Ed Sauter, M.D., Ph.D. named Director of the Breast Surgery Program at Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute

"We are enormously pleased to have Dr. Sauter joining our Institute in this very important role," said Donna Handley, Vice President of Operations for HHCCI. "We are greatly looking forward to benefiting from Dr. Sauter's experience as a leader in the field of breast surgery research and practice."

Dr. Sauter is joining the Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute after serving as Director of the Cancer Treatment and Prevention Center at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, where he built on an international reputation as a world-class surgeon, scientist, medical educator and physician administrator. He has been practicing in the field of breast surgery for more than 25 years, and as a leader in clinical research he has referred over 4,000 women to active clinical trials while conducting more than 70 clinical research trials himself.

"I am extremely excited about this opportunity to work at Hartford HealthCare, which is moving in a very impressive direction with its cancer program both within the Institute framework and through its collaboration with Memorial Sloan Kettering," said Dr. Sauter. He pointed to the Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute's pioneering membership in the Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK) Cancer Alliance as a significant factor in his decision to come to Hartford HealthCare.

HHCCI became the charter member of the MSK Cancer Alliance in 2013, making it possible for patients at each of the cancer centers within the Institute to have access to world-class research and clinical trials and protocols at MSK — widely regarded as one of the premier cancer centers in the world. The bi-directional nature of the relationship means patients benefit from the expertise and experience of specialists at both HHCCI and MSK.

Prior to working in Texas, Dr. Sauter was a professor of surgery at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences. The National Institutes of Health has supported Dr. Sauter's research for more than 25 years, awarding him several dozen grants.

In his new role, Dr. Sauter will report to Handley and Peter Paul Yu, MD, Physician-in-Chief for HHCCI. Dr. Sauter said he is looking forward to continuing the work of expanding and enhancing HHCCI's relationship with MSK to further elevate the standard of care for patients in the areas of breast cancer prevention and early detection, optimal care with minimal side effects and research. He also said he looks forward to working closely with the surgical staffs throughout HHCCI, Hartford HealthCare and MSK to ensure that surgeons are working in the best possible environment to bring innovative, effective care to patients. Dr. Sauter will also continue to practice at the HHCCI locations in Hartford and Avon.

Dr. Sauter, who is married with an 11-year-old daughter, said he looks forward to living in New England, where he and his wife spent many summers vacationing in the past.

The Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute. The Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute offers cancer patients across Connecticut a single standard of world-class care based on superior clinical expertise, compassion and support for patients and access to leading-edge advances in technology, clinical research and protocols. The Institute is the charter member of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Alliance, a pioneering partnership established to bring the very latest advances in cancer research and treatment to broader populations of patients and communities. The Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute includes the cancer centers at Backus Hospital, Hartford Hospital, MidState Medical Center, The Hospital of Central Connecticut and Windham Hospital.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160412/354248

SOURCE Hartford HealthCare