Salt Lake City – Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) and University of Utah Health (U of U) welcome Sachin Apte, MD, MS, MBA. Apte will serve as chief clinical officer of HCI and physician-in-chief of the cancer hospital. Selected following an extensive national search, Apte begins his appointment on February 8, 2021.
“Dr. Apte will lead HCI’s clinical efforts at a time when we are poised to dramatically expand our impact for the patients and communities we serve,” says Mary Beckerle, PhD, CEO of HCI. “He will advance our efforts to innovate clinical programs and care delivery, enhance quality of care, and develop clinical talent. I look forward to his leadership during this critical time of growth and transformation.”
Apte joins HCI from Moffitt Cancer Center where he served as associate chief medical officer. Apte is a board-certified gynecologic oncologist who previously served as chair of the department of gynecologic oncology. He obtained his bachelor of science in chemical engineering from Cornell University and his medical degree from The Ohio State University. He completed a fellowship in gynecologic oncology at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center while also obtaining his master of science in cancer biology from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Apte obtained an MBA from the University of Tennessee in 2012.
Apte will oversee oncology work of HCI and U of U Health to deliver high-quality cancer care and prevention programs across the Mountain West. He will collaborate with HCI and U of U Health colleagues to direct all aspects of clinical cancer services at HCI’s flagship hospital in Salt Lake City, community clinics, and other offerings that bring care and screenings to communities across the region or directly to patients in their homes. This includes oversight and planning of a major clinical expansion underway at HCI, the Kathryn F. Kirk Center for Comprehensive Cancer Care and Women’s Cancers. He will also serve as a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at U of U Health.
“His experience in operational efficiency, clinical quality, partnership and business development, and physician recruitment will be an asset to HCI and U of U Health. Dr. Apte will build upon the excellent foundation we have established in Utah,” says Thomas Miller, MD, chief medical officer at U of U Health.
“I am honored to have this extraordinary opportunity. Since its founding, HCI has demonstrated incredible scientific impact, community benefit, and growth. There is a palpable collaborative culture, driven to innovate to eradicate cancer. I am excited to work with this dynamic and forward-thinking team to achieve the organization’s immense potential,” Apte says.
Apte succeeds John Ward, MD, who has served in this position in an interim capacity since April 2019. Ward will continue his service at HCI, including his clinical program caring for breast cancer patients and other key leadership roles.
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Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah is the official cancer center of Utah. The cancer campus includes a state-of-the-art cancer specialty hospital as well as two buildings dedicated to cancer research. HCI treats patients with all forms of cancer and is recognized among the best cancer hospitals in the country by U.S. News and World Report. As the only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Mountain West, HCI serves the largest geographic region in the country, drawing patients from Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. More genes for inherited cancers have been discovered at HCI than at any other cancer center in the world, including genes responsible for hereditary breast, ovarian, colon, head, and neck cancers, along with melanoma. HCI manages the Utah Population Database, the largest genetic database in the world, with information on more than 11 million people linked to genealogies, health records, and vital statistics. HCI was founded by Jon M. and Karen Huntsman.
