Heather Katz, DO, is a hematologist-medical oncologist at Phelps Memorial Hospital and Northern Westchester Hospital. She manages a wide variety of cancers using an individualized approach, according to guidelines, using treatments consisting of chemotherapy, immunotherapy and targeted therapy. Dr. Katz’s scope of practice includes both solid tumor and malignant hematology. She has a clinical interest in breast cancer. In addition, she sees patients who have noncancerous blood conditions such as anemia and blood clotting disorders. “I don’t just treat the disease; I treat the whole person,” says Dr. Katz. She also ensures that her patients feel heard and have a good understanding of their diagnosis and treatment plan. Dr. Katz’s interest in medicine goes back to childhood. She was born with craniosynostosis, a condition in which the bones in the skull prematurely join. “I was in and out of the hospital as a child, and my doctors made a large impact on my life,” she says. “And my mother was a nurse, which was also influential.” Dr. Katz earned her osteopathic medicine degree from Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She went on to complete an internal medicine residency at Broward General Medical Center and a hematology-oncology fellowship at Marshall University School of Medicine. At Northwell Health, she practices a team-based approach to care. She works with radiologists, pathologists, surgical oncologists, radiation oncologists and other specialists to provide her patients with advanced treatment plans. “We have an excellent team who wants to provide the patient with the best experience possible, from the first encounter at the front desk to check-out,” she says. In addition to caring for patients, Dr. Katz is an assistant professor at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell and serves as the Cancer Liaison Physician for the Commission on Cancer Committee at Phelps. Her professional memberships include the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Society of Hematology. She is a fellow of the American College of Physicians and the American College of Osteopathic Internists. Dr. Katz finds the relationship she develops with patients and their families to be among the most fulfilling parts of her work. “It’s a powerful experience to have people let you into their lives when they are most vulnerable,” she says. “It’s truly and honor and a privilege to take care of them.”