Heidi J. Gray, MD

What do you enjoy about practicing gynecologic oncology?

Gynecologic oncology encompasses all the aspects of medicine that I love: complex surgery, managing cutting edge oncologic therapeutics and maintaining long-term relationships with patients and families. When I did my first clinical rotation in gynecologic oncology as a resident, in addition to being drawn to the incredible surgeries, I found that I really enjoyed taking care of gynecologic oncology patients and their families, getting to know their stories, and that has continued to be true for me. It’s inspiring to see patients’ strength and to witness their loved ones rally around them. It’s rewarding to be able to help patients through difficult times and learn about each person’s unique perspective and cancer journey.

How do you like to work with patients?

I’m committed to individualizing care and providing accurate, thorough information about diagnosis and treatment options. I want to understand what a patients needs are as well as how they envision care unfolding moving forward. My role is to guide patients through their experience and help support their decisions. I want every patient to have the best opportunities to beat their cancer and feel confident in their care.

Provider Background

Area of Clinical Practice
Gynecologic cancers

I am a board-certified oncologist who specializes in the care of patients with gynecologic cancers. I have expertise in advanced robotic surgery, ovarian cancer surgery, complex benign pelvic surgery and clinical trials for gynecologic cancer. I serve as the Division Chief of Gynecologic Oncology at UW overseeing 11 physicians and 6 APPs. At Fred Hutch, I serve as the director of clinical research for gynecologic oncology, providing care for patients who are enrolled in our studies.

My research interests include clinical trials for gynecologic oncology patients and quality improvement for surgical care. Currently, my research efforts are focused on conducting novel clinical trials of drug therapies for patients with gynecologic cancers.  At Fred Hutch, I have served as Principal Investigator (PI) of 23 clinical trials, 7 currently open and enrolling. My work has been funded by the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation and the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.

At UW Medicine, I implemented the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) program for patients undergoing open surgery for gynecologic cancers. This program is a patient-centered method for standardizing post-operative care in order to speed recovery. After implementation in 2015, we found increased patient satisfaction, shortened length of hospital stays and reduced the need for opioid pain medication.