsini Awarded Medal of Honor at International Conference","description":"The International Conference on Hematology and Oncology awarded a Medal of Honor to Dr. James Orsini of Regional Cancer Care Associates","datePublished":"2025-02-14","dateModified":"2025-03-25","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/author\/ceastway\/#Person","name":"ceastway","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/author\/ceastway\/","identifier":5,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/007b7979610c70c3cd4b24ed960fb78ff62c0b68401d393e79cb483d56812050?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/007b7979610c70c3cd4b24ed960fb78ff62c0b68401d393e79cb483d56812050?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Regional Cancer Care Associates","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/logo.svg","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/logo.svg","width":506,"height":228}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/dr-orsini-square.jpg","url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/dr-orsini-square.jpg","height":250,"width":250},"url":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/dr-orsini-awarded-medal-of-honor-at-international-conference\/","about":["All Cancers"],"wordCount":1694,"keywords":["News & Events"],"articleBody":"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDr. Orsini Awarded Medal of Honor at International Conference\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFebruary 14, 2025\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCancer Care Pioneer James Orsini, MD, Looks Back \u2013 and Forward to Even Better Things \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe young American arrived at Europe\u2019s oldest university short on knowledge of the local language but long on commitment to fulfilling his dream of becoming a physician.Roughly half a century later, that man \u2013 James Orsini, MD \u2013 returned to Bologna, Italy, last November to receive the International Conference on Hematology and Oncology\u2019s Medal of Honor. The medal was presented in recognition of all that Dr. Orsini had achieved in the decades since earning his medical degree from the University of Bologna. Those accomplishments include founding a thriving, multi-location hematology and oncology practice in northern New Jersey, establishing an outpatient cancer center at Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, NJ, conducting ground-breaking research on the medical management of breast cancer, and serving as President of the Oncology Society of New Jersey and the Essex County Chapter of the American Cancer Society.Dr. Orsini specializes in hematology and medical oncology at Regional Cancer Care Associates (RCCA) locations in Belleville, Montclair, and Roselle, NJ.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJames M. Orsini, MD, a board-certified medical oncologist and hematologist at RCCA\u2019s Belleville, Montclair, and Roselle NJ locations.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tReflecting On an Outstanding Career in Cancer CareIn looking back on his career, Dr. Orsini said, \u201cI have been very fortunate to practice oncology and hematology during a period of rapid advances in our understanding of cancer and in our ability to provide patients with effective therapies that not only extend life but that also offer a good quality of life.\u201dSpeaking during an afternoon phone interview, the medical oncologist added, \u201cI\u2019ve seen seven patients so far today. Every one of them is receiving some form of immunotherapy, a type of treatment that harnesses the immune system\u2019s ability to detect and fight cancer. When I began treating people with cancer, I could not imagine that I would have this sort of resource available to me, nor could I have envisioned the outcomes we could obtain for our patients thanks to immunotherapy, targeted therapy, enhanced chemotherapy regimens, and other innovations. We still have a long way to go in the fight against cancer, but there is more cause for hope today than ever before.”Dr. Orsini has helped drive many of those advances in cancer care. After obtaining his medical degree, he returned to his native New Jersey to complete his residency at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He then advanced to oncology fellowships at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and Mount Sinai Medical Center, where he was mentored by the late James F. Holland, a legendary oncologist considered by many to be the \u201cfather of cancer chemotherapy.\u201dRecognizing Dr. Orsini\u2019s promise as a researcher and clinician, Dr. Holland arranged for the young physician to continue his postgraduate training at the Milan Institute of Cancer, which was conducting groundbreaking investigations into oncology therapeutics. Dr. Orsini returned to Italy with a decided advantage over his initial stay there \u2013 fluency in the language. He explains that while his heritage is Italian, when his grandparents came to the United States, they insisted that the family speak only English at home. So, when he first traveled to Italy as one of thousands of future physicians who went abroad due to limited medical school spots domestically, he had to learn two languages \u2013 Italian and medical terminology.Being conversant in both of those lexicons served Dr. Orsini well during his second stint in Italy. Research he conducted there led to publication of one of the first medical reports on the adjuvant use of systemic chemotherapy in the treatment of node-negative breast cancer. He also treated the father of world-renowned tenor Andrea Bocelli. The physician-patient relationship evolved into an enduring friendship with the Bocelli family, which the singer marked years later by dedicating a Camera di Benessere (Room of Healing) at the Clara Maass Medical Center and by dedicating a performance at the Meadowlands Arena to the Saint Barnabas Health Care System (now RWJ Barnabas Health), to which the medical center belongs.While Dr. Orsini maintained his medical practice in Bologna for many years through regular trips to Italy, his focus soon shifted back to the United States, where he founded a practice then known as Essex Oncology. That practice has grown considerably over the years, with offices in Belleville, Montclair, and Roselle, NJ. Reflecting the broadened geographical area it serves, the practice\u2019s name now is New Jersey Cancer Care. Seven other oncologists and hematologists and a team of advanced practice providers, nurses, medical assistants, laboratory technicians, other healthcare professionals, and administrative personnel now work alongside Dr. Orsini in the practice. The practice\u2019s clinicians provide comprehensive services ranging from on-site chemotherapy and anticoagulation management to nutritional counseling, palliative care, and clinical trials. After expressing his appreciation for all his fellow physicians and other team members, Dr. Orsini could not help voicing his particular pride in one colleague \u2013 his son, Dr. James Orsini, Jr., who has become a leading expert on the management of prostate cancer and other genitourinary malignancies.Dr. Orsini\u2019s Relationship With RCCABeyond expanding their services in step with the latest advances in cancer care, Dr. Orsini and his colleagues have continually adapted to changes in the healthcare delivery environment. In July 2024, the practice joined Regional Cancer Care Associates (RCCA), one of the nation\u2019s largest networks of oncology specialists. Dr. Orsini explained, \u201cRegional Cancer Care Associates is a perfect fit for our practice because RCCA shares our commitment to ensuring that patients can receive the latest therapies and access to clinical trials in convenient, welcoming settings close to their homes. Further, like New Jersey Cancer Care, RCCA is dedicated to preserving physician autonomy and leadership, which is critical to ensuring that all decisions are made with the best interest of the patient in mind.\u201dPioneering Oncology Care in New JerseyIn addition to his private practice, Dr. Orsini serves as Director of Medical Oncology at Clara Maass Medical Center, where he launched the institution\u2019s outpatient cancer center in 1990. He said, \u201cThe movement to offer hospital-based outpatient cancer care began in California, and I visited one of the first outpatient centers to see the impact it had on patients\u2019 lives. I thought that this represented a great step forward, so we secured space on the first floor of the hospital and got to work, becoming the first dedicated oncology unit in northern New Jersey. We developed a dedicated team of nurses and bought the safety hoods they needed to prepare chemotherapy doses for infusion. We established a tumor board conference for multi-disciplinary review of cases, so that the surgeon, the medical oncologist, the radiation oncologists, and others could collaborate in developing the treatment plan that would be most effective for each patient. And as new technologies or services demonstrated their value, we added them.\u201dServing Beyond the HospitalWhile the care he delivers to patients has earned him many accolades, including frequent inclusion on the publications\u2019 and organizations\u2019 lists of Top Doctors, Dr. Orsini also shares his time and expertise with several healthcare panels and organizations.In 2013, he was appointed to the University Hospital Board of Directors and currently serves on the board\u2019s Quality Care, Strategic Planning, Audit, and Governance and Ethics Committees. As noted earlier, he is the former President of the Oncology Society of New Jersey and the Essex County Chapter of the American Cancer Society. He also was Chairman of the Essex County Medical Society Committee on Cancer and served on the Physician\u2019s Practice Review Panel of the New Jersey State Board of Medical Examiners.Beyond his medical duties, Dr. Orsini and his wife, Marie, enjoy spending time with their four children and five grandchildren.After half a century in practice, the physician shows no signs of slowing down. \u201cI don\u2019t tire,\u201d he said. \u201cThe people we care for, the treatments and hope that we\u2019re able to offer them, the advances that are transforming cancer care at an incredible pace, that keeps me going and keeps me excited about what the future holds.\u201dFind Outstanding Cancer Care at RCCADr. Orsini is among 100+ medical oncologists and hematologists who practice with RCCA at 26 locations across New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and the Washington, D.C., area. RCCA\u2019s cancer specialists see more than 30,000 new patients each year and provide care to more than 265,000 established patients, collaborating closely with those patients\u2019 other physicians. RCCA physicians offer patients innovative therapies, including immunotherapies and targeted therapy, as well as access to approximately 300\u00a0clinical trials. In addition to serving patients who have solid tumors, blood-based cancers, and benign blood disorders, RCCA care centers also provide\u00a0infusion services to people with a number of non-oncologic conditions\u2014including\u00a0multiple sclerosis,\u00a0Crohn\u2019s disease,\u00a0asthma, iron-deficiency anemia, and\u00a0rheumatoid arthritis\u2014who take intravenously-administered medications.To learn more about RCCA, call 1-844-346-7222\u00a0or visit\u00a0RCCA.com.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\twe are here for you\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFor more information or to schedule an appointment, call 844-346-7222. You can also schedule an appointment by calling the\u00a0RCCA location\u00a0nearest you.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\trequest an appointment\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRELATED ARTICLES\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDeciding Where to Receive Cancer Care: RCCA Oncologists Outline Key 5 Considerations\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cMy uncle\u2019s neighbor was diagnosed with the exact same cancer, I think, last year and his specialist has been wonderful. I\u2019m going to get you\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn More\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhen You Diagnose (or Suspect) Cancer: 3 Reasons to Refer Your Patients to RCCA\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cWhat happens next?\u201d \u201cWhere should I go for treatment?\u201d They are questions physicians often hear after informing a patient that they have identified confirmed or\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn More\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u2018Blood Work\u2019 and Cancer Detection: 2 RCCA Oncologists Explain What Doctors Look for in Your CBC\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u201cYou\u2019re going to feel a little pinch.\u201d Each year, tens of millions of Americans hear that phrase, or words to the same effect, just before\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn More\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRegional Cancer Care Associates is one of fewer than 200 medical practices in the country selected to participate in the Oncology Care Model (OCM); a recent Medicare initiative aimed at improving care coordination and access to and quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries undergoing chemotherapy treatment.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Dr. Orsini Awarded Medal of Honor at International Conference","item":"https:\/\/www.regionalcancercare.org\/news\/dr-orsini-awarded-medal-of-honor-at-international-conference\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]