News & Events

Vivian Pan, MS, CGC, Senior Genetic Counselor at the University of Illinois Cancer Center, was featured in an online article and a podcast discussing the evolving role of genetic counseling. Earlier this year, Pan co-authored “The Case for Integrating Genetic Counselors into Primary Care: A Paradigm Shift for Our Profession," published in the Journal of Genetic Counseling, which laid out the framework for this innovative approach.

Vivian Pan, MS, CGC

The article featuring Pan, “Genetic Counselors in Primary Care: A Novel Path Forward in Expanding Access,” was published in LinkedIn’s Genetics Access and Testing Empowerment Working Group, examining the growing impact of genetic counselors in primary care settings.

Pan discussed the hereditary cancer risk-assessment program and the MiFamCan QI initiative implemented by her team, led by Pamela Ganschow, MD, MPH, using a digital screening tool within the primary care setting at the UI Health Mile Square Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center with a network of clinics. Patient navigators utilize this tool to assist patients in completing the assessment. Individuals identified as high risk are referred to Pan for genetic counseling.

 Additionally, Pan was a guest on the DNA Dialogues Podcast, the official podcast of the National Society of Genetic Counseling’s Journal of Genetic Counseling. In the episode “From Specialty Clinics to Family Medicine: Rethinking Access to Genetics,” she discussed integrating genetic counseling into primary care and the broader implications for precision health and health equity.