Our Experts
James Essell
MD
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Dr. Essell received his bachelor’s degree in pharmacy and doctorate in medicine at the University of Cincinnati. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine and Fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. He then completed post-fellowship training in Bone Marrow Transplantation at the Fred Hutchinson Transplant Center in Seattle, Washington.
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After completing military service, he returned to Cincinnati and worked at Oncology Hematology Care (OHC) where his roles included President of the Medical Staff at Jewish Hospital, Medical Director of the Blood Cancer Center at Jewish Hospital, and Chair of Cellular Therapy for the US Oncology Network and SCRI. He has worked extensively in clinical research throughout his 30+ years at OHC. He published dozens of papers in peer-reviewed journals and presented at national meetings. The teams in San Antonio and Cincinnati have performed over 3,000 stem cell procedures during his career.
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In January of 2026, he became a member of Cincinnati Cancer Advisors where he continues to help patients with blood cancers.​
Position:
Hematologic Malignancies & Cellular Therapy
Medical School:
University of Cincinnati
Residency:
Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center
Fellowship:
Fred Hutchinson Transplant Center
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“I am a firm believer that you have to be passionate about what you do. I can’t help people fight a battle like cancer if I don’t have a fervent focus on the entire journey!”
Jillian Hunt MSN, APRN, FNP-C, AOCNP