Internationally Recognized Orthopedic Oncologist Joins Atlantic Health System Orthopedic Leadership Team

MORRISTOWN, N.J., March 8, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- James C. Wittig, MD, has been appointed Chairman of the Department of Orthopedics, Morristown Medical Center, and Medical Director, Orthopedic Oncology, Atlantic Health System, following an extensive national search. Dr. Wittig will be responsible for ensuring outstanding quality, academic excellence, and optimal operational performance across Atlantic Health System's six hospitals.

Dr. Wittig is exceptionally qualified for this role, and is one of approximately 100 orthopedic oncologists in the nation. His work treating and researching pediatric and adult patients with bone and soft tissue cancers and benign tumors and metastatic cancers is internationally recognized. He is actively involved in clinical research, about which he lectures and publishes frequently. Dr. Wittig wrote and co-edited Techniques in Orthopedic Surgical Oncology—the sole text book that details surgical procedures in orthopedic oncology.

"We are excited to have someone with Dr. Wittig's national expertise and reputation join our medical leadership team to continue to bring clinical excellence throughout our region," said Trish O'Keefe, PhD, RN, President, Morristown Medical Center.

"I am honored to be selected as the new chairman for a truly accomplished department of orthopedic surgeons at one of the best medical systems and hospitals in the United States," said Dr. Wittig. "I look forward to continuing to build this premier department and expand orthopedic oncology and Atlantic Health System's oncology offerings."

Dr. Wittig previously served as Vice Chairman, Orthopedic Surgery; Chief of Orthopedic Oncology & Sarcoma Surgery (pediatric and adult) and Director, Skin & Sarcoma Division at Hackensack University Medical Center.

Prior to that role, he served as chief of Orthopedic Oncology at Mount Sinai Medical Center, and practiced at NYU Medical Center and Hospital for Joint Diseases. As assistant professor of orthopedic oncology at NYU Medical Center, he was elected Teacher of the Year from a department of 120 orthopedic surgeons. He frequently trains international residents and fellows from other countries who come to the United States specifically to learn Dr. Wittig's surgical techniques and his approach for diagnosing and treating patients with musculoskeletal tumors. He established the first orthopedic oncology clinic for indigent care in New York City at Bellevue Hospital Center and established the Sarcoma Service at NYU-Tisch Hospital where he also served as director of the sarcoma division of NYU Cancer Institute.

Dr. Wittig received his Bachelor of Science degree from Seton Hall University, and his Doctor of Medicine degree from New York University School of Medicine. He completed his residency in Orthopedic Surgery at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in Manhattan where he served as chief resident, followed by a unique two-year fellowship at the Washington Cancer Institute of the Washington Hospital Center and Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC. During fellowship, he served as Sarcoma Consultant to the Surgical and Pediatric Oncology Branches of the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Dr. Wittig is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, New Jersey Orthopedic Society, New York State Society of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Inc., and is a specialty fellow of the American Pediatric Association and the Medical Society of New Jersey.

Atlantic Health System's Morristown Medical Center is nationally recognized for its orthopedics program, and received the second highest reimbursement in the country for its year one performance in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) model. The reimbursement is based on quality and safety, and is a testament to Atlantic Health System's new care coordination model for patients undergoing knee and hip replacements.

The hospital is also nationally recognized for its cancer program and is a recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award and Three Year Approval with Commendation by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer.  Thousands of patients annually are supported by a multidisciplinary team of cancer specialists and physician researchers – many of whom are recognized nationally and internationally as experts in in their fields - at the hospital's Carol G. Simon Cancer Center.

About Atlantic Health System

Atlantic Health System, headquartered in Morristown, N.J., is an integrated health care delivery system powered by a workforce of 16,000 team members dedicated to building healthier communities. The system is comprised of 350 sites of care, including six hospitals: Morristown Medical Center, Overlook Medical Center, Newton Medical Center, Chilton Medical Center, Hackettstown Medical Center and Goryeb Children's Hospital. Atlantic Health System also supports communities through Atlantic Medical Group, Atlantic Rehabilitation, Atlantic Home Care and Hospice, and its subsidiary, Atlantic Ambulance Corporation. Atlantic Health System sponsors the Atlantic Accountable Care Organization, one of the larger ACOs in the nation, and Optimus Healthcare Partners.

SOURCE Atlantic Health System

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http://www.atlantichealth.org