Holy Name Press Releases

Holy Name Medical Center's Appoints Raul Parra, MD

As Medical Director of Regional Cancer Center

February 23, 2016

Raul O. Parra, MD, a renowned, board-certified urologic oncologist specializing in cancers of the bladder, kidney and prostate has been appointed Medical Director of the Regional Cancer Center and Director of Urologic Oncology at Holy Name Medical Center.

Dr. Parra is one of the pioneers of minimally invasive surgery for urologic malignancies and performed the first laparoscopic removal for bladder cancer. He comes to the Holy Name Physician Network from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and will work with Holy Name's senior leadership to develop and implement a transformative strategy and vision for the Cancer Center, a facility already recognized for clinical performance, high technical and safety standards, and compassionate patient care. He will oversee the Center's comprehensive diagnostic, treatment and support services, including medical and radiation oncology and clinical research trials.

"The Regional Cancer Center at Holy Name is among the top cancer centers in the U.S.," said Dr. Parra. "Patients not only get access to the full spectrum of cancer care including prevention, early diagnosis, clinical trails, disease staging, treatment, and rehabilitation, but they do so close to home and with easy access to a specialized staff that truly cares about the individual and supports the patient as a whole."

In practice for more than 30 years, Dr. Parra had been on staff at Memorial Sloan Kettering since 2008. Prior to that, he was Chief of Urology at both St. Louis University Medical Center and Mayo Clinic–Jacksonville, Director of Urologic Oncology at Oregon Health and Science University, and Chief of Urology at Cooper University Hospital/University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. He also held academic appointments as Professor of Urology at Weill Cornell Medical Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering, Saint Louis University, the Mayo Clinical Medical School, Oregon Health and Science University and Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine.

"Dr. Parra has been at the forefront of instituting many of the innovative laparoscopic and robotic procedures for prostate and kidney cancer used throughout the world today," said Michael Maron, President and CEO, Holy Name Medical Center. "We are pleased to have a medical professional with Dr. Parra's professional and academic experience at the helm of our Regional Cancer Center."

Dr. Parra has contributed hundreds of articles to peer–reviewed journals; he has written books, book chapters and reviews, and has participated in numerous symposiums and conferences nationally and abroad as a visiting professor. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Urology, a fellow in the American College of Surgeons, and a member of the Society of Urologic Oncology.