Rohan Walvekar MD to serve as Vice Chair for Head and Neck Oncology Services
>
We are very pleased to announce the appointment of Rohan Walvekar, MD to serve as Vice Chair for Head and Neck Oncology Services in the LSU Department of Otolaryngology.
Ever since Dr. Walvekar joined the department in 2008, he has played a major role in the successes of our head and neck oncology program. LSU Otolaryngology's influence over head and neck cancer treatment in Louisiana has always been quite strong, and in recent years we have expanded the scope and size of our oncology faculty and clinical care programs quite substantially. In fact, we now manage approximately 75% of all head and neck cancers in the state of Louisiana, and we see cancer patients from all over the Southern U.S., and well beyond.
Dr. Walvekar has made major contributions in each of the following areas of cancer care: community cancer screenings, early diagnosis, innovative surgical treatment, robotics, multidisciplinary cancer management, research, and advancement of technology. He is a full Professor in the LSU Otolaryngology Department, and he holds the distinguished title of Eminent Scholar of the Mervin L. Trail MD Endowed Chair in Head and Neck Oncology. Dr. Walvekar has also been instrumental in fostering strong collaborative relationships with all our clinical and institutional partners.
When asked to take on this new role, Dr. Walvekar responded enthusiastically: “I hope to bring the same dedication and passion I have exhibited to bring forth many innovations and unique programs to the ENT department to this role as Vice Chair of Head Neck Oncology Services. My goals are to help our younger faculty fulfill their professional and academic goals, to serve as a resource to facilitate current and new clinical and research initiatives, to help residents excel in their understanding of head and neck oncology, and to grow our head neck surgery presence nationally and internationally through development of a fellowship program, innovation, academic productivity, and multi-institutional collaboration. My goal also is to streamline our head neck cancer care delivery system state-wide, pooling resources across our department's multiple clinical sites, to give the best possible cancer care to every patient.”
As Vice Chair for Head and Neck Oncology Services, Dr. Walvekar's activities will include the following:
- Oversight of head & neck oncology clinical and educational programs
- Coordination of Head and Neck Tumor Boards
- Multidisciplinary cancer conferences
- Cancer screening and prevention programs
- Head and Neck Cancer patient advocacy programs
- Head and Neck Oncology education, including plans for a Fellowship program
- Information technology- and innovation-based cancer services
- Interaction with the Department Head, other Vice Chairs, and Faculty physicians, to coordinate departmental initiatives