William F. Pirl, MD, MPH
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Only outpatient providers are included in the survey. Healthcare providers who only work in the hospital or in urgent care are not included in the survey. Pathologists or researchers who do not provide direct care to patients do not have reviews.
Areas of Expertise
Conditions I Treat
- Mood disorders
- Anxiety
- Existential distress
My Specialties
- Psycho-oncology
Get to Know Me
I am a psychiatrist with more than two decades of experience in psycho-oncology, which focuses on the mental and emotional well-being of people affected by cancer. I help people manage their mood, anxiety, and existential distress both during and after their diagnosis and treatment for cancer.
At Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK), I am also Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. In this role, I oversee our psychiatry services and help train the next generation of psychiatrists. My research looks at new ways to better deliver care to support patients and families. My goal is to help increase access to psychiatry and psychological services at MSK for people with cancer and their families.
I treat all types of psychiatric disorders, but my specialty is psychiatric care for people with cancer who are receiving palliative or end-of-life care. This involves focusing on managing symptoms and improving quality of life.
As a psychiatrist, I enjoy building relationships with my patients and getting to know them over time. My approach is to listen closely to my patients and then see how I can best help them with the knowledge and skills I have.
I completed my psychiatry training at the Massachusetts General Hospital followed by a fellowship in psycho-oncology at MSK in 1999. I chose to become a psychiatrist because of the opportunity to have an impact on the patient and their family at a difficult time in their life.
I have published many papers, including some in journals such as the Journal of the American Medical Association, New England Journal of Medicine, and Cancer. I have also served on numerous committees and panels supporting research and academic advancements, including for the National Comprehensive Cancer Network and National Cancer Institute.
I'm a psychiatrist (sy-KY-uh-trist), which is a doctor with special training in mental, emotional, and behavioral health. I can prescribe medicine to help with these issues.
- Chair, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences
Conditions I Treat
- Mood disorders
- Anxiety
- Existential distress
- Depression
- Coping with cancer
My Specialties
- Psycho-oncology
Education
- MD, Harvard Medical School
- MPH, Harvard School of Public Health
Residencies
- Massachusetts General Hospital
Fellowships
- Psycho-oncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Board Certifications
- Psychiatry
- Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry
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.
In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS, Transplant
In Network Coverage Type
PPO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
HMO
This plan is in-network at our New York sites only.
In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO
In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS
In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
POS, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO
Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Emblem to learn more.
In Network Coverage Type
HMO
This plan is in-network at our New York sites only.
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
HMO
This plan is in-network at our New York sites only.
In Network Coverage Type
PPO
This is a dual payer plan, which means 2 health insurance companies share this plan. MSK providers are out-of-network with UnitedHealthcare.
In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO
Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Fidelis to learn more.
In Network Coverage Type
HMO
This plan is in-network at our New York sites only.
In Network Coverage Type
HMO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO
In Network Coverage Type
EPO, HMO, PPO, POS
Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Healthfirst to learn more.
In Network Coverage Type
HMO
This plan is in-network at our New York sites only.
In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO EPO
In Network Coverage Type
HMO
Your plan may not cover visits to our New York sites. Please call the number on the back of your insurance card to see what your health plan covers.
In Network Coverage Type
PPO
Your plan may not cover visits to our New York sites. Please call the number on the back of your insurance card to see what your health plan covers.
In Network Coverage Type
EPO
Your plan may not cover visits to our New York sites. Please call the number on the back of your insurance card to see what your health plan covers.
In Network Coverage Type
EPO
Your plan may not cover visits to our New York sites. Please call the number on the back of your insurance card to see what your health plan covers.
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO
Your plan may not cover visits to our New York sites. Please call the number on the back of your insurance card to see what your health plan covers.
In Network Coverage Type
State Government
This plan is in-network at our New York sites only.
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO
In Network Coverage Type
Federal Government
In Network Coverage Type
HMO (City Employee Health Plans Gold and Gold Care Only)
In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental
In Network Coverage Type
PPO/OAP
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
TBD
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, EPO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
State Government
This plan is in-network at our New York sites only.
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS
In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO
In Network Coverage Type
State Government
Learn more about the insurance plans that participate with MSK.
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.
Health plans can change at any time. Call the number on the back of your insurance card to see what your plan covers. Make sure it covers the MSK location where you’ll get care.
If you have questions about insurance, call us at 646-497-9176.
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.
Clinical Trials
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 trialsResearch and Publications
Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Pirl’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 PubMedPatient Reviews
Your trust is our main concern
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Disclosures
Members of the MSK Community 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. These activities outside of MSK further our mission, provide productive collaborations, and promote the practical application of scientific discoveries.
MSK requires doctors, faculty members, and leaders 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. Not all disclosed interests and relationships present conflicts of interest. MSK reviews all disclosed interests and relationships to assess whether a conflict of interest exists and whether formal COI management is needed.
William F. Pirl discloses the following relationships and financial interests:
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Association of Cancer Care Centers (ACCC)
Professional Services and Activities
-
Juxtapose
Professional Services and Activities
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 a complement to other publicly reported data and 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, 2025 through disclosure submission in spring 2026). 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].