Dr. Rajiv Datta Named a “Top Doctor” in Colon and Rectal Surgery

April 30, 2010 - PRLog -- Prominent surgical oncologist Rajiv Datta, MD, has been selected for inclusion in the 13th edition of Top Doctors: New York Metro Area.  This is the third consecutive year that Dr. Datta will be included in the acclaimed guide from Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., which spotlights the top 10 percent of primary care and specialty care physicians in the tri-state New York area.

“I am honored to be selected by my peers to be listed among the very best doctors in the area.  My successes and the quality of the care my patients receive is a direct result of the team of oncologists, nurses, technicians, and administrators that I work and collaborate with on a daily basis here at South Nassau,” said Dr. Datta, chair of the department of surgery and medical director of the Cancer Center at South Nassau Communities Hospital.

Under Dr. Datta’s leadership, South Nassau’s cancer program was recently named a recipient of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Commission on Cancer (CoC) Outstanding Achievement Award.  South Nassau is one of just five hospitals in New York from among 83 in the United States to receive the prestigious award this year.

Dr. Datta is listed in the “Colon and Rectal Surgery” section of the Castle Connolly guide.  Doctors listed in its “top doctors” series of guides are selected after peer nomination, extensive research and careful review and screening.  The Castle Connolly physician-led research team reviews the medical education, training, hospital appointments, disciplinary history and more of each nominee.  Doctors do not pay to be included in a Castle Connolly guide or list.

Dr. Datta’s areas of expertise include cancer of the colon/rectum, endocrine system, breast and head and neck; soft tissue sarcoma and melanoma; upper gastrointestinal and colorectal procedures; tracheal and esophageal surgeries and radio frequency ablation for liver tumors.  Dr. Datta also is actively involved in numerous clinical trials that are both federally and privately funded.  

Dr. Datta was the president of the Nassau County Surgical Society in 2009.  He joined South Nassau in 2001 and is recognized as one of the leading head and neck surgeons in the U.S.  He was awarded the 2006 Cancer Liaison Physician Outstanding Performance Award from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer.  In 2005, he was awarded a fellowship in the International College of Surgeons and served as South Nassau’s Cancer Liaison Physician to the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer.  Prior to joining South Nassau, Dr. Datta was director of surgical oncology at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn.

A graduate of Grant Medical College in Bombay, India, he has trained at some of the most prestigious surgical oncology and head and neck surgery programs in the world, including Tata Memorial Hospital, the largest cancer center in Asia; and England’s Royal College of Surgeons, where he achieved fellowship.  Following his stay at the Royal College of Surgeons, Dr. Datta continued his training with a research fellowship at Memorial-Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.  This was followed by a rare opportunity for a dual fellowship in head and neck oncology and surgical oncology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, NY.   Dr. Datta is a resident of Muttontown, NY.

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South Nassau Communities Hospital is one of the region’s largest hospitals, with 435 beds, more than 875 physicians and 2,600 employees. Located in Oceanside, NY, 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. In addition to its extensive outpatient specialty centers, South Nassau boasts Long Island’s first and only Gamma Knifeâ and provides emergency and elective angioplasty. South Nassau is a designated Stroke Center by the New York State Department of Health and Comprehensive Community Cancer Center by the American College of Surgeons and is recognized as a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. For more information, visit www.southnassau.org.