Every year, thousands of New Yorkers receive a cancer diagnosis. Having access to leading-edge care close to home can make all the difference. Maimonides Cancer Center and our team of expert oncology subspecialists deliver personalized, nearby support.

As Brooklyn’s first accredited cancer center, we’re nationally recognized for the high quality of our services, including breast, colon, and lung cancer treatments. To champion our dedication to community-driven, forward-thinking care, we recently welcomed Vishal Vashistha, MD, MBA, as the Cancer Center’s medical director and chief of the Division of Hematology/Oncology. In addition to his vast experience with solid tumors and blood cancers, Dr. Vashistha brings a commitment to expanding provider and patient access to leading-edge resources while upholding our mission to provide timely, innovative therapies.

“Maimonides is a fantastic place that offers high-quality, efficient care to all patients of all backgrounds. Our patients deeply believe that we deliver exceptional care that is competitive with any major healthcare system throughout the country,” he said. “In my leadership role, I have the opportunity to drive—and encourage other providers to drive—clinical initiatives that improve the quality of our care and our efficiency.”

A two-sided approach to cancer care and leadership

Certified in three different specialties—hematology, medical oncology, and internal medicine—Dr. Vashistha believes wearing two hats, one as a researcher and the other as a clinician, strengthens his ability to serve patients and work with referring providers.

“Research requires excellent clinical care knowledge, which helps define the questions to be asked,” he said. “On the other hand, understanding the nitty-gritty details of how research is conducted leads to better implementation of clinical data into routine patient care.”

This yin and yang relationship is also the key to effective oncology leadership.

“I’ve always felt that being an administrative leader improves my clinical care and that my medical knowledge benefits our approach to operational improvements,” he said. “I can do both roles here in the Cancer Center in a balanced fashion that uplifts our patients and providers.”

Dr. Vashistha is working alongside David Berlach, MD, chair of radiation oncology, and Patrick Borgen, MD, chair of surgical oncology, to continue to bring a higher level of care to Brooklyn residents.

A vision for a collaborative, innovative future

For Dr. Vashistha, cancer care is a team effort that requires a multipronged strategy. From his position at the helm, he plans to prioritize efforts that strengthen the Cancer Center’s multidisciplinary approach to care and its investment in novel treatments and clinical trials.

Multidisciplinary partnerships

Maimonides has a long-standing reputation for providing convenient, comprehensive cancer care in a single location.

“We have a unique benefit that most of our outpatient care is here at the Cancer Center,” he said. “Patients can see all their specialists in one location. As providers, we partner collaboratively with peripheral practices, including individual practices and those within other health systems.”

By bringing hematologic, medical, radiation, and surgical oncologists together with pathologists, palliative care specialists, and pediatric oncology providers for younger patients, Maimonides continues to provide the compassionate, complex care referring providers recommend for patients. It’s a structure that also gives providers in the community greater accessibility and additional resources.

Novel treatments and clinical trials

According to Dr. Vashistha, Maimonides maintains its unwavering commitment to offering the most specialized treatments, diagnostic tools, and leading-edge clinical trials to all patients.

“We’re on the cutting edge of cancer care at Maimonides. Our emphasis remains to deliver efficient, high-quality, community-focused care for the general Brooklyn population,” he said. “Our patients deserve to be able to come to a hospital close to home that they can trust as a center of excellence. That’s why we partner with the pharmaceutical industry, when possible, to provide progressive therapies for everyone we serve.”

Currently, Maimonides offers innovative care options through a wide range of programs and over 20 clinical trials. These therapeutic opportunities include:

• Bi-specific T-cell engagers (BiTEs) program: To improve treatment efficacy for patients with a variety of treatment-resistant cancers, this initiative offers infusions or injections of monoclonal antibodies that bring cancer cells and T cells into closer proximity. After a brief hospitalization at Maimonides, patients can return to their local oncologist for monitoring.
• Non-small cell lung cancer: Clinical investigators are exploring a new therapy, targeting the KRAS G12C mutation, which promotes lung cancer growth. They’re comparing outcomes in patients who receive olomorasib (a new inhibitor that targets this mutation) and pembrolizumab (the standard immunotherapy) with those who receive pembrolizumab alone.
• Advanced esophageal cancer: Researchers are evaluating a potential treatment for pretreated, metastatic esophageal cancer. They’re examining the efficacy of ifinatamab deruxtecan, a “smart” cancer treatment that binds specific monoclonal antibodies to chemotherapy drugs.

A commitment to strong relationships with patients and providers

Maintaining patient and provider relationships built on trust and transparency is paramount, according to Dr. Vashistha.

“When patients come to Maimonides, they can be confident they’re seeing an expert with great knowledge and insight into the types of cancer they treat,” he said, noting that Maimonides strives to see every patient within three days of referral. “And, referring providers know when they send us their patients, they’re getting a cadre of oncology, surgery, imaging, and pathology partners who are dedicated to collaboration and open communication.”

Ultimately, as he steps further into his leadership role, Dr. Vashistha wants providers—and the patients they care for—to know that Maimonides remains committed to its role as a world-class institution in Brooklyn’s backyard.

“We’re very proud that we take care of a large volume of patients from diverse backgrounds,” he said. “We have excellent, experienced oncologists, surgeons, and radiologists who work side by side with referring providers to deliver the highest level of care to every patient we serve.”

For more information, visit the Maimonides Cancer Center webpage. To refer a patient, call 718-765-2500.