SARASOTA, Fla. – (Dec. 19, 2022) –Sarasota Memorial has appointed Kunal Saigal, MD, medical director of radiation oncology services at the expanding Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute.
Dr. Saigal has overseen Sarasota Memorial radiation oncology services since SMH opened its first outpatient radiation oncology center on University Parkway in 2020. Since then, the Jellison Cancer Institute team has added advanced radiation oncology services to the cancer treatments available at the hospital’s Sarasota campus, with plans to expand and enhance those services as it completes the next phase of the Cancer Institute, an outpatient cancer pavilion that will begin construction early next year.
“In his tenure at the Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute, Dr. Saigal has demonstrated remarkable abilities, not only as a caring physician but as an effective leader,” said Richard Brown, MD, chief medical program director of the Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute. “He shares the patient-centered vision of the Cancer Institute, and we are looking forward to his participation in the development of this Program in his new leadership capacity.”
A radiation oncologist with Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, Dr. Saigal is board certified in Radiation Oncology and fellowship trained in Brachytherapy. He joined Sarasota Memorial’s oncology team in 2020 and helped launch SMH’s first outpatient radiation oncology center. In his new role as medical director, Dr. Saigal will lead the radiation oncology service’s multi-disciplinary team, which includes radiation oncologists, medical physicists, medical dosimetrists, radiation therapists, nurses and patient support staff, all working together to develop individualized treatment plans with a holistic approach to cancer care. Dr. Saigal also will lead the new High-Dose-Rate brachytherapy service expansion at the main Sarasota campus and, along with radiation oncologist Matthew Biagioli, MD, administer HDR treatments to cancer patients. As next phases of the Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute progress, Dr. Saigal will play a critical role in the strategic planning and design of future outpatient cancer facilities that include radiation therapy.
“It has been a privilege to collaborate with Dr. Brown and our expert team to build the Radiation Oncology program from the ground up,” said Dr. Saigal. “I am very fortunate to work with such an amazing group of individuals who share my passion for personalized, leading-edge, quality patient care.”
About the Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute
The Radiation Oncology Center on University Parkway/Honore Avenue and Oncology Tower on the SMH-Sarasota Campus are part of Sarasota Memorial's Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute. The Oncology Tower serves as a central location and collaborative space where more than 70 community physicians and oncology specialists work with oncology nurses, navigators, counselors, and other cancer care professionals to guide patients through every step of their cancer journey and ensure they have coordinated access to advanced, personalized treatments for their specific cancers. For information, visit smh.com/cancer.