Allison Spencer Bechtel, DO
I am a pediatric hematologist/oncologist at Nemours Children’s Health, Jacksonville.
I completed my pediatric residency and pediatric hematology/fellowship locally here in Jacksonville at UF Health, Wolfson Children’s Hospital and Nemours.
I stayed on as faculty to lead the Oncology Survivorship Program, for our off-treatment oncology patients. More recently I have taken over the Fertility Preservation Program; this promotes pre-treatment education and preservation options, when feasible, for, currently, our post-pubertal patients.
Outside of taking care of leukemia, lymphoma and histiocytic disorder patients, along with our Survivors, I have special interest in medical education of trainees, quality improvement, as well as promoting education about fertility preservation and nutrition in our on and off treatment patients.
Outside of my professional life, I love taking advantage of this beautiful city by being outside with my dog Tyke (when tolerable!) and hiking a trail, taking a walk on the beach or a neighborhood downtown. I also love cooking (and eating). I believe in looking at the whole person and have tried to keep that mind-set when I take care of all my patients. Care of oncology patients requires understanding the patient, their family and their physical, emotional and mental well-being and how they play in to their disease and day to day life.
Pam K. Bolton, APRN, MS, CPHON
Pam is an APRN at Golisano Children’s Hospital in Ft. Myers, FL and has worked in the Pediatric Oncology field for over 35 years. She sees both on therapy and off therapy Hematology and Oncology patients and coordinates the Pediatric After Cancer Experience Program (PACE). This program sees all ages of patients that are at least 2 years off therapy for a pediatric cancer or bone marrow transplantation. She is married and the mother of 5 adult children that are all in some way still on the payroll. While personally transition to adulthood seems to be an issue for her adult children, hopefully she can shed some light on transitioning pediatric patients into adult medicine!
Michelle M. Bustamante, Pharm.D, BCPPS
Michelle M. Bustamante earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2010 from the University Of Florida College Of Pharmacy. After graduation, she completed a PGY-1 with pediatric emphasis at Wolfson Children’s Hospital/Baptist Health, in Jacksonville, Florida, where she also obtained her teaching certificate from the University of Florida. Upon completion of residency, she began her pharmacy career as a Clinical Pharmacist at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital. During her 7 years at JDCH, Dr. Bustamante became a Clinical Specialist in Pediatric Hematology Oncology and also obtained her board certification in pediatric pharmacotherapy. In 2018 Dr. Bustamante transitioned to her current role as the primary pediatric oncology pharmacy specialist with an additional role in research, at the Miami Cancer Institute/Baptist Health South Florida. She serves as a mentor to pharmacy students in the mentorship program offered by her alma mater, and precepts 4th year pharmacy students. Michelle is currently the main preceptor of the pediatric rotation for PGY-2 Oncology Pharmacy residents, and has recently become a part of the adult Heme/BMT team assisting with AYA leukemia patients.
Ashwin Mehta, MD
In accord with our mission statement – To heal the body, mind and spirit of those we touch, Dr. Ashwin Mehta was recruited as the Medical Director of Integrative Medicine at the Memorial Healthcare System in October of 2015.
Dr. Mehta trained as a fellow in the Program of Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona and specializes in Internal Medicine and Sleep. He serves as the member of the Board of Trustees for the international Society for Integrative Oncology in 2016 and his expertise includes nutrition, exercise, sleep, yoga and mindfulness to achieve wellness in the context of coping with chronic medical conditions. Dr. Mehta’s research interests include the use of preventative medicine and positive health behaviors to improve quality of life throughout the spectrum of cancer care.
The Integrative Medicine team at Memorial works closely with the Physician Wellness Committee and provides consultations to improve the overall health of our physician workforce. Dr. Mehta envisions integrative medicine as a driving force towards a new paradigm of quality healthcare where patient satisfaction and experience are given due importance.
