Sheridan Chaney has been named the new Director of Marketing and Communications for the University of Illinois Cancer Center.
A former print and broadcast journalist, Chaney has held a variety of leadership roles in strategic communications, both in-house and on the agency side, with expertise in integrating earned, owned and paid communications channels. As a consultant, her clients included hospitals, health systems, pharmaceutical startups, and private-equity owned health care enterprises.
Chaney previously served as vice president of communications for the American Osteopathic Association, representing the interests of 157,000 osteopathic physicians (DOs) and medical students. During her five year tenure, her teams received national awards for media relations, digital content and advocacy communications by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the Association Forum, PRNews and others.
“It’s critically important to convey that world-class cancer care is available to every patient at the University of Illinois Cancer Center, regardless of their ability to pay,” Chaney said. “I look forward to partnering with this exceptional team of researchers, clinicians and advocates to raise visibility about their work to eliminate health care disparities and improve cancer treatment.”
A contributing author of Essential Issues for Leaders, Emerging Challenges in Healthcare, Chaney has a special interest in translating research for consumer, media and legislative audiences. Amplifying research conducted by University of Illinois Cancer Center members is a key priority for reimagining the marketing and communications function, she said.
“Our patients benefit from state-of-the-art science and leading edge cancer treatment that is unsurpassed by the private cancer centers in the area,” Chaney said. “The challenge is helping patients and the public recognize that the University of Illinois Cancer Center team is removing barriers to care and making discoveries every day, using research and ingenuity to meaningfully improve the lives of people in our community.”
Chaney can be reached at [email protected].