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Gynecologic oncologist John P. Diaz, MD, has been appointed medical director of Robotic Surgery and chair of the Robotics and Innovations in Surgery Subcommittee at Baptist Health South Florida.
In his new role, Dr. Diaz will oversee the organization’s expanding robotic surgery program as new technologies and advances in the field continue to be developed at an exponential pace.
Dr. Diaz has extensive training and experience in robotic and minimally invasive surgery. In December, he was named chief of Gynecologic Oncology at Miami Cancer Institute, where he performs surgery and leading-edge research in gynecologic cancer, including endometrial, ovarian, cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancer. He was one of five founding gynecologic oncologists at Miami Cancer Institute, part of Baptist Health, when it opened in 2017.
“As our robotic surgery program continues to grow, we are fortunate to have a skilled leader and surgeon at the helm,” said Jack Ziffer, PhD, MD, executive vice president, chief clinical officer and chief physician executive at Baptist Health. “We are entering a new era in robotic medicine, performing more and more complex cases with the assistance of robotic technology. Dr. Diaz has the expertise to ensure that our program maintains its excellent patient outcomes while encouraging innovation.”
The Center for Robotic Surgery at Baptist Health is designated as a Center of Excellence for Robotic Surgery (COERS) by the Clinical Robotic Surgery Association (CRSA) and a Center of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Gynecology (COEMIG) by the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopists (AAGL). The center specializes in general, bariatric, oncologic, colorectal, gynecologic, thoracic and urologic surgery, as well as ear, nose and throat surgery.
“Dr. Diaz is a world-renowned leader who is passionate about his patients and his research,” said Michael J. Zinner, MD, CEO and executive medical director of Miami Cancer Institute. “We are excited that he will continue to use his outstanding leadership skills to lead and advance our gynecologic oncology program and clinical trials.”
Dr. Diaz helped pioneer fertility-sparing surgery for cervical cancer and sentinel lymph node mapping for gynecologic malignancies ― both of which are now standards of care.
“Surgical innovation is fundamental to improving patient care,” Dr. Diaz said. “I’m enthusiastic about my new roles because as we explore new technology, devices and techniques, the people of South Florida and beyond benefit from our latest breakthroughs.”
Born and raised in Miami, Dr. Diaz earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Miami. He completed his obstetrics/gynecology residency at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital and his gynecologic oncology fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York, where he received the Department of Surgery Chairman’s Award. He then returned to Miami and served as an attending physician at the University of Miami’s Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.
He currently serves as an associate professor for the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Florida International University. His research interests include novel surgical techniques for ovarian cancer and innovative cancer therapies, including hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy and immunotherapy. In 2019, Dr. Diaz was awarded a $1.8 million grant to investigate immunotherapy and PARP inhibitors for cervical cancer treatment.
Dr. Diaz’s research has been published in numerous peer-reviewed medical journals, such as Oncology, Gynecologic Oncology, the Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology, the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Gynecologic Oncology Reports. He also is a reviewer for Gynecologic Oncology, BioMed Cancer, International Journal of Gynecologic Oncology and the Annals of Surgical Oncology.
He has been an invited speaker and presented his research nationally and internationally at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology, American Society of Clinical Oncology, International Gynecologic Cancer Society and many others.
Baptist Health South Florida is the largest healthcare organization in the region, with 11 hospitals, more than 23,000 employees, 4,000 physicians and 100 outpatient centers, urgent care facilities and physician practices spanning across Miami-Dade, Monroe, Broward and Palm Beach counties.
