Corbin's Blue Mustache
for
Pediatric Melanoma Awareness
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In Honor of Corbin Newman, Dr. Wayne Cruse, Dr. Michael Harrington,and Dr. Vernon Sondak, who created and continued the small gesture of support through the Blue Mustache.
Corbin Newman is an energetic 11 year old boy who loves to fish and play baseball. He is also a great artist. His melanoma journey slowed him down for a few short months. Despite weekly treatments, he is now back on the baseball field. He has no intentions of allowing this journey to slow him down!
Dr. Wayne Cruse is a plastic surgeon in the Department of Cutaneous Oncology at Moffitt Cancer Center. He is a professor of surgery and director of the burn fellowship program at the University of South Florida. His research interests include cutaneous oncology, melanoma, Merkel cell cancer, sarcoma, wounds, treatment for severe burns and cancer reconstruction. Dr. Cruse received his medical degree from the University of Louisville School of Medicine. He completed a residency in surgery at the University of South Florida, followed by a plastic surgery residency at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Cruse has been affiliated with Moffitt since 1986 and was chief of the section of plastic surgery from 1986-1990. In addition, he was the associate director of Cutaneous Oncology at Moffitt from 2000-2005. He also served as medical director of the Tampa Bay Regional Burn Center at Tampa General Hospital for six years. A member of numerous professional organizations, including the American Association of Plastic Surgeons and the American Burn Association, Dr. Cruse served as the assistant commander of burn specialty team 2 with the National Disaster Management System, Department of Homeland Security from 2004-2005. He has been a guest speaker at numerous medical conferences and has been widely published, including authoring two chapters in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery: Essentials for Students for the Plastic Surgery Educational Foundation.
Dr. Harrington was born in Columbia, Missouri, but grew up in Ormond Beach, Florida. He attended Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina ,where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a Medical Humanities Concentration. He played Wide Receiver for the Davidson Football Team and was voted to the Leadership Council (Co-Captain) as a Junior. Dr. Harrington then earned his Master of Public Health from the University of South Florida College of Public Health, concentrating in Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Biostatistics. After working a year in Public Health, Dr. Harrington enrolled in the University of South Florida College of Medicine. He continued his strong leadership in medical school as he was elected the class president twice and served on numerous academic and administrative committees. He was elected by his classmates to give the Graduation Farewell Speech and received the Outstanding Contribution to Student Life Award in 2006. He completed a six-year Integrated Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Residency at the University of South Florida. During residency, he volunteered for the Moffitt Mole Patrol skin cancer screening program and served on the Graduate Medical Education Advisory Committee. Dr. Harrington served as the Administrative Chief Resident during his final year of Residency.
Dr. Harrington is an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of South Florida and holds a prestigious Courtesy Assistant Faculty Member position at the Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute . He is currently the Residency Program Director for the USF Division of Plastic Surgery . Dr. Harrington has a strong interest in Head & Neck Oncology/Reconstruction, Facial Aesthetics, and Body Contouring.
Dr. Vernon Sondak is the chair of the Department of Cutaneous Oncology at Moffitt Cancer Center and director of surgical education. He is a professor in the University of South Florida’s College of Medicine Department of Oncologic Sciences. Dr. Sondak’s research and clinical interests include melanoma, dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, Merkel cell carcinoma, desmoid tumors, as well as biomarkers of melanoma metastasis and vaccination strategies. A graduate of Boston University School of Medicine, Dr. Sondak continued his training at the University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine, where he served a surgery residence and fellowship in surgical oncology. Prior to joining Moffitt in 2004, Dr. Sondak was a professor of surgery in the Division of Surgical Oncology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Dr. Sondak has received numerous awards, including Distinguished Alumnus Award from Boston University School of Medicine, an Honorary Member of the Hellenic Society for the Study of Melanoma, Best Doctors in America and America’s Top Physicians-Surgery. Currently he is an associate section editor (melanoma) for the Annals of Surgical Oncology and a member of several journal editorial boards. He participates on numerous national committees, including the International Melanoma Working Group, the executive council of the International Sentinel Node Society and the scientific advisory board of the Southwest Oncology Group.