Lisa Rolon, MD - Northwell Health Physician Partners

Michael Kuncewitch, MD, specializes in complex general surgical oncology procedures (CGSO), cytoreductive surgery, hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) and robotic surgery.His ultimate goal is to provide patients with a better quality of life and more time with the ones they love-and it's his patients' strength and resilience that motivate him every day to practice oncological surgery.Dr. Kuncewitch completed his residency at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, and subsequently his fellowship at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. He then returned to Northwell to work alongside his mentors, where he remains today. He actively participates in resident education research, as he's passionate about surgical training and mentorship, and is a proud member of the Society of Surgical Oncology and the American College of Surgeons.Under Dr. Kuncewitch's care, every patient's condition is presented before a multidisciplinary tumor board. Patients don't just receive his expertise, they get insight and advice from a panel of experts in all fields-gastroenterology, radiology, medical oncology and other surgical specialties. Every care plan is individualized, evidence-based, and developed and vetted by this panel of experts. In addition to the support of the multidisciplinary tumor board, his team includes a nurse practitioner who acts as a care navigator, guiding patients through their care plan that lies ahead. Dr. Kuncewitch is also bilingual, so his practice proudly provides care for both English and Spanish-speaking patients. Patients often develop a close relationship with their navigator as well as the administrative staff, as Dr. Kuncewitch's "small team with a personal touch" takes the time to learn every facet of a patient's care.

Gerardo Jerry Vitiello, MD, joined Northwell Health as an academic surgical oncologist in 2023. He specializes in treating liver, bile duct, gallbladder, pancreas and stomach cancer, as well as melanoma and soft tissue sarcomas including gastrointestinal stromal tumor. An avid baseball player growing up, Dr. Vitiello started medical school at Emory University thinking he d go into orthopedics, but surgical oncology clicked for him during his third year. I liked the critical thinking aspect of being a surgical oncologist; it wasn t can we do more? but rather when and how can we optimize treatment for this person? I also liked approaching care in terms of the whole body, not just one specific location. After completing a residency at NYU Langone Health and a fellowship at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, he was drawn to the Northwell Health Cancer Institute for its one-stop approach to cancer treatment. All consultations and appointments are set up in one visit, which streamlines the process for patients, he says. And our team meets weekly to get multi-disciplinary feedback on each patient case so that everyone is on the same page and next steps are expedited. Dr. Vitiello has published more than 30 research manuscripts and is working with other oncologists and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory scientists to study the role of systemic immune and metabolic responses to cancer. I really enjoy finding information to push the field forward. How can I improve the lives of my patients and everyone else too? Cancer therapy is dynamic, and we re always learning more. In addition to research, empowering his patients is what inspires Dr. Vitiello day to day. When someone learns they have cancer, their biggest fear is the loss of control. Feeling at the mercy of the disease and being overwhelmed with information is very stressful. In my first meeting with a patient, I focus on creating a clear and simple plan regarding next steps and things that they can control. He works with patients on holistic aspects of care such as diet and exercise, referring them to specialists if necessary. The idea is to get them in the best possible shape to fight the cancer and tolerate the treatment, he says. At the end of the day, my goal is to get to the post-operative conversation with good news. The thrill of saying, We did the right things and here s the proof , that s what really drives me.