Some couples share a favorite movie. Others share a meaningful song. Monica Mita, M.D., and Alain Mita, M.D., share a guiding philosophy about what it means to take care of patients.
The oncology power couple recently joined Hoag from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Dr. Monica Mita is the co-director of early phase development therapy and co-director of breast medical oncology. Dr. Alain Mita is the co-director of early phase development therapy and director of lung and head & neck cancers. Their recruitment was supported in part by philanthropic funds provided by Circle 1000, a group of donors committed to advancing cancer care at Hoag.
The Mitas join an already robust group of subspecialty trained medical oncologists at Hoag who provide innovative cancer care and access to the latest clinical trials alongside a multidisciplinary cancer care team of surgeons, radiation oncologists, molecular & imaging and therapy specialists, geneticists and precision medicine physicians.
In addition to subspecialized physicians, Hoag’s leading-edge technology is the most comprehensive in Orange County. It includes the West Coast’s largest robotic surgery program, a MRI linear accelerator that obtains real-time images of a patient’s tumor during treatment, a whole body 3D imaging system that tracks skin changes and more. Hoag also offers integrated support services – from subspecialized nurse navigators to dietitians, support groups, social workers, therapists and more.
When it comes to research, Hoag’s robust clinical trial program is unique for a community hospital. Hoag President and CEO Robert T. Braithwaite describes Hoag as a “privademic” institution, one that combines the commitment to research found at an academic institution with the patient-centered, compassionate care of a community hospital. The combination of agility and innovation also sets the hospital apart and attracts top talent to Hoag.
“Drs. Monica and Alain Mita are nationally recognized in their fields for bringing revolutionary treatments to patients while listening deeply to the needs of each individual patient,” Braithwaite said. “It is very exciting to welcome them to Hoag and to work with them as they build upon the foundation of our clinical trials program to bring our patients the most advanced treatments available.”
“We are living in an exciting era where there is truly a revolution happening in the way we treat cancer patients,” said Dr. Alain Mita. “We now have treatments available that we couldn’t have dreamed of 30 years ago: CAR T-cells, immunotherapy, targeted therapies – advances that are making a huge difference in how we are able to care for patients. These advanced treatments offered at the Hoag Family Cancer Institute are usually only available at large academic cancer centers, which makes Hoag so unique.”
Visit Hoag Family Cancer Institute’s to learn more.
