Next door in Duarte, at the City of Hope, nurse practitioner Raymond Hernandez has won a place among eight people named 2026 MPN Heroes, a national recognition announced Oct. 13 by biopharmaceutical company Incyte. The company sponsors the annual program to honor contributions to care, research and advocacy for people affected by myeloproliferative neoplasms, or MPNs—a group of rare, chronic blood cancers.
The honorees are nominated by their peers and chosen by an independent panel of MPN experts and advocates, according to Incyte. Hernandez was recognized for attentive, compassionate care and for closely watching for signs that a patient's disease is progressing or returning. This year's recipients will be honored Dec. 11 in New Orleans at an event held in conjunction with the American Society of Hematology's annual meeting.
For Hernandez, the work isn't only about what happens on a chart. In a biography supplied by Incyte's media representative, he describes wanting patients to focus on their loved ones and everyday lives while he and the rest of the healthcare team handle the clinical side of treatment. Even in a busy clinic, the aim is to make each person feel they have his undivided attention.
There is plenty of clinical work behind that reassurance. According to the biography, Hernandez often sees patients more frequently than their physicians do, giving him opportunities to spot changes and respond quickly. His work can include bone marrow biopsies and lumbar punctures to help guide treatment decisions, along with monitoring chemotherapy toxicity and keeping up with developing MPN therapies.
Away from the clinic, Hernandez is an avid surfer. The biography draws a connection between making the most of each wave and making the most of each patient visit: he wants people to leave knowing their time with him counted. Different settings, but the same attention to the moment—and to the person in front of him.
Award announcement.
- Brad Haugaard
