As Sarasota Memorial Health Care System prepares to open its new oncology tower next month – the second phase of the expanding Brian D. Jellison Cancer Institute – the health system has appointed a leading GI oncologist to serve as its Chief of Surgical Oncology. Kenneth Meredith, MD, a world leader in robotic surgery and the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers, was promoted to the Jellison Cancer Institute executive team Oct. 1. In this new, critical role, Dr. Meredith will lead Sarasota Memorial’s team of oncology surgeons and help provide strategic direction as the health system moves forward with future phases of the Jellison Cancer Institute.

Board certified in surgery and fellowship trained in surgical oncology at the Moffitt Cancer Center, Dr. Meredith was recruited by SMH to expand its robotic surgery capabilities and develop a specialty program for people with gastrointestinal malignancies including: pancreatic, esophageal, colorectal, gastric, liver and other hepatobiliary cancers and conditions. “Dr. Meredith is a superb surgeon and researcher who has helped us build a nationally recognized GI surgical oncology program,” said Richard Brown, MD, medical director of the Jellison Cancer Institute. “As chief of surgical oncology, he will work closely with all of our surgical subspecialists to bring the latest treatments and technologies to our community and ensure the best patient outcomes through collaborative, multi-disciplinary cancer care.” 

In his expanded role, Dr. Meredith will oversee the Cancer Institute’s surgical oncology team, which includes subspecialty care for breast, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, thoracic, ENT, endocrine, gynecologic and neurologic cancers. While maintaining his surgical oncology practice with Sarasota Memorial’s First Physicians Group, Dr. Meredith also continues to serve as medical director of Gastrointestinal Surgical Oncology at Sarasota Memorial and professor of clinical medicine at the Florida State University College of Medicine.