Richard M. Gewanter, MD -- Chief, Commack/Rockville Center Radiation Oncology

Richard M. Gewanter, MD

Radiation Oncologist

My Role at MSK

Areas of Expertise

My Specialties

  • Prostate Cancer
  • Breast Cancer
  • Lung Cancer

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About Me

What I Do at MSK
  • Associate Attending Radiation Oncologist
Get To Know Me

I am a radiation oncologist who sees patients at Memorial Sloan Kettering Nassau, on Long Island. I also see patients at Memorial Hospital in Manhattan.

I treat a wide variety of cancer types, including prostate cancer, bladder cancer, lung cancer, and breast cancer. I have been practicing for 14 years.

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I was drawn to a career in radiation oncology while I was in medical school. I was impressed by how radiation oncologists combined biology, technology, and imaging to deliver targeted treatment for people with cancer. At the same time, I felt a calling to this field because of the opportunity to counsel and guide people through one of the most difficult periods in their lives.

As the field of radiation oncology has advanced, I have found it truly gratifying to be able to deliver more effective treatments with fewer side effects. These advances — such as stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic body radiation —allow us to greatly reduce treatment times. Patients used to spend eight to nine weeks on a typical radiation course, but with the latest technologies, they can now often complete their treatments in three to five days.

People who come for their first radiation appointment are often fearful, as there can be many unknowns: How will treatment affect quality of life? How will it affect loved ones? They also want to feel confident that they are making the right treatment choices but often feel overwhelmed by the information available on the internet, or from well-meaning friends.

I try to help my patients understand all options. If we as a patient-clinician team decide radiation is the best option, I explain how we will achieve their treatment goals. I make it a priority to develop a bond of trust from the beginning so that my patients can feel confident and reassured.

In addition to my clinical work, I am a member of the prostate cancer research team in MSK’s Department of Radiation Oncology. I have also served as an expert panel member on the American College of Radiology’s Appropriateness Criteria Committee for Lung Cancer. 

My Role at MSK

A radiation oncologist is a cancer doctor with special training in using radiation therapy (RT) to treat cancer with radiation.

Areas of Expertise

My Specialties

  • Prostate Cancer
  • Breast Cancer
  • Lung Cancer
  • Bladder Cancer
  • Head & Neck Cancers
  • Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy
  • High-Dose-Rate Brachytherapy
Education & Honors

Education

  • MD, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Residencies

  • Radiation Oncology - New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center

Awards and Honors

  • Castle Connolly: America’s Top Doctor (2024)
  • Top Doctors New York Metro Area, Castle Connolly (2023)
  • Castle Connolly: America's Top Doctors (2023)
  • Castle Connolly Newsday Top Doctors on Long Island (2010-2016)
  • UJA-Federation of New York, Long Island South Shore Healthcare Professionals honoree (2016)

Board Certifications

  • Radiation Oncology

Insurance Information

Understanding your insurance options is an important part of managing your cancer care. We have relationships with many common healthcare providers and plans.

Aetna

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS, Transplant

Aetna Medicare Advantage (MTA retirees only)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal Employee Program

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO

Blue Cross Blue Shield New York

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

Blue Cross Blue Shield states outside of NY/NJ

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS

Blue Cross Health Plus

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Carrum Health

In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental

Cigna

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

MSK has a tentative agreement with Cigna to continue coverage in 2024.

Connecticare

In Network Coverage Type
POS, EPO, HMO

Emblem

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Emblem to learn more.

Emblem Essential

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Emblem Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

Empire Blue Cross Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO, DSN

Empire Essential

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

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

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Fidelis

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Fidelis to learn more.

Fidelis Managed Medicaid & HARP

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Fidelis Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

First Health

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Healthfirst

In Network Coverage Type
EPO, HMO, PPO, POS

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Healthfirst to learn more.

Healthfirst Managed Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Healthfirst Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO

Healthsmart

In Network Coverage Type
PPO EPO

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (HMO)

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (PPO)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

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

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

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

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

Horizon Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

Husky CT Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Magnacare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO

Straight NJ Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Straight NY Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Medicare Part A&B (traditional Medicare)

In Network Coverage Type
Federal Government

Multiplan/Beech Street/PHCS

In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental

MVP

In Network Coverage Type
PPO/OAP

Non-Participating Plans with Out of Network Benefits

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

NYC Medicare Advantage Plus for City Employees

In Network Coverage Type
TBD

Oscar

In Network Coverage Type
HMO/EPO

Oxford

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, EPO

World Trade Center Health Program (WTC)

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Qualcare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Tricare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

UMR

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS

United Healthcare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Don't see your carrier or plan? We can help you understand your coverage.

If you don't have health insurance or are worried that your care may not be fully covered, our financial assistance programs may be able to help.

If you have questions about insurance, call us at 646-497-9176.

Make an Appointment

Current Patients

Request an appointment by logging on to MyMSK or calling your doctor’s office. If you aren’t registered for MyMSK, call 646-227-2593 for your Enrollment ID.

Contact and Location

Dr. Gewanter sees patients at one location.

Office Phone
Location
Uniondale, NY
1101 Hempstead Turnpike Uniondale NY 11553

Looking to see a doctor at a different location? See all MSK locations.

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 External Beam Radiotherapy Service, Regional Care Network doctors

See all Brachytherapy Service doctors

See all Radiation Oncology doctors

Clinical Trials

Smiling doctors in the lab
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

Publications on PubMed

Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Gewanter’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.

Richard M. Gewanter discloses the following relationships and financial interests:

  • Pfizer, Inc.
    Equity

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, 2022 through disclosure submission in spring 2023). 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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