Mount Sinai South Nassau Is Designated Pancreatic Cancer Center of Excellence
One of only 60 U.S. hospitals with the designation
Posted: Mar. 9, 2026
Mount Sinai South Nassau has been named a National Pancreas Foundation Pancreatic Cancer Center of Excellence after a rigorous audit and review conducted by the Foundation. It is one of just 13 hospitals or health systems in New York State and 60 in the United States to hold the designation.
The designation certifies that the hospital uses a multidisciplinary approach in the treatment of pancreatic cancer—treating the “whole patient” with a focus on the best possible outcomes and an improved quality of life.
The foundation’s auditing and review process is based on criteria developed by a task force of pancreatic disease clinicians and patient advocates. The criteria include required expert physician specialties, such as gastroenterologists, pancreatic surgeons, and interventional radiologists, along with other patient-focused programs, such as a pain management service, psychosocial support, and more.
“This designation results from our singular focus on advancing health care for the communities we serve,” said Adhi Sharma, MD, President, Mount Sinai South Nassau. “I am proud of our teamwork and collaboration that is centered on providing our patients with standard-setting medical care.”
Under the leadership of Ganesh Gunasekaran, MD, Chief of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery Services, Mount Sinai South Nassau's Liver, Bile Duct and Pancreas Surgery Program provides patient-specific treatment plans for pancreatic cancer, complex benign tumors, malignant cancers, and other disorders of the liver, gallbladder, bile duct, and pancreas.
The program’s experienced, board certified, and fellowship-trained hepatobiliary (HPB) surgeons use the latest technology and minimally invasive techniques. They work in conjunction with other specialists, such as advanced gastroenterologists, to provide patients with a multidisciplinary approach to care.
For advanced cases requiring major surgical procedures, the team, which includes surgeons with transplant experience and surgical oncologists, applies its expertise to perform complex surgery and reconstruction. This collaborative approach enables the surgical team to remove cancers involving major blood vessels, often deemed inoperable at other institutions.
“Center of Excellence designation reflects our commitment to working across specialties to identify the optimal treatment for each patient with pancreatic cancer or other hepatobiliary diseases,” said Dr. Gunasekaran, who has performed more than 1,000 hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgeries during his distinguished career. “We are truly committed to creating an environment of excellence in patient care and innovation at Mount Sinai South Nassau.”
Founded in 1997, the National Pancreas Foundation is the only organization dedicated to supporting patients affected by all forms of pancreatic disease. The Foundation provides hope for those with pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer through funding cutting-edge research, advocating for new and better therapies, and providing support and education for patients, caregivers, and health care professionals. For more information, visit: www.pancreasfoundation.org.
About Mount Sinai South Nassau
The Long Island flagship hospital of the Mount Sinai Health System, Mount Sinai South Nassau is designated a Magnet® hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for outstanding nursing care. Mount Sinai South Nassau is one of the region’s largest hospitals, with 455 beds, more than 900 physicians and 3,500 employees. Located in Oceanside, New York, the hospital is an acute-care, not-for-profit teaching hospital that provides state-of-the-art care in cardiac, oncologic, orthopedic, bariatric, pain management, mental health, and emergency services and operates the only Trauma Center on the South Shore of Nassau County, along with Long Island’s only free-standing Emergency Department in Long Beach.
In addition to its extensive outpatient specialty centers, Mount Sinai South Nassau provides emergency and elective angioplasty, and offers Novalis Tx™ and Gamma Knife® radiosurgery technologies. Mount Sinai South Nassau operates the only Trauma Center on the South Shore of Nassau County verified by the American College of Surgeons as well as Long Island’s only free-standing, 9-1-1 receiving Emergency Department in Long Beach. Mount Sinai South Nassau also is a designated Stroke Center by the New York State Department of Health and Comprehensive Community Cancer Center by the American College of Surgeons; is an accredited center of the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Association and Quality Improvement Program; and an Infectious Diseases Society of America Antimicrobial Stewardship Center of Excellence.
For more information, go to www.mountsinai.org/southnassau.