An NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst (N.Y). team recently performed the system’s first stereotactic radiosurgery treatment using Varian’s TrueBeam linear accelerator.
The hospital’s linear accelerator was funded by former Queens borough president Sharon Lee, according to a July 21 news release from the health system.
Stereotactic radiosurgery combines precision radiation and advanced imaging to minimize damage to surrounding healthy tissue, allowing patients to return home on the same day of treatment, the release said.
Sewitt Teckie, MD, system chief of radiation oncology at NYC Health + Hospitals, shared more with Becker’s about what it took to bring advancing radiation technology to a public healthcare system.
Editor’s note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: Introducing stereotactic radiosurgery at a public hospital is a major milestone. What did it take to bring this level of precision oncology into a safety-net setting?
Dr. Sewitt Teckie: It took a team of forward-thinking stakeholders to make precision radiotherapy a reality in our Queens community.
First, several years ago, the Elmhurst hospital leadership recognized the need for modernization of the radiation equipment. They then worked with elected officials to obtain capital funding for the new technology.
Next, we clinical leaders made the vision of stereotactic radiosurgery a reality by planning ahead. We had to consider not just hardware needs, but also software, staffing and staff training. Our radiation oncology team members were eager to be trained on this new technology and to offer it to patients. We brought in an expert trainer to spend a few days with the technical staff and made sure our clinicians were up-to-date with the latest techniques. This culminated in our first patient treated in early June 2025.
We are now super confident in our ability to deliver precision radiation like stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic body radiation therapy to our patients. The entire team is incredibly committed to this patient population and to cancer care equity.
Q: What message would you share with other public or mission-driven hospitals that may see precision radiation as out of reach?
ST: I would strongly encourage other public or safety-net hospitals to partner with their hospital executive leadership, elected officials and community leaders to bring precision radiation to their community. A thorough business planning process also helps to make a strong case for the program. When everyone understands both the clinical and community need, they are more likely to put resources behind the initiative to make it a success.
Q: What clinical outcomes or metrics are you most focused on tracking?
ST: Safe, effective radiation therapy is our first priority. We are tracking a number of metrics, including number of patients referred for stereotactic radiation from the community and beyond, time from referrals to treatment, and types of diagnoses treated with SRS/SBRT.
Furthermore, we are reviewing our processes to continuously improve timeliness and efficiency for our patients. We have come a long way and have a lot to be proud of, and we believe in ongoing improvement every day.
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