Mount Sinai cancer center to probe patient experiences

As the inaugural director of the Irma and Norman Braman Cancer Center, Dr. Steven Hochwald is set to lead the way in advancing technological resources and developing clinical trials and multidisciplinary clinics for cancer patients.

Plans to carefully align services that provide synergy in patient care must be done for every service, including radiation oncology, medical oncology, surgery, phlebotomy, respiratory therapy and support services, Dr. Hochwald said. “Our construction must reflect and enforce this patient-centered approach.”

Next on his agenda is to perform patient experience surveys and optimize any deficits they might encounter, he said, and prepare for growth in the number of cancer patients who they plan to treat, “all while providing comprehensive, research-driven, compassionate and outstanding patient encounters that will alleviate stress for our patients,” he added.

Dr. Hochwald will also serve as chief of surgical oncology and associate director of the Columbia University Medical Center and Mount Sinai Miami Cancer Programs. Mount Sinai holds the only Ivy League affiliation of its kind in South Florida, which is backed by Columbia University.

The estimated $150 million Irma and Norman Braman Cancer Center at 4300 Alton Road in Miami Beach is expected to be completed in September 2025. The building would occupy over 200,000 square feet and support the medical center’s physicians in delivering cancer care programming to all patients.

The Braman Cancer Center plans to also offer patients a multitude of support services to engage and promote a holistic approach to their well-being. These include nutrition classes, physical therapy, massage, meditation classes, and a dedicated spa.

“Planning for growth in volume and recruitment of world-class physicians, nurses and support staff has already begun,” Dr. Hochwald added.

Bringing over 30 years of clinical experience and research-focused expertise to Mount Sinai’s cancer program, he is a graduate of New York University School of Medicine and received his postgraduate training in surgical oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

He went on to complete an oncology research fellowship at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s Surgical Metabolism Laboratory, an MBA at the University of Buffalo School of Management and an executive degree in managing health care delivery at Harvard Business School Executive Education. He was then recruited from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in New York, an NCI-designated institution.

As the new director of the cancer center, Dr. Hochwald is focused on expanding oncological services, such as adaptive radiation therapy and robotic surgeries. In the meantime, inpatients will continue to be treated at the current hospital, he said.

“We have the unique opportunity to elevate how cancer care is delivered to our community,” Mr. Hochwald said. “Our expert clinical team, in conjunction with the team at Columbia University, will create a conduit for additional innovation in cancer research, prevention, early detection, therapy and survivorship through personalized comprehensive care for our patients.”