Craig D. Blinderman Named Chief of Supportive Care Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Craig D. Blinderman, MD, has been appointed Chief of the Supportive Care Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). Dr. Blinderman is a national leader in supportive care who comes to MSK from Columbia University Medical Center/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, where he previously served as Director of the Adult Palliative Medicine Service and Associate Professor of Medicine in the Department of Medicine. Prior to Dr. Blinderman’s arrival, Corita R. Grudzen, MD, MSHS, served as the Acting Chief of the Supportive Care Service since January.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Blinderman to MSK. His clinical and academic expertise is matched by his compassionate, patient-centered approach to patient care,” said Deb Schrag, MD, MPH, Chair of the Department of Medicine. “He will partner with our faculty, advanced practitioners, nurses, our clinical support staff, and our trainees to advance palliative care not only at MSK, but in the field of supportive oncology at large. He is recognized for his compassionate care — that extends to both patients and his colleagues.”

“The Division of Supportive and Acute Care Services is strengthened by the addition of Dr. Blinderman, an esteemed thought leader, educator and clinician whose contributions to the MSK community will further enrich the patient care experience,” said Dr. Grudzen, Head of the Division of Supportive and Acute Care Services in the Department of Medicine. “He will be an integral part of our efforts to improve the cancer care journey for patients and their loved ones, together, as one MSK.” 

Over the course of his storied career, Dr. Blinderman has published numerous articles, reviews, and chapters on topics related to supportive care in the oncology space. These include early supportive care in patients with lung cancer, cancer pain management, medical ethics, and existential distress, among others. He is widely recognized for his ability to build teams and foster the resilience necessary to care for the sickest patients. 

“I have dedicated my career to the pursuit of care approaches that help people with cancer live as well as they can for as long as they can. MSK is a world-class institution with robust clinical and research capacities that I am proud to join. At MSK, I look forward to continuing my life’s work of understanding how we can further enhance cancer patients’ quality of life and best integrate supportive care services earlier to improve patient outcomes,” said Dr. Blinderman. 

Prior to earning his MD from Ben Gurion University in Beer Sheva, Israel, Dr. Blinderman received a master’s degree in philosophy from Columbia University. His background in philosophy complements his approach to patient care, which is informed by a recognition and appreciation of the interconnected web of care relationships that we exist in. Following the completion of his MD, Dr. Blinderman trained as a family medicine resident and a hospice and palliative medicine fellow at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. He then went on to complete a fellowship in medical ethics at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts.