“This is an amazing, beautiful hospital that gives such phenomenal care to patients — you meet the staff and leaders of The James and you know you’re in the right place as a patient.” Michael A. Caligiuri, MD, the former director of The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center (2003-2017) and CEO of the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (2008-2017), has warm feelings for his one-time workplace. On Episode 63 of The James Cancer-Free World Podcast (part of a series on the 30th anniversary of The James), Caligiuri discusses how he built upon the solid foundation created by David Schuller, MD, and Clara Bloomfield, MD. He continued to recruit and mentor scores of top physicians, scientists and physician/scientists as the OSUCCC – James grew, expanded, gained a worldwide reputation for excellence and achieved a rare and perfect score from the National Cancer Institute in 2015. “Hard work,” Caligiuri says with a smile when asked how he and his team achieved all of that success. He also credits the mentorship of Bloomfield, the former director of the OSUCCC (1997-2003). She passed away in March, leaving behind a legacy of excellence. “Clara was an incredible force at a time when very few women were forces in academic medicine,” Caligiuri explains. “She was a world leader in leukemia research, and she figured out how to do precision medicine 50 years ago before it was in the consciousness of most researchers. She was way ahead of her time — and everyone else’s time.” From Bloomfield, Caligirui learned leadership. “The one word to describe leadership is selflessness,” says Caligiuri, who, like his mentor, is also a world-class blood cancer scientist. “You’re there to give others opportunities — that’s what people look for in leaders.” Kindness, generosity and the ability to listen are three other characteristics of the Caligiuri leadership style. His leadership helped the OSUCCC – James grow, leading to the construction of the new 1.1 million square-foot hospital that opened in 2014, and the creation of Pelotonia, the annual fundraising bike ride that has raised more than $210 million for cancer research at The James since it began in 2009. “I’d like to think that people remember me as a selfless leader — nothing could be more music to my ears,” Caligiuri says. “I gave all that I could to myself to push science forward and make sure every patient got the best-in-class care.” Listen to this special episode of The James Cancer-Free World Podcast on the video player above or on Soundcloud. Listen as our current CEO, William Farrar, MD, and our director, Raphael Pollock, MD, PhD, share their thoughts on 30 years of The James at Ohio State. Listen as our first CEO, David Schuller, MD, discusses the early days of The James.