Renowned Specialist in the Treatment of Primary and Secondary Brain Tumors is the State’s Only Board-Certified Neurologic Oncologist South of Orlando

MIAMI, FL – September 09, 2016 – Yazmin Odia, M.D., has joined the growing team of specialists at Miami Cancer Institute at Baptist Health South Florida as lead physician of Medical Neuro-Oncology. In her new role, Dr. Odia – the only Board-certified neuro-oncologist in practice south of Orlando – further rounds out the Institute’s highly specialized and comprehensive brain tumor program, providing the southern two-thirds of the state, Latin America and the Caribbean singular access to her unique expertise in neuro-oncology cancer care.

“The addition of Dr. Odia means a tremendous breakthrough for patients in our region who are facing primary and secondary tumors of the brain, as well as those with spinal and leptomeningeal metastases,” said Michael J. Zinner, M.D., founding CEO and executive medical director of Miami Cancer Institute. “Our vision of providing world-class, destination cancer care close to home cannot be achieved without a clinician of her caliber — Board certified in both adult neurology and neuro-oncology. We are proud to be the only Cancer Institute in this area to provide this level of specialized care.”

Within Miami Cancer Institute’s multidisciplinary care paradigm, Dr. Odia will collaborate with clinical experts across the organization to provide treatment to patients with cancers of the nervous system, especially those of the brain and spine. She will also conduct clinical trials that hopefully will bring significant advances in neuro-oncology cancer care to South Florida.

In her role, Dr. Odia will closely work with internationally-renowned radiation oncologist and brain tumor expert Minesh Mehta, M.D., Miami Cancer Institute’s deputy director and chief of Radiation Oncology. Dr. Mehta specializes in the utilization of today’s most advanced radiation modalities to treat cancers of the brain, including proton therapy – a sophisticated treatment that destroys cancer cells while avoiding the healthy surrounding tissue. When Miami Cancer Institute’s proton therapy center opens in 2017, it will be the only center in the state of Florida to exclusively offer highly precise pencil-beam scanning.

Additional physicians with whom Dr. Odia will closely collaborate include Baptist Health Neuroscience Center brain tumor surgeon Vitaly Siomin, M.D. and brain tumor medical oncologist Siddhartha Venkatappa, M.D.

Dr. Odia comes to Miami Cancer Institute from New York City, where she was most recently an assistant professor of neurology at Columbia University’s College of Physicians & Surgeons and an assistant attending neurologist at New York Presbyterian Hospital. A Chicago Honor Scholar, she received her bachelor’s of arts and medical degree from the University of Chicago, and her Master of Science in clinical research at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. She completed a residency in neurology at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Md., and a clinical and research fellowship in the Neuro-Oncology Branch of the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md.

She serves on the editorial board of Clinics in Oncology — CNS Tumors and Journal of Brain Tumor and Neuro-Oncology. Dr. Odia’s numerous honors include Columbia University/New York Presbyterian Hospital’s Stephen Q. Shafer Award for Humanism in Neurology and John Hopkins’ Guy M. McKhann Award for Teaching and Communication Excellence; she was also named a Top Doctor in New York City in 2015 and 2016.

Dr. Odia is bilingual in English and Spanish, and will begin seeing patients in September of 2016. Miami Cancer Institute plans to begin moving into its new, $430 million state-of-the-art facility on the Baptist Hospital campus later this year. Opening day for patient care is planned for January 16, 2017.

About Miami Cancer Institute
Baptist Health South Florida is developing Miami Cancer Institute into a destination cancer center known for its leading clinical care, exceptional patient experience, advanced clinical research and state-of-the-art technology – including the first proton therapy center in South Florida, Latin America and the Caribbean. To accelerate its mission of hope, caring and innovation, Miami Cancer Institute has announced plans to join the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Alliance, a dynamic partnership that will ultimately enable cancer patients to access potential breakthrough therapies in South Florida. For more information, visit MiamiCancerInstitute.com.

Miami Cancer Institute is part of Baptist Health South Florida, the largest healthcare organization in the region, with seven hospitals (Baptist Hospital, Baptist Children’s Hospital, Doctors Hospital, Homestead Hospital, Mariners Hospital, South Miami Hospital and West Kendall Baptist Hospital), nearly 50 outpatient and urgent care facilities, Baptist Health Medical Group, Baptist Health Quality Network and internationally renowned centers of excellence. The not-for-profit, faith-based Baptist Health has approximately 16,000 employees and 2,300 affiliated physicians. Baptist Health South Florida has been recognized by Fortune as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in America and by Ethisphere as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies. For more information, visit BaptistHealth.net and connect with us on Facebook at facebook.com/BaptistHealthSF and on Twitter and Instagram @BaptistHealthSF.

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IMAGE: health.usnews.com Dr. Yazmin Odia