Miami Cancer Institute Names Minesh Mehta, M.D., Deputy Director And Chief Of Radiation Oncology

World-Renowned Expert to Oversee South Florida’s First and Only Proton Therapy Center

Minesh Mehta, M.D., a widely renowned expert in radiation oncology, proton therapy and cancer research joins the executive leadership of Miami Cancer Institute at Baptist Health South Florida as deputy director and chief of radiation oncology. Dr. Mehta will position Miami Cancer Institute’s proton therapy center—the only one of its kind in South Florida and one of fewer than two dozen of its kind in the United States—as the region’s top destination for this leading-edge treatment.

Dr. Mehta comes to Baptist Health from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, where he served as medical director of the Maryland Proton Treatment Center in Baltimore—the area’s first proton treatment center, which he helped to launch. Dr. Mehta was also the University’s associate director of clinical research in the Department of Radiation Oncology. Prior to his time at Maryland, Dr. Mehta held major academic, research and administrative leadership positions at Northwestern University in Chicago, and University of Wisconsin, in Madison, WI.

Board certified in radiation oncology by the American Board of Radiology, Dr. Mehta graduated with the highest honors from the University of Zambia School of Medicine. He completed a residency at the University of Wisconsin, where he was chief resident in radiation oncology. Later, he was appointed chairman of the medical school’s Department of Human Oncology and led research studies, technology development and expansion at the University of Wisconsin Cancer Center. He also headed its brain tumor program for more than 15 years, leading to his national leadership role in clinical trials research within national co-operative groups such as NRG Oncology, Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, North American Brain Tumor Consortium, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group, Children’s Cooperative Group, etc.

At the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University in Chicago, Dr. Mehta was co-director of the Radiation Oncology Residency Training Program, mentoring many young physicians who have gone on to become prominent leaders in the field. He has designed and led numerous national and international clinical studies, receiving NIH and NCI grants and winning several honors, many for his research in brain and central nervous system tumors.

“Dr. Mehta is an innovator whose research has led to significant advances in the treatment of cancer,” said Wayne Brackin, Baptist Health executive vice president and chief operating officer. “As Miami Cancer Institute prepares to open the only proton therapy center in South Florida, his broad experience in the area of radiation oncology, including proton therapy, will play a key role in developing our program.”

In March of 2015, Baptist Health signed an agreement with IBA, the world’s leading provider of proton therapy solutions for the treatment of cancer, to bring the region’s first and only proton therapy to Miami Cancer Institute’s spectacular new $430 million facility, opening in 2016 and located on the Baptist Hospital of Miami campus. The sophisticated treatment destroys cancer cells with precisely targeted doses of radiation, sparing healthy tissue and resulting in fewer side effects than traditional radiation therapies. Miami Cancer Institute expects to treat its first patient with proton therapy in 2017.

“Bringing an expert of Dr. Mehta’s caliber to our program is a testament to the ambitious vision of Miami Cancer Institute,” said Leonard Kalman, M.D., deputy director and chief clinical officer of the Cancer Institute. “He is a well-respected clinician and researcher, who will help lead our program to national and international prominence, and we all share in his excitement to work alongside IBA in this endeavor.”

About Miami Cancer Institute
Miami Cancer Institute offers comprehensive cancer services and is expanding its clinical services, clinical trials and state-of-the-art technology, including offering the first proton therapy treatment in South Florida, Latin America and the Caribbean. The Cancer Institute, designed to be a world-class clinical center and research destination, will move into its new spectacular facility in 2016. Miami Cancer Institute is part of Baptist Health South Florida, the largest healthcare organization in the region, with seven hospitals (Baptist Hospital, Baptist Children’s Hospital, Doctors Hospital, Homestead Hospital, Mariners Hospital, South Miami Hospital and West Kendall Baptist Hospital) and nearly 50 outpatient and urgent care facilities spanning three counties. The not-for-profit, faith-based Baptist Health has more than 16,000 employees and 2,200 affiliated physicians and also includes Baptist Health Medical Group, Baptist Health Quality Network, Baptist Outpatient Services and internationally renowned centers of excellence. Baptist Health Foundation, the organization’s fundraising arm, supports services at all hospitals and facilities. Baptist Health is listed by Fortune magazine as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America (#23 in the nation) and has remained on the list for 15 years. It was also recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the fourth year in a row by the Ethisphere Institute. Visit BaptistHealth.net.

Contact: Georgi Pipkin; 786-596-3309