MSK surgeon and Orthopedic Service Chief John Healey

John H. Healey, MD, FACS

Surgeon

Titles

Stephen McDermott Chair in Surgery

Clinical Expertise

Bone and Soft Tissue Sarcoma; Benign Bone Tumors; Prosthetic Reconstruction; Metabolic Bone Disease; Pediatric Sarcomas

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Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., (Eastern time)
Accepted Insurance Providers

Dr. Healey accepts the following list of insurance providers. Select your insurance provider to see more details.

Aetna

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO, EPO PPO, POS, Transplant

Aetna Medicare Advantage (City of NY retirees only, starting 9/1/23)

Payor Type: Medicare/Medicare Advantage
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO

Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal Employee Program

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO, PPO

Blue Cross Blue Shield New York

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

Blue Cross Blue Shield states outside of NY/NJ

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO, EPO PPO, POS

Blue Cross Health Plus

Payor Type: Medicaid/Managed Medicaid
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO

Carrum Health

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): Supplemental

Cigna

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, POS, HMO

Connecticare

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): POS, EPO, HMO

Emblem

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

Emblem Essential

Payor Type: Medicaid/Managed Medicaid
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO

Emblem Medicare Advantage

Payor Type: Medicare/Medicare Advantage
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, HMO

Empire Blue Cross Medicare Advantage

Payor Type: Medicare/Medicare Advantage
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, HMO, DSN

Empire Essential

Payor Type: Medicaid/Managed Medicaid
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO

Empire Plan / NYSHIP (Blue Cross/UnitedHealthcare split plan)

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO

Fidelis

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO, EPO

Fidelis Managed Medicaid & HARP

Payor Type: Medicaid/Managed Medicaid
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO

Fidelis Medicare Advantage

Payor Type: Medicare/Medicare Advantage
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO

First Health

Payor Type: Medicare/Medicare Advantage
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO

Healthfirst

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): EPO, HMO, PPO, POS

Healthfirst Managed Medicaid

Payor Type: Medicaid/Managed Medicaid
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO

Healthfirst Medicare Advantage

Payor Type: Medicare/Medicare Advantage
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO, PPO

Healthsmart

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO EPO

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (HMO)

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (PPO)

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey Omnia Tier I (EPO)

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): EPO

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey Omnia Tier II (EPO)

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): EPO

Horizon Medicare Advantage

Payor Type: Medicare/Medicare Advantage
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, HMO

Husky CT Medicaid

Payor Type: Medicaid/Managed Medicaid
In Network Coverage Type(s): State Government

Magnacare

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, POS, EPO

Straight NJ Medicaid

Payor Type: Medicaid/Managed Medicaid
In Network Coverage Type(s): State Government

Straight NY Medicaid

Payor Type: Medicaid/Managed Medicaid
In Network Coverage Type(s): State Government

Medicare Part A&B (traditional Medicare)

Payor Type: Medicare/Medicare Advantage
In Network Coverage Type(s): Federal Government

Multiplan/Beech Street/PHCS

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): Supplemental

MVP

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO/OAP

Non-Participating Plans with Out of Network Benefits

Payor Type: Other
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

NYC Medicare Advantage Plus for City Employees

Payor Type: Medicare/Medicare Advantage
In Network Coverage Type(s): TBD

Oscar

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): HMO/EPO

Oxford

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, EPO

World Trade Center Health Program (WTC)

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): State Government

Qualcare

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, POS, HMO

Tricare

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, HMO

UMR

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, POS

United Healthcare

Payor Type: Commercial
In Network Coverage Type(s): PPO, POS, HMO

Contact and Location

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Find a Convenient Location

Memorial Sloan Kettering has locations throughout New York City, Long Island, New Jersey, and Westchester. These locations offer many services, including screening, chemotherapy, and medical testing.

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About Me

Education

MD, University of Vermont College of Medicine

Residencies

General Surgery - Tufts-New England Medical Center; Orthopaedic Surgery - Hospital for Special Surgery

Fellowships

Musculoskeletal Oncology - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; Metabolic Bone Disease - Hospital for Special Surgery

Board Certifications

Orthopaedic Surgery

Please note that this doctor’s office has recently moved. All patient appointments are now taking place at the Rockefeller Outpatient Pavilion at 160 East 53rd Street in Manhattan.

I am an orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in caring for people with sarcomas and noncancerous tumors of the bones and soft tissue. I have particular expertise in removing tumors while preserving limbs. I also have a special interest in treating children who have bone cancers, such as osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma. I have been at MSK since 1984; during this time, I served as Chief of the Orthopaedic Service and perform approximately 260 surgeries each year.

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I was inspired to find my calling to help those with cancers of the musculoskeletal system after losing a dear friend to sarcoma when I was in high school. Today, I’m proud to be part of a team whose missionary zeal is to treat people with these diseases and help them continue to have productive lives.

Limb reconstruction has become an important part of treatment. My expertise includes rebuilding bones and joints with bone transplants and joint replacements. I perform limb-preserving surgeries and customized techniques to restore function using biologic and synthetic materials. Our goal is always to cure a patient’s cancer, but we strive to understand each person’s lifestyle too. We want to help them continue to do the things they love and maintain hope for their future.

My research involves understanding the molecular biology of sarcoma, developing new ways to deliver chemotherapy to tumors, and improving the durability and function of joint replacements. I have invented four joint replacement systems. I have patented several methods to deliver drugs to tumors. I also lead clinical investigations of different surgical reconstructions, 3-D printed implants, and methods to minimize surgical complications. My laboratory research explores ways to use the immune system and tumor environment to kill cancer.

I am a professor of orthopaedic surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College. Nationally, I have served as chair of the Children’s Oncology Group Orthopaedics Section, president of the International Society of Limb Salvage, and president of the Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons, as well as on the boards of several musculoskeletal and orthopaedic organizations. I am an advisor to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

Education is also an important part of my job. I served as Vice Chair of Conferences and Education for MSK’s Department of Surgery. I directed the Orthopaedics Fellowship Program at MSK for 20 years and am proud to have trained leading specialists in this field in North and South America, Europe, and Asia. Most importantly, I educate my patients about their disease and how we will creatively and effectively meet their needs. It gives them hope and resolve to confront this rare diagnosis.

My academic career has allowed me to spend time abroad. I was the first American traveling fellow in Japan, and I studied at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm.

I played baseball in college and continue to love and follow the game.

Awards and Honors

  • Castle Connolly: America's Top Doctors (2023)
  • Castle Connolly: New York Magazine Top Doctors (2002–2020)
  • the Sarcoma Foundation of America’s Nobility in Science Award
  • inaugural recipient of the Dominican Health Care Ministry of New York’s Spe Salvi Award

Colleagues

Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering work as teams, with specialists from all different areas. This allows us to consider all your needs together, and to give you the best possible care.

See all Pediatric Surgical Service doctors

See all Orthopaedic Service doctors

Clinical Trials

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Find a Clinical Trial for You

Memorial Sloan Kettering's doctors and scientists are constantly developing new treatments for cancer. MSK is typically running hundreds of clinical trials at a given time.

You may be able to participate in a clinical trial even if you are new to MSK. Search our online directory to find trial information and see more about who can participate.

Search clinical trials

Research and Publications

Books
Diagnosis and Management of Pathologic Fractures. Lane JM, Healey JH, eds. New York, NY: Raven Press; 1993.

Selected Book Chapters
“Bone tumors.” Healey JH. In Sabiston Textbook of Surgery: The Biological Basis of Modern Surgical Practice. 16th ed. Townsend CM Jr, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL, eds. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders; 2001: 519-532.

“Bone and soft tissue tumors around the knee.” Healey JH. In Surgery of the Knee. 3rd ed. Insall JN, Scott WN, eds. New York, NY: Churchill Livingstone; 2001: 1997-2028.

“Sarcomas of bone.” Lin PP, Healey JH. In: Surgical Oncology. Bland KI, Daly JM, Karakousis CP, eds. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 2001: 1015-1053.

“Bone and soft tissue tumors about the knee.” Healey JH, Kennedy JG.  In: The Adult Knee. Callaghan JJ, Rosenberg AG, Rubash HE, Simonian PT, Wickiewicz TL, eds. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2003: 495-520.

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“Soft tissue sarcomas and bone tumors.” Healey JH. In: Sabiston Textbook of Surgery: The Biological Basis of Modern Surgical Practice. 17th ed. Townsend CM Jr, Beauchamp RD, Evers BM, Mattox KL, eds. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders; 2004: 815-832.

“Metastatic cancer to the bone.” Manoso MM, Healey JH. In: Cancer: Principles and Practice of Oncology. 7th ed. DeVita VT Jr, Hellman S, Rosenberg SA, eds. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2005: 2368-2380.

“Bone tumors.” Nathan SS, Healey JH.  In: Pediatric Surgery. 6th ed. Grosfeld JL, O’Neill JA Jr, Fonkalsrud EW, Coran AG, eds. Philadelphia, PA: Mosby; 2006: 649-670.

“Cancer pain management in orthopedic surgery.” Healey JH. In: Encyclopedia of Pain. Schmidt RF, Willis WD, eds. Berlin, Germany: Springer-Verlag; 2007: 359-361.

“The role of orthopaedic surgery in the palliative care of patients with cancer.” Healey JH, Tyler WK. In: Oxford Textbook of Palliative Medicine. 4th ed. Hanks G, Cherny NI, Christakis NA, Fallon M, Kaasa S, Portenoy RK, eds. New York, NY: Oxford University Press; 2009: 558-572.

“Bone tumors.” Nathan SS, Healey JH. In: Pediatric Surgery. 7th ed. Coran AG, Adzick NS, Krummel TM, Laberge JM, Shamberger RC, Caldamone AA, eds. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Saunders; 2012: 577-590.

Publications on PubMed

Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Healey’s journal articles. Pubmed is an online index of research papers and other articles from the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

See all on PubMed

Disclosures

Doctors and faculty members often work with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology, and life sciences companies, and other organizations outside of MSK, to find safe and effective cancer treatments, to improve patient care, and to educate the health care community.

MSK requires doctors and faculty members to report (“disclose”) the relationships and financial interests they have with external entities. As a commitment to transparency with our community, we make that information available to the public.

John H. Healey discloses the following relationships and financial interests:

  • Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research
    Fiduciary Role/Position
  • Daiichi Sankyo
    Provision of Services
  • Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation
    Fiduciary Role/Position
  • Stryker
    Provision of Services
  • SynOx Therapeutics Ltd
    Provision of Services (uncompensated)

If you’re a patient at MSK and would like more information about your doctor’s external relationships, please talk with your doctor.

The information published here is for a specific annual disclosure period. There may be differences between information on this and other public sites as a result of different reporting periods and/or the various ways relationships and financial interests are categorized by organizations that publish such data.


This page and data include information for a specific MSK annual disclosure period (January 1, 2021 through disclosure submission in spring 2022). This data reflects interests that may or may not still exist. This data is updated annually.

Learn more about MSK’s COI policies here. For questions regarding MSK’s COI-related policies and procedures, email MSK’s Compliance Office at [email protected].


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