Director of Oncology Services Northern Region Named to New Jersey’s Only NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center

Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and RWJBarnabas Health have appointed George Raptis, MD, MBA, as director of Oncology Services for the Northern Region at New Jersey’s leading cancer program and only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. A specialist in breast cancer, Dr. Raptis will also care for patients at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, an RWJBarnabas Health facility. 

Dr. Raptis will serve as a key member of the leadership team for oncology services with a focus on the northern region of RWJBarnabas Health, which includes Clara Maass Medical Center, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, Jersey City Medical Center, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway and Trinitas Regional Medical Center.

“With a distinguished academic record as well as clinical success and national reputation, Dr. Raptis is well-equipped to oversee cancer care and collaborate with faculty and leadership across the Northern region,” notes Andrew M. Evens, DO, MBA, MSc, deputy director for clinical services, Rutgers Cancer Institute; and system director of medical oncology, and oncology lead for the Combined Medical Group, RWJBarnabas Health. “We’re thrilled that he will help lead our outstanding team of clinicians who ensure the delivery of personalized, high-quality, and innovative cancer care at the state’s only NCI- designated Comprehensive Cancer Center,” adds Dr. Evens, who is also associate vice chancellor, Clinical Innovation and Data Analytics, Rutgers Health.

“I’m incredibly excited to be part of the excellent patient care, research expertise and deep commitment to education and the community that defines Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey and RWJBarnabas Health,” notes Raptis. “I’m focused on enhancing the quality and future growth of oncology and clinical research programs across the Northern region of our state.”

Dr. Raptis completed medical school and residency training in internal medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. After fellowship training in medical oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, he joined the faculty there to explore novel treatment paradigms using sequential high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplantation, in addition to other developmental therapeutic studies. He went back to Mount Sinai Medical Center where he became director of the Ruttenberg Cancer Treatment Center and later developed and led the Dubin Breast Center, focusing on improving breast cancer care delivery and clinical translational breast cancer research, among numerous other leadership roles.

He joined Northwell Health in 2013 as the associate chief for Oncology and as Vice President for the Oncology Network for the Health System, and became the acting executive director of the Cancer Institute and senior vice president of the Cancer Service Line of Northwell Health. He was most recently leader of the Breast Cancer Disease Management Team and director of Breast Cancer Medicine at the Northwell Health Cancer Institute in New York. He has published numerous peer reviewed articles and book chapters focusing on topics relating to blood cancers and breast cancer treatment and continues to be actively involved in community-based breast cancer advocacy organizations.

About Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey

As New Jersey’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, Rutgers Cancer Institute, together with RWJBarnabas Health, offers the most advanced cancer treatment options including bone marrow transplantation, proton therapy, CAR T-cell therapy and complex surgical procedures. Along with clinical trials and novel therapeutics such as precision medicine and immunotherapy – many of which are not widely available – patients have access to these cutting-edge therapies at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey in New Brunswick, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey at University Hospital in Newark, as well as through RWJBarnabas Health facilities. To make a tax-deductible gift to support the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, call 848-932-8013 or visit www.cinj.org/giving.