Three Doctors From MSK Join With Norwalk Hospital

Linda T. Vahdat, MD, MBA

Linda T. Vahdat, MD, MBA

Medical oncologist Linda T. Vahdat, MD, MBA, has been appointed the new chief of medical oncology and clinical director of cancer services at Norwalk Hospital. The new position comes as a result of a new collaboration between Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Center and Norwalk Hospital in Norwalk, Connecticut, whereby physicians from MSK will be integrated into the program at the C. Anthony and Jean Whittingham Cancer Center at Norwalk Hospital. Three experts from MSK have joined the Norwalk Hospital Staff while 6 of Norwalk’s medical and radiation oncologists are joining with MSK’s staff.

This is the first time that physicians from MSK will be leading cancer services at another institution’s cancer program outside of New York State. As a part of the collaboration, Norwalk Hospital will also have access to more clinical trials and cases through MSK.

“We are very excited to enhance our cancer care program by having our exceptional oncologists formally collaborate with Memorial Sloan Kettering to provide the Fairfield County community access to a world-class team of physicians specializing in chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and radiation therapy — right here at Norwalk Hospital,” said Michael Daglio, president of Norwalk Hospital, in a statement.

Vahdat, who is also a breast medical oncologist at MSK, will lead the comprehensive cancer program and provide full-time patient care on-site at Norwalk. She has been caring for patients with breast cancer for over 20 years. As a researcher, she is seeking to find new therapies, especially for patients with triple-negative breast cancer, and in preventing the spread of tumors to surrounding tissues.

“Even though the majority of cancer care in the United States is delivered in the community, cancer care advances can sometimes take years to reach patients there,” Norwalk said in a statement. “MSK Physicians at Norwalk Hospital aims to bridge this gap and ensure the best outcomes for Norwalk Hospital’s patients by bringing leading medical and radiation oncology experts to Norwalk Hospital, implementing Memorial Sloan Kettering’s clinical practice in medical oncology and radiation therapy, and maintaining an environment of consistent cancer care.”

Radiation therapy at Norwalk will be led by Daniel Shasha, MD, who is also a radiation oncologist at MSK specializing in genitourinary cancers. He is an expert in using advanced minimally invasive techniques to provide radiation to tumors, and to provide palliative care for cancer patients.

Hsiang-Chi (Gary) Kuo, PhD, a physicist at MSK, has been appointed the chief of medical physics at Norwalk Hospital, where he will help to deliver precise radiation therapy to patients. At Norwalk Hospital, Kuo will consult on all plans and delivery of radiation therapies.