FINEST HOSPITALS OF LOS ANGELES
CITY OF HOPE
KECK
SHRINERS CHILDREN’S SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
City of Hope gave Annie Bond her future back.
How personalized care led to a decade of remission despite a challenging prognosis.
Dismissed as “too young.”
Annie Bond was just 25 years old when she discovered a lump in her breast. The doctors she consulted weren’t concerned. With no family history and dense breast tissue, they told her she was too young to worry. Nine months passed before a scan revealed what earlier physicians had missed: stage 4 metastatic breast cancer that had already spread to her liver.
Her first oncologist o ered a grim prognosis of three to five years, with no clear path forward. Annie refused to accept that as her only option. She began searching for a team that would fight alongside her.
A team of experts built for complexity.
At City of Hope Los Angeles, Annie found a team of experts who looked beyond the diagnosis to understand how her cancer was behaving and what that meant for her personalized care. Medical oncologist James Waisman, M.D., recognized that her disease was slow-growing, a critical distinction that shaped treatment decisions from the outset.
Rather than relying on assumptions tied to stage alone, her care team focused on a deliberate, long-term strategy. For Annie, uncertainty began to give way to clarity.
A personalized path forward.
Annie’s treatment plan was designed around the specifics of her diagnosis and how her disease responded to therapy. Targeted treatment helped shrink her tumors, followed by liver resection, lumpectomy and an oophorectomy to address her cancer’s estrogen sensitivity, each step guided by close collaboration among specialists.
As her condition evolved, so did her care. It was a strategy shaped by evidence and experience rather than assumptions.
Care beyond the diagnosis.
City of Hope also addressed what mattered beyond treatment. Annie received support for fertility preservation, financial guidance and mental health resources. She wasn’t treated as a case. She was treated as a whole person.
Hope that lasts.
Today, Annie has been in remission for years. Even a er relocating to Texas, she returns to City of Hope for her ongoing care with medical oncologist Nikhila Kethireddy, M.D. In August 2025, she marked ten years since her diagnosis. “I am grateful for every year I have had since my diagnosis,” Annie says. “Most of all, I am grateful to be living fully again.”
“Metastatic
breast cancer in young women demands more than standard protocols. It requires thoughtful evaluation, individualized treatment and a commitment to supporting patients not just through crisis, but through life.”
—Nikhila Kethireddy, M.D. Medical Oncologist, Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research, City of Hope Los Angeles
For Annie, City of Hope became the place where that shi was possible.
Visit cityofhope.org/los-angeles-breast-cancer-program to learn more.
Hope S. Rugo, M.D. Division Chief of Breast Medical Oncology, Women’s Cancers Program Director, City of Hope Los Angeles
Research at City of Hope is transforming breast cancer treatment. We continue to expand our breast cancer-focused clinical trials, while providing earlier detection and more personalized options for care. With science at the forefront and your quality of life at heart, we’re moving closer to a breast cancer cure.
cityofhope.org/los-angeles-breast-cancer-program
KECK MEDICINE OF USC
1500 San Pablo Street
Los Angeles, CA 90033
(800) USC-CARE
(800) 872-2273
KeckMedicine.org
At Keck Medicine of USC, we partner with our patients to help them live limitless lives.
Our internationally renowned physicians and scientists provide world-class patient care at Keck Hospital of USC, USC Norris Cancer Hospital, USC Verdugo Hills Hospital, USC Arcadia Hospital and more than 100 unique clinics in Los Angeles, Orange, Kern, Tulare and Ventura counties, as well as Las Vegas.
Together We Are Limitless
At Keck Medicine, we strive to understand what’s vital to our patients while training the next generation of medical experts in collaboration with the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
One of only two university-based medical systems in the Los Angeles area, Keck Medicine combines academic excellence, world-class research and state-of-the-art facilities to provide highly specialized care for some of the most acute patients in the country.
With 25 research-oriented basic and clinical academic programs and multidisciplinary access to USC’s schools of business, communications, engineering, gerontology, and life sciences, we attract top scienti c and biotechnology researchers from around the world. Among our innovations:
Keck Medicine surgeons utilize advanced techniques for complex procedures, including prostate cancer treatment, organ transplants, gynecologic cancer surgery, brain surgery, and joint replacement. Researchers are e ploring innovative ways to leverage arti cial intelligence, big data, and machine learning to enhance surgical precision and automate cancer risk screenings.
Honors and Accomplishments
Keck Medical Center of USC—including Keck Hospital and USC Norris Cancer Hospital—is among the top 50 hospitals in the country in 7 specialties, as well as a top 10 hospital in California, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2025-26 Best Hospitals rankings.
2026 FINEST HOSPITALS OF LOS ANGELES
SHRINERS CHILDREN’S SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
909 South Fair Oaks Avenue Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 389-9300
shcla.org
Shriners Children’s Southern California is a beacon of hope and healing for children with orthopedic conditions, spine disorders, burn care, craniofacial conditions and other pediatric specialty care needs, regardless of a family’s insurance status or ability to pay.
Shriners Children’s takes a collaborative, family-centered approach to treatment by creating a nurturing environment where families feel supported and empowered throughout their journey. The multidisciplinary team of physicians, surgeons, nurses, and staff work together to help each patient meet their goals and reach their full potential.
Innovations and Breakthroughs
Shriners Children’s is an innovative health system that is changing lives every day through our specialty pediatric care, world-class research, and outstanding medical education. Our three-part mission has one goal: to change and improve lives.
Honors and Accomplishments
Honoring Shriners Children’s Southern California’s 2026 Los Angeles magazine
Top Doctors:
Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery
Haleh Badkoobehi, MD, MPH
Cynthia Nguyen, MD
Selina Poon, MD, MPH, MS, FAAOS
Pediatric Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
William P. Magee III, MD, DDS, director of plastic surgery
Katherine Au, MD
Caroline Yao, MD, MS
Anesthesiology
Rick Bushnell, MD, MBA, chief of anesthesia
Neha Patel, MD
De-An Zhang, MD
Pediatrics
Manu S. Raam, MD, FAAP Urology
Andrew L. Freedman, MD, FAAP
2026 FINEST HOSPITALS OF LOS ANGELES
HUNTINGTON HOSPITAL
AN AFFILIATE OF CEDARS-SINAI
100 West California Boulevard
Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 397-5000
huntingtonhealth.org
Huntington Health, huntingtonhealth.org, an a liate of Cedars- inai, offers the full spectrum of care for every need hether at our hospital, urgent care, ambulatory surgery center, cancer center or doctor’s o ce, we’re here to care for the physical, mental and social well-being of every person.
untington ospital is home to the largest emergency department and only Level trauma center in the an abriel alley providing access to lifesaving emergency and trauma care . ur amily irth Center and Level neonatal intensive care unit C give babies the safest start to life.
As a leader in nursing care, we are one of only 0 of hospitals nationwide to have achieved agnet designation, the gold standard in nursing. Leading cancer care, cardiac services, orthopedic care and advanced robotic surgery among many other health care services are available to all who turn to us for care.
Where the top doctors come to work.
Congratulations to all the Huntington physicians who were honored for providing extraordinary care to the San Gabriel Valley.
From primary care doctors to ob-gyns, oncologists to cardiac surgeons, you can choose from more than 1,000 expert physicians.
