Dr. Jonathan Zager Named Moffitt’s Physician of the Year
Moffitt Cancer Center’s annual Faculty Appreciation and Recognition Ceremony celebrates the exceptional accomplishments of hundreds of faculty members. It’s an opportunity to highlight those who persistently push boundaries and pioneer advancements in cancer treatment.
The top honor, the Charles C. Williams Jr. Physician of the Year award, is given to a member of the medical staff who truly embodies the finest qualities of a physician. The recipient of the award demonstrates a commitment to quality care and extraordinary clinical skills and expertise.
Faculty, team members, patients, trainees and students can submit nominations, and the previous physician of the year winners form the committee that discusses the candidates and makes the final selection.
This year’s recipient is Dr. Jonathan Zager, chief academic officer, surgical oncologist, and senior member in the departments of Cutaneous Oncology and Sarcoma. He has been a physician at Moffitt for 18 years. His research and clinical focus include the regional therapy treatment of cutaneous melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers and soft tissue sarcomas.
His peers selected him as Physician of the Year due to his unwavering dedication to enhancing patient care for rare malignancies, as well as his relentless focus on studying melanoma and sarcoma.
“To be recognized as the Physician of the Year means my team and I are recognized for the care we deliver to our patients, the way we work as a team and the way we help each other,” Zager said.
His commitment lies in the compassionate care he delivers to patients and their families, always being available to them and devoting every amount of effort to their well-being.
Zager emphasizes that the most crucial insight he’s gained from his patients is the value of humility, which involves supporting them through their moments of sadness and fear, ultimately just being present for them.
During his time at Moffitt, Zager has had a robust career. He brought regional therapy with isolated limb infusion for melanoma and sarcoma to the cancer center. He has worked on clinical trials that have led to FDA approval and is internationally known as an expert in his field.
He has received numerous awards including Best Doctors of America, America’s Top Oncologist, Top Doctors in Tampa Bay and Patients Choice Physician Awards.
Over his 18-year career at the cancer center, Zager reflects, saying he has achieved everything he could have wished for and has enjoyed a fulfilling career thus far.
The secret to his success? Hard work, teamwork, perseverance and dedication.
