Dr. Bruce Stechmiller established Gainesville Hematology
Oncology Associates in 1979. Our mission is provide our patients
with the most comprehensive and compassionate medical care, promote
patient and family education, offer modern treatments for cancer
and blood related disorders, including research studies, and
support our community-wide cancer resources.
The practice offers the following services:
- chemotherapy and hydration infusions, phlebotomies and
administration of research medications
- case management for collaboration of all aspects of the
patient’s care including nursing, financial assistance
- coordination of ancillary services.
- patient education and resource center.
- radiology Services within minutes of the office, including PET,
CT Scan, Cyberknife, radiation therapy and cancer-related robotic
surgery
- on-site dispensary to fill patient prescritions
Research has been a vital part of the practice for the past ten
years. Our research department has been among the top recruiters in
the nation for several clinical trials. The staff has experience in
all four phases of research. We have worked with following
sponsors:
- AstraZeneca
- Bristol-Myers Squibb
- Genentech
- GlaxoSmithKline
- Amgen
- Orthobiotech
- Roche
- Johnson and Johnson
- Novartis
- Pfizer
- Point Therapeutics
- Bristol-Myers Squibb
- GTx
- ImClone
- Alexion
- Genmab
- Schering Plough
- Luitpold
- Celgene
- Imclone
- Johnson & Johnscon
We have worked with the following research organizations:
- PPD
- PRA
- MDS Pharma
- Kendle
- Battelle
- Pharmnet
- Pharmatech
- Battelle
- International Oncology Network
- Sarah Cannon Research Institute
- Quintiles
- EReady Monitors
- FLASCO
- KForce
- Centocor
- D. Anderson
The office provides chemotherapy, utilizing state-of-the-art equipment, the ability to process most types of blood work and a financial department on site to assist patients with financial aid and billing questions. Take a virtual tour on our Gainesville Hematology/Oncology Associates website. We are currently expanding our services and facilities to accommodate our growing number of patients. We are conveniently located within minutes of the Gainesville Regional Airport, several interstate highways, and major medical centers.
Dr. Acs, Director of Research, received his medical degree from Debrecen University, Hungary in 1993. Between 1994 and 2000 he did cancer research at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland. His main area of interest was cellular carcinogenesis and tumor promotion. He published several papers in prominent scientific journals and obtained a Ph.D. degree based on his work at the NCI. He did his internship and medical residency at Huron Hospital, Cleveland Clinic Health System, in Cleveland, Ohio from 2000 through 2003, then completed a fellowship in Hematology and Medical Oncology at the Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He joined Gainesville Hematology Oncology Associates in July, 2006. Dr. Acs has been a diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine since 2003. He has been board-certified with the American Board of Hematology and Oncology since 2006. He is a member of the American Society of Hematology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. He has published more than 30 scientific articles and 4 book chapters, last one in Colman’s Textbook: Hemostasis and Thrombosis (2005), the most prestigious textbook in the field of benign hematology. Dr. Acs practices medical oncology, benign and malignant hematology with special interests in malignant lymphoproliferative diseases (CLL, lymphomas, myeloma), recurrent miscarriages and gastrointestinal malignancies. He is on active staff at North Florida Regional Medical Center and Shands Alachua General Hospital. Dr. Acs also speaks Hungarian fluently.
Dr. Lucio Gordan, was born
in Curitiba, Brazil. He received his medical degree from the State
University of Londrina College of Medicine located in Londrina,
PR-Brazil and later trained at the University of Iowa Hospitals and
Clinics from 1994-1997. He received his Internal Medicine Board
Certification in 1997 and was a member of an Internal Medicine
Group for three years. Dr Gordan went on to complete a three year
Oncology-Hematology Fellowship at the University of Florida in
2003. He is also Board Certified in Hematology and Oncology since
2003. He is an active member of the cancer team at the North
Florida Medical Center and Shands at Alachua General Hospital.
Credentials include:
- Principal Investigator for numerous clinical trials.
- Advisor for the American Board of Internal Medicine
- Consultant for several major pharmaceutical companies
- Hematology/Oncology Expert Opinion Consultant for our local
newspaper.
Dr. Bruce Stechmiller founded Gainesville Hematology/Oncology
Associates in 1979. He grew up in Gainesville and is a graduate of
Gainesville High School and went on to receive his Medical Degree
from Johns Hopkins University. He completed a fellowship in Medical
Oncology at the National Cancer Institute, Baltimore Cancer
Research Center. He was Chief Resident in the Department of
Medicine at the University of Florida College of Medicine.
Presently, he remains busy in the office seeing patients but still
finds time in his schedule to remain an active medical staff member
at Alachua General Hospital and North Florida Regional Medical
Center. He also serves on the Medical Executive Board of Shands
Healthcare.
Dr. Andres Bhatia was born in Santurce, Puerta Rico. He received
his medical degree from UCCEM, Puerto Rico. He completed his
internal medicine residency at Cleveland Clinic Foundation in 1990.
He completed his Hematology Oncology Fellowship at Cleveland Clinic
Foundation in 1993. He has been certified in Internal Medicine
since 1990, Medical Oncology since 1993 and Hematology since 1993.
He joined Gainesville Hematology/Oncology Associates in 1993. He is
a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, American
College of Physicians, American Medical Association and the Alachua
County Medical Society. He is an active member of the cancer team
at Shands at AGH and North Florida Regional Medical Center.
Dr. De La Puerta was born in Madrid, Spain. He received his
medical degree from Universidad Complutense in Madrid. He completed
his internal medicine residency at Polyclinic medical Center in
Harrisburg. Pennsylvania in 1992. He was a fellow in hematology and
oncology at the University of Florida and then was an internist and
oncologist for the Veteran’s Administration Hospitals in the
Gainesville area. He joined Gainesville Hematology Oncology
Associates in 2001. He won the American Society of Clinical
Oncology Travel Award for his research in apoptosis. He is Board
Certified in Oncology and Hematology. He is a member of the
American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Society of
Hematology and Alachua Medical Society. He is an active member of
the cancer team at Shands at AGH and North Florida Regional Medical
Center.
Dr. Dickerson grew up in California. She received a Bachelor of
Science degree from the University of California at Berkeley in
civil engineering. She was president of the Berkeley chapter of Chi
Epsilon, the national civil engineering honor society. She received
her medical degree from Wake Forest University. She completed both
her internal medicine internship and residency at the University of
Florida, where she received the Internal Medicine Excellence in
Ambulatory Care Award. She went on to complete her three year
hematology and oncology fellowship at the University of Florida.
Her research interests during her fellowship included osteonecrosis
of the jaw in cancer patients treated with zoledronic acid and/or
pamidronate as well as venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in
neurosurgical patients. She received a Fellows Grant Program Award
from the American Society of Hematology in 2004. She joined
Gainesville Hematology Oncology Associates in 2007. She is a member
of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American
Society of Hematology. She is an oncology and hematology consultant
for the local newspaper, the Gainesville Sun. She is an active
staff member at both North Florida Regional Medical Center and
Shands at Alachua General Hospital.
Tracey Curtis, M.S.N., A.R.N.P, is an American Nurses
Credentialing Center Certified Family Nurse Practitioner. She
joined the practice in January, 2003. She was previously employed
in the Burn Center of Shands Teaching Hospital at the University of
Florida. She received her Master of Science and Bachelor of Science
in Nursing at the University of Florida.
Jennifer S. Bhatia, M.S.N., A.R.N.P., O.C.N., is an American
Nurses Credentialing Center Certified Adult Nurse Practitioner. She
joined the practice in 1996, initially as a Chemotherapy Nurse.
After obtaining her Master of Science in Nursing in 1999 from the
University of Florida, she began practicing as an Adult Oncology
Nurse Practitioner. She has been an Oncology Certified Nurse since
1996 by the Board of the Oncology Nursing Certification
Corporation.
Elaine Zapata, M.S.N., A.R.N.P., is an American Nurses
Credentialing Center Certified Family Nurse Practitioner. She
received her Master of Science and Bachelor of Science in Nursing
at the University of Florida. She joined the practice in August of
2005. She was a member of the Bone Marrow transplant Unit at Shands
at the University of Florida. She is a member of the American
Academy of Nurse Practitioners, American Nurses Association,
Florida Nurses Association and the Oncology Nursing Society.
Olivia M. Shaw is a certified physician assistant by the
national commission on certification of physician assistants
(NCCPA). She also has a master’s degree from the University of
Florida in physician assistant studies. She joined the practice in
2007. She has been in Gainesville since 1999, first completing her
bachelor’s degree in business administration with a minor in
chemistry and then continuing on to graduate school.
The research staff consists of three registered nurses:
Nicole Kosch, R.N., B.S.N., C.R.C has eight
years of experience in all four phases of research in many
different fields of research.
Lutheria Hollis, CCRC has over 26 years of clinical trial experience in Phase I -IV trials in many multispeciality areas.
The Research Department has been among the top recruiters in the
nation for several major clinical trials. The nursing staff has a
solid background in chemotherapy, oncology, hematology and all four
phases of research.
Gainesville is a progressive medical community. Research is a
high priority for physicians and patients. The majority of our
patients at Gainesville Hematology/Oncology Associates seek
treatment for lung, colon, breast, prostate, head and neck cancers
as well as hematology disorders.
