For two decades, Maimonides Cancer Center has been more than a hospital.
It’s been a home base in Brooklyn for those battling cancer, their families and the larger community that no longer has to travel long distances for top-notch treatment. This month marks 20 years since Maimonides opened Brooklyn’s first “fully accredited cancer center.” Each year, more than 30,000 patients turn ot the center for comprehensive cancer care.
“If Brooklyn were its own city, its population would rank among the largest in the country, so it’s hard to imagine that 20 years ago, there was no dedicated cancer center here,” Dr. Parick Borgen, the center’s founder and director, who also serves as Maimonides’ chair of the department of surgery. “Maimonides saw that need and fulfilled it, in the name of providing Brooklynites with the world-class cancer care this community deserves.”
Borgen left his job at Memorial Sloan Kettering to found the center in 2005.
Twenty years later, the Maimonides Cancer Center spans 18 oncology specialties, from breast and lung cancer to prostate and blood cancers. It’s the only place in Brooklyn offering lifesaving treatments like Pluvicto for metastatic prostate cancer and Hepatic Artery infusion for colorectal and bile duct cancers that have spread to the liver.
They have also built first-in-borough programs, such as the Maimonides Breast Center in 2011, Brooklyn’s only breast center accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, which “now conducts nearly 10,000 screenings annually.” In 2015, the Maimonides Prostate Center was created as Brooklyn’s “only full-service facility” of its kind.
Beyond the programs and cutting-edge treatments, Maimonides is defined by its people-centered approach.
“We get to know [patients] throughout their care, tailoring every treatment to their clinical success and comfort level,” Chair of the Department of Radiation Dr. David Berlach said.
“We know our community well, and our mission is not only to connect them to the best possible treatment, but to meet them where they are in terms of language, cultural practices, socioeconomic factors and more components that contribute to the most successful treatments and experiences,” he continued.
For Ken Gibbs, president and CEO of Maimonides Health, the commitment to locality is key.
“No one should have to leave Brooklyn to get top-tier cancer care,” he said. “We’ve built our strategy around keeping care within reach.”
That strategy has earned wide recognition. Maimonides is consistently named a high-performing hospital by U.S. News and World Report for lung, colon and blood cancer care. It’s only one of two centers in New York State to earn a perfect score from the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons. And its staff lead groundbreaking clinical trials that continue to shape the future of oncology.
The center has also expanded care into different neighborhoods, creating partnerships with systems like SUNY Downstate and opening infusion centers in Maimonides Midwood Community Hospital to reduce patient travel times.
Last month, the center introduced an advanced adaptive radiation therapy system that “allows for providers to scan patients more often and adjust treatment plans in real time.” In 2024, they were designated as a Robotic Center of Excellence by the Surgical Review Corporation, something they said “highlights their commitment to excellence in roboticsurgery and high-quality patient care.”
Despite their numerous accolades, Maimonides is celebrating the people who brought them here. Events like their annual Cancer Survivor’s Day and Pink Runway fashion show put faces and stories behind the statistics.
“Every time a patient walks through our doors, it’s the start of a new relationship,” Dr. Berlach said. “Our team goes the extra mile, so our patients don’t have to. That is the key to our mission of saving lives and promoting healing.”
