Career cancer fighter to lead Prisma Heath Cancer Institute

Listen to this article

Dr. Julian Kim has been appointed president of the Prisma Health Cancer Institute. He will oversee the health care system’s comprehensive cancer program, which is the largest in the state with 11 cancer clinic sites across South Carolina, according to a Prisma Health news release.

The institute has more than 300 active clinical trials and treats approximately 8,000 cancer patients annually, the news release said.

Kim, a board-certified surgical oncologist, joined Prisma Health in 2018 as the senior medical director of Oncology Services in the Midlands. Most recently he also has served as chair of the department of surgery at Prisma Health Richland Hospital. He has spent his entire career working in National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers. His previous positions include practicing at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, and serving as the inaugural chief medical officer of the University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Hospital, also in Cleveland.

“It is an honor to step into this new role to help build upon the remarkable work of our Cancer Institute team of researchers and clinicians whose dedication to our patients and cancer medicine have led our expansive program to become the largest in the state,” Kim said in the release. “Our priorities are driven by an intense focus on patient-centered care, access to the most advanced treatment options, minimally invasive surgery, and innovation which encompasses clinical trials and research.”

Kim’s leadership coincides with recent grant funding and initiatives which have positioned the Cancer Institute for a new phase of growth including the expansion of research and clinical programs in both the Upstate and the Midlands.

“Dr. Kim brings decades of experience to Prisma Health as a renowned physician, scientist and clinical leader in the cancer community,” Dr. Jonathan Gleason, Prisma Health executive vice president and chief clinical officer, said in the release. “He has been on the forefront of cutting-edge advancement for cancer research and treatment and is well-positioned to lead the growth and strategy of the Prisma Health Cancer Institute. I look forward to working with Dr. Kim as we continue to move the needle in the battle against cancer through increased access to high quality care, innovative research and clinical trials.”

In 2019 an $8.2 million National Institutes of Health grant accelerated the expansion of Institute programs and research into the Midlands with a focus on increasing access to advanced and innovative treatments and clinical trials.

“The future of medicine is to bring care closer to patients. Our goal is to help patients have access to even more advanced treatments while staying closer to home,” Kim said in the release.

Since 1995, the Prisma Health Cancer Institute has received more than $30 million in research grants from the National Cancer Institute. The Institute’s clinical services include surgical oncology and robotic surgery, bone marrow transplant and cellular therapy, gynecologic, medical, and radiation oncology, integrative oncology and survivorship, and pediatric oncology, the release said.

Prisma Health is a private nonprofit health company and the largest health care organization in South Carolina.