Marcia Levine

Marcia Levine’s expertise in leadership, nursing and quality patient care supports her success in her current professional role as the Senior Director of Peri-operative services at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). Day to day she manages the operational, educational, administrative and leadership complexities of running an extremely busy multi-site peri-operative department. However, her passion for patient care, patient safety and staff promotion, extends beyond MSKCC and the New York City borders.

Marcia Levine and Dr. Shawn Ciecko, head and neck surgeon, initially met at an Operational International fundraising event in 2010. They realized that their individual administrative and clinical strengths combined with their mutual humanitarian interests would benefit an underserved vulnerable population. With that goal in mind, they started a divisional team to join the Operational International family. Soon after, Operational International Team ENT was born, and Marcia and Shawn began building, organizing and recruiting a medical team that would travel internationally, assisting different vulnerable and impoverished communities that would benefit from this life altering care.

The banner on Operational International’s website reads, “To the world I may be one person, but to one person I may be the world”. Marcia has dramatically, and positively changed the world of an individual through her care with a story.

“Shelly” arrived at our clinic in Guatemala City on the first day of Marcia’s mission in 2016. The preparation of setting up and scheduling for clinic required extensive collaboration between Marcia, the Guatemalan Hospital Angeles staff, and host families and the patients. Months were spent in preparation of this mission.

“Shelly”, a 50-year-old mother of two boys with a large mass on her neck, arrived that November morning. This progressively growing mass had been present for several years. Unfortunately, she was amongst the many (approximately 75%) of Guatemalans living below the poverty line. Shelly did not have the means or access to receive care privately, and the public hospitals triaged her case as low priority.

Marcia initiated a thorough clinical evaluation by facilitating the ordering of computerized tomography (CT) scans and blood work, which helped her team get a better idea of Shelly’s diagnosis. Shelly had a malignant thyroid tumor. Without Operational International Team ENT, Shelly’s wait to receive public assistance and care would have likely exceeded her prognosis.

Thanks to Marcia’s proactivity and methodical planning, Shelly was discharged home safely with the necessary supplies, follow up appointments with a designated medical team, and a plan for post-operative oncologic treatment for her cancer.

Upon return to Guatemala City in November the following year, on the very first day of clinic, Shelly appeared hand in hand with her sons. Her cancer had been cured, her trach removed and her voice intact. They were wearing yellow t-shirts reading “voluntario”. They were ready to volunteer alongside the team who had treated Shelly just one year ago.

Although this story required the work of many, Marcia’s tireless, behind the scenes work is what it took, and what it takes, to make these stories reality. It’s easy to overlook the countless hours spent coordinating such a mission. Marcia somehow accomplishes it all.

– Deb

Marcia Levine’s expertise in leadership, nursing and quality patient care supports her success in her current professional role as the Senior Director of Peri-operative services at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC). Day to day she manages the operational, educational, administrative and leadership complexities of running an extremely busy multi-site peri-operative department. However, her passion for patient care, patient safety and staff promotion, extends beyond MSKCC and the New York City borders.

Marcia Levine and Dr. Shawn Ciecko, head and neck surgeon, initially met at an Operational International fundraising event in 2010. They realized that their individual administrative and clinical strengths combined with their mutual humanitarian interests would benefit an underserved vulnerable population. With that goal in mind, they started a divisional team to join the Operational International family. Soon after, Operational International Team ENT was born, and Marcia and Shawn began building, organizing and recruiting a medical team that would travel internationally, assisting different vulnerable and impoverished communities that would benefit from this life altering care.

The banner on Operational International’s website reads, “To the world I may be one person, but to one person I may be the world”. Marcia has dramatically, and positively changed the world of an individual through her care with a story.

“Shelly” arrived at our clinic in Guatemala City on the first day of Marcia’s mission in 2016. The preparation of setting up and scheduling for clinic required extensive collaboration between Marcia, the Guatemalan Hospital Angeles staff, and host families and the patients. Months were spent in preparation of this mission.

“Shelly”, a 50-year-old mother of two boys with a large mass on her neck, arrived that November morning. This progressively growing mass had been present for several years. Unfortunately, she was amongst the many (approximately 75%) of Guatemalans living below the poverty line. Shelly did not have the means or access to receive care privately, and the public hospitals triaged her case as low priority.

Marcia initiated a thorough clinical evaluation by facilitating the ordering of computerized tomography (CT) scans and blood work, which helped her team get a better idea of Shelly’s diagnosis. Shelly had a malignant thyroid tumor. Without Operational International Team ENT, Shelly’s wait to receive public assistance and care would have likely exceeded her prognosis.

Thanks to Marcia’s proactivity and methodical planning, Shelly was discharged home safely with the necessary supplies, follow up appointments with a designated medical team, and a plan for post-operative oncologic treatment for her cancer.

Upon return to Guatemala City in November the following year, on the very first day of clinic, Shelly appeared hand in hand with her sons. Her cancer had been cured, her trach removed and her voice intact. They were wearing yellow t-shirts reading “voluntario”. They were ready to volunteer alongside the team who had treated Shelly just one year ago.

Although this story required the work of many, Marcia’s tireless, behind the scenes work is what it took, and what it takes, to make these stories reality. It’s easy to overlook the countless hours spent coordinating such a mission. Marcia somehow accomplishes it all.

– Deb