P.A.-C.
Physician Assistant
The best part of my job is spending time with patients. We tend to see the same people fairly often, which gives me the opportunity to get to know them as individuals and assist in tailoring their care. That sense of connection and service is what I really enjoy.
Master of Medical Science, Physician Assistant Studies - Midwestern University, Downers Grove, IL
Physician Assistant - National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants
Emily Fechner, PA-C, joined City of Hope® in November 2023 as a Physician Assistant with nearly a decade of frontline experience in internal medicine and patient care coordination. Working primarily in the North Shore location, she contributes to the treatment of all types of cancers and has developed a special interest in clinical care for benign hematological conditions and women's health.
Ultimately, though, Emily’s principal passion is people.
“The best part of my job is spending time with patients,” she says. “We tend to see the same people fairly often, which gives me the opportunity to get to know them as individuals and assist in tailoring their care. That sense of connection and service is what I really enjoy.”
A lifelong interest in science prompted Emily to enroll in the molecular and cellular biology program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Urbana, Illinois, but she had no interest in medical school. She toyed with the idea of pharmaceutical research, going so far as obtaining a pharmacy tech license, but it wasn’t the right fit. It was Emily’s mom who suggested she consider a career as a physician assistant, and she’s never looked back.
Emily earned a Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Midwestern University in Downers Grove, Illinois. Before City of Hope, she was a physician assistant for a Chicago-area hematology/oncology practice, where she provided comprehensive patient histories, conducted physical examinations, assisted with bone marrow biopsies, interpreted lab results and coordinated patient care. Devoted to helping fulfill the medical needs of others, she served as a certified nursing assistant at Sunrise Senior Living in St. Charles, Illinois, during her master’s studies.
Outside of City of Hope, Emily cheers for the Packers, Blackhawks and Cubs, and enjoys hanging out with her husband and their dogs, Melvin and Felix, whom she describes as “the lights of my life.”