Jonathan A. Forsberg

Jonathan A. Forsberg, MD, PhD

Orthopaedic Surgeon

Titles

Attending Surgeon

Clinical Expertise

Bone and Soft Tissue Sarcomas; Pediatric Sarcomas; Metastatic Bone Disease; Benign Bone Tumors; Prosthetic Reconstruction; Osseointegration

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

Dr. Forsberg 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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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

PhD, Karolinska Institute, Sweden; MD, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine

Residencies

Orthopaedic Surgery, National Naval Medical Center

Fellowships

Orthopaedic Oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Board Certifications

Orthopaedic Surgery

I am an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in the care of children and adults with rare bone and soft tissue cancers called sarcomas. These include soft tissue sarcoma, osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, and chondrosarcoma.

My special interests include improving quality of life for patients with metastatic bone disease and restoring function to those who receive major limb amputations. Beyond sarcomas, I also treat noncancerous tumors of the bones and soft tissue. Each year, I perform approximately 200 surgical procedures for patients with cancerous and non-cancerous conditions that require surgery.

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I love what I do. The best part of my job involves solving problems with patients together. In cancer surgery, each patient’s tumor is different; this creates the need for thoughtful, creative, and personalized solutions, such as custom surgeries or implants. If a custom implant is the right choice for a patient, we will design one to accommodate their unique needs. During consultations and visits, patients will find me to be attentive, calm, and informative. I take time to educate patients on the different treatment options available to them, and I never let a question go unanswered.

I grew up in the mountains of Montana, a son of a veterinarian who lived a humble life of service, dedication, and compassion. My father bestowed these qualities, along with a healthy work ethic, upon my siblings and me quite early in life. We learned to care for animals, as well as those less fortunate than ourselves. By teaching us to do so, my father instilled within us a sense of duty and commitment — something that I carry with me to this day. 

To that end, service is important to me. I spent 32 years on active duty and was inspired to do so by my father and sister, who were Naval and Air Force officers, respectively. To fulfill my desire to serve, I decided to delay college and enlisted in the Marine Corps. There, I served as an infantryman until I matriculated to the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. The Academy trains leaders in a variety of specialties, but it was my interest in becoming a surgeon that led me down a path that is not common in military service. Rather than fly, lead Marines, or go to sea, I entered medical school. I’ve been a student of engineering for as long as I can remember. I learned to improvise, adapt, and overcome as a U.S. Marine and then studied chemistry and engineering at the Naval Academy. When I went on to medical training, I became fascinated with the biomechanics that govern how human body moves. Orthopaedic surgery was the natural choice for me. 

We were at war for my entire residency. The joint replacements and the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions that we expected to perform were replaced by blast wounds. As extremity specialists, we focused on cleaning wounds, saving the limbs that we could, and amputating those that we could not save. We helped advance the field of limb-sparing surgery and redefined amputation as a reconstructive procedure that would allow our young, previously healthy patients to return to active lifestyles. During this time, I began to ask relevant research questions and write grants. It became clear to me that I would pursue a life as a surgeon-scientist. On an “away rotation” in residency, I met an orthopaedic oncologist and assisted him in surgery. I watched as he excised a sarcoma, then reconstructed the shoulder blade and humerus to restore function. I’d never seen anything like it in all of my training. As I look back on this experience, it is humbling that such a chance encounter —one that exposed me to new ideas and surgical possibilities— became an opportunity and later, a passion that would translate to a rewarding career. 

After I completed my residency in orthopaedic surgery, I went to war as part of a small surgical team. We did our best to save lives and limbs, even as we struggled to understand the physiology behind the terrible wounds that we saw. After I returned home, I began my fellowship training in orthopaedic oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). Here, I drew on my father’s lessons in compassion, dedication, and duty. I found these qualities to be instrumental to the care of patients with cancer. Later, to support my goal of becoming a surgeon-scientist, I earned a PhD in Applied Bioinformatics from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden.

Like the Naval Academy, MSK trains leaders. I have led several teams of researchers throughout my career, conducted multicenter clinical trials with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and directed the Department of Defense’s Osseointegration Program. With colleagues in Sweden, I continue to co-direct the International Bone Metastasis Registry and its team of international collaborators.

As a professor of orthopaedic surgery, one of the most rewarding aspects of my job is teaching the next generation of surgeon-scientists. Together, we have helped answer some very important research questions, develop new analytical methods and surgical techniques, and designed and patented unique implants. Our efforts have helped standardize the approach to patients with metastatic bone disease and provide creative surgical solutions to those who had lost hope.

When I’m not in the hospital, I enjoy reading, cooking, and playing golf or tennis if time allows. I sailed competitively in college and enjoy the occasional sailboat race with my friends and family.

Awards and Honors

  • Ellis Island Medal of Honor, The Ellis Island Honors Society, 2017

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.

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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.

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Research and Publications

Publications on PubMed

Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Forsberg’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