Ash B. Cearley, PA-C

/content/dam/www/provider-photos/c/ash-cearley/provider-ash-cearley-directory-1x.jpg
/content/dam/www/provider-photos/c/ash-cearley/provider-ash-cearley-directory-2x.jpg
Cearley
Ash B. Cearley, PA-C

Ash B. Cearley, PA-C

  • Physician Assistant, Fred Hutch
  • Teaching Associate, Division of Hematology and Oncology, University of Washington School of Medicine

Hematology-Oncology

“People who come to us for their care should never feel confused about the next steps in the process.”

— Ash


Why do you work in oncology?

I really enjoy the relationships I form with my patients. Depending on their specific treatment, I see some of my bone marrow transplant patients almost daily for months. On the immunotherapy side, we have patients coming back for short-term follow-ups. I’ll see these patients six months or a year later, and it’s nice to hear how they are doing and how they are back to enjoying sports, being physically active or other personal interests.

What is your approach to care?

Communication is absolutely essential, so I do my best to be very detail-oriented. There are a lot of elements that make up a treatment plan for my patients, and I want to make sure my patients and their families understand everything, starting with the reason they’re here, details on their specific cancer diagnosis and, of course, any and all questions they may have. People who come to us for their care should never feel confused about the next steps in the process.

Provider Background

Area of Clinical Practice
Blood and marrow transplantation, immunotherapy

I am a certified physician assistant who sees patients at the South Lake Union Clinic and Fred Hutch at UW Medical Center - Montlake.

Bone marrow transplantation
I work on rotation, which means I work about two or three months at a time focused on a service within the bone marrow transplant team, such as stem cell transplant. I’m interested in the pathophysiology of transplants — how the process works, from making the diagnosis to providing follow-up treatment. My role is also unique in that I work with both the transplant and immunotherapy teams.

Immunotherapy
In my opinion, immunotherapy today is almost where bone marrow transplant was 40 or 50 years ago. There’s a lot we are still figuring out, but that also means better treatment options may be just around the corner for our patients. Many of our patients who are receiving immunotherapy treatment are on a clinical trial, which helps us learn more about possible new therapies.

Languages

English

Education, Experience and Certifications

Undergraduate Degree
University of Washington

Medical Degree
University of Washington School of Medicine

Board Certification
Physician Assistant, 2016, National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistant

Clinical Trials

We make promising new treatments available to you through studies called clinical trials led by Fred Hutch physicians. Many of these trials at Fred Hutch have led to FDA-approved treatments and have improved standards of care globally. Together, you and your physician can decide if a study is right for you. 

Your Care Team

Many of our Fred Hutch physicians conduct ongoing research to improve standards of patient care. Their work is evaluated by other physicians and selected for publication to the United States National Library of Medicine, the largest medical library in the world. See scientific papers this Fred Hutch physician has written. 

Insurance

Fred Hutch accepts most national private health insurance plans as well as Medicare. We also accept Medicaid for people from Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho. We are working to ensure that everyone, no matter what their financial situation, has access to the care they need.