(Camden, New Jersey) — Cooper University Hospital welcomes Francis R. Spitz, M.D., as Vice Chief of Surgery, Head of the Division of General Surgery and Deputy Director of the Cooper Cancer Institute. Dr. Spitz is a leading surgical oncologist with expertise in gastrointestinal cancers including esophageal, pancreatic, gastric, and hepatobiliary. He also specializes in primary and metastatic melanoma.
“With an expanding cancer program, it is imperative that we have the best surgical options for our patients who are undergoing cancer treatments,” said Jeffrey P. Carpenter, M.D., Chief of Surgery at Cooper. “Dr. Spitz brings a new set of highly technical skills for some of the most complex surgeries for cancer patients.”
Dr. Spitz has been the primary investigator on National Institutes of Health and American Cancer Society grants and is widely published in respected peer review journals. He is a member with leadership roles in the Society of Surgical Oncology and Society of University Surgeons. Dr. Spitz has given national presentations and has been published on surgical quality outcomes for patients undergoing complex surgical procedures like esophagogastrectomy, mini-Whipple and liver resections.
“Cooper’s cancer program has grown dramatically over the past decade and I am privileged to bring my surgical expertise to these patients,” said Dr. Spitz. “Cooper’s expansion last year, including the new operating suites, brings surgery to a new level of premier health care. I’m proud to join this team.”
Most recently, Dr. Spitz was on the staff of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and was Associate Professor within the Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology. Prior to his tenure at Penn, Dr. Spitz completed his fellowship training at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, one of the world’s leading cancer centers, and his general surgery residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, P.A. Dr. Spitz received his medical degree from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. He has been recognized by his peers in Best Doctors in America and America’s Top Surgeons. Dr. Spitz is board certified in general surgery.