Lucille Nichols Lee, MD

Jay T. Bishoff, MD, is director of urology for Northwell Health's central region, overseeing urology sites in Nassau County and parts of eastern Queens. He's also professor of urology at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell.Dr. Bishoff has more than 30 years of urology experience in surgery, research and education. He has participated in or organized over 100 surgical training programs, edited 6 surgical textbooks, authored 30 book chapters and published more than 140 peer-reviewed articles.In 2006, while on active duty in the United States Air Force, he served a tour during Operation Iraqi Freedom in Balad, Iraq.His interest in medicine began when he suffered a hand injury in a junior high school shop class. "That was my first foray into what surgery involved," he recalls. "I was enthralled by the hand surgeon, but it was more than his skill. He was so reassuring that it instilled confidence. What started as a traumatic event changed the trajectory of my life."He completed a fellowship in minimally invasive urologic surgery at Johns Hopkins University Hospital following his urology residency in San Antonio, Texas at Brooke Army and Wilford Hall Medical Centers. He attended Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences on an Air Force Scholarship.He chose urology because of the variety of disease processes and the extensive surgical knowledge required to be able to perform robotic, endoscopic, laparoscopic, microscopic and open urologic procedures."I treat patients with evidence-based information delivered using the least invasive means possible. Having a greater breadth of surgical options means we can tailor the procedure to the patient," he says. "That's part of a larger goal of treating each patient as an individual. One of the great things about Northwell is the patient-centric, multi-disciplinary approach. We support one another with the view of doing what's best for each patient."Dr. Bishoff joined Northwell in 2021 after his tenure as chief of urology at Intermountain Healthcare. He was drawn by Northwell's emphasis on research and innovation, including the establishment of the Northwell Health Cancer Center. "Some of my past research has been on quality improvement, and I appreciate being able to bring that here, to deliver a measured experience to our surgeons improving patient outcomes."

Matthew J. Weiss, MD, FACS, is deputy physician-in-chief and director of the surgical oncology program at Northwell Cancer Institute. He's a board-certified surgeon specializing in pancreas and liver diseases.With a relentless work ethic and strong desire to help people, Dr. Weiss always knew he wanted to be a doctor. "I picked a field that allows me to tackle difficult problems and truly make an impact," he says.Dr. Weiss completed his residency in general surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital and was dual fellowship trained in surgical oncology and hepatobiliary surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He was previously chief of hepatobiliary surgery at Johns Hopkins, where he was also director of the Pancreas and Liver Multidisciplinary Clinics and the complex general surgical oncology fellowship. He also performed the first robotic Whipple at Johns Hopkins University. Joining Northwell in 2019, Dr. Weiss created a multidisciplinary team of surgeons, medical and radiation oncologists, geneticists, and other specialists who collaborate to create unique treatment plans for patients across the health system. "Every cancer is different, and every patient is different," he says. "Communication among multiple providers is the best way to ensure you're treating the entire person, properly," he says. Dr. Weiss's team also works with scientists from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research to develop and run groundbreaking clinical trials. An international leader in both liver and pancreas surgery, Dr. Weiss has authored over 250 peer-reviewed publications in the field, and he's currently a professor of surgery and oncology at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. "Understanding both the science of the disease and the technological aspect of surgery is so important," he says. Dr. Weiss focuses on using cancer genetics to help find the right surgical approach for patients. When possible, he operates robotically using small incisions for faster healing, so patients don't have to wait as long to receive additional therapies that can improve outcomes. With recent advancements in the field, Dr. Weiss has been able to successfully perform high-risk surgeries that were turned down by other institutions. "Being a surgeon is a tremendous responsibility, and I don't take it lightly," he says. "I truly and deeply care about my patients and their families-I get to know them as people and am there throughout their entire journey. That's what I'm most proud of as a doctor."

Zeph Okeke, MD is a board certified urologic surgeon specializing in endourology, minimally invasive surgery and laparoscopy. He is known for developing and being the principal investigator of the novel S.T.O.N.E. classification system for kidney stones.His expertise is in using minimally invasive techniques for the management of complex kidney and ureteral stone disease, and urothelial cancers (transitional cell carcinoma) of the kidney and ureter. He also has special interest and expertise in Holmium and Thulium laser enucleation (HOLEP and ThuLEP) for enlarged prostates (BPH).In addition to treating patients and conducting research, Dr. Okeke serves as co-director of the Smith Institute for Urology endourology and laparoscopy fellowship training programs. He lectures at the American Urological Association s annual meetings and is frequently invited to speak before the World Congress of Endourology. A mentor and teacher, Dr. Okeke also serves as a surgeon and lecturer for live surgical demonstration courses at various international meetings.Dr. Okeke earned his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College in New York City. He completed his Urology residency and served as Chief Resident in the Department of Urology at the New York Presbyterian Hospital-Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons. Dr. Okeke's research interest includes surgical outcomes of kidney stone patients, grading and characterizing complex kidney stones to guide surgery and counseling with respect to outcomes. He has published in leading journals and textbooks including the Smith's Textbook of Endourology, Journal of Urology, Urology and Cancer. He is the recipient of the Teacher of the Year Award at the North Shore LIJ Health System. Dr. Okeke also received the prestigious Arnold P. Gold Foundation Teaching Award for Humanism and Excellence in Teaching. Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons awarded its first Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. Okeke for medical student teaching during his residency.