Nevada Cancer Institute names officials

Wednesday, June 15, 2005 | 11:02 a.m.

The Nevada Cancer Institute has hired four senior officials as the fledgling treatment and research center gears up to open its central facility in Summerlin, the institute said Tuesday.

The institute named a chief operating officer, a chief clinical oncologist, a laboratory services director and a chief information officer. Of the four, two were imported from out of state.

Chief Operating Officer Dr. Dava Gerard, a breast surgeon, will oversee the institute's research initiatives. She previously ran a regional non-profit cancer center in the Texas Panhandle, according to the institute.

Dr. Phillip Manno, a Las Vegas cancer specialist, is chief of the institute's clinical oncology and hematology services. A past president of the Nevada Oncology Society, he has worked at Sunrise Hospital and Summerlin Hospital.

Laboratory Services Director Dr. Louis Fink will lead the institute's research lab. A pathologist and expert on the role of coagulation in cancer development, he comes from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Richard Faircloth, a longtime information technology director in Las Vegas, was named chief information officer. He has worked for Las Vegas health care companies and casinos.

The institute has raised more than $100 million in private donations and loans as it works toward a goal of becoming Nevada's first nationally recognized cancer center. Its 142,000-square-foot main facility is expected to open in late July or early August, the institute said.