John F. Collins, president and CEO of NYU Winthrop Hospital, is pleased to announce the honorees for the hospital’s 28th Annual Gala, “Fusion,” taking place on Saturday, October 26 at RXR Plaza in Uniondale.
Garden City resident Charles M. Strain, immediate past chairman of the Board of Directors at NYU Winthrop Hospital, and Dr. Jonathan A. Haas, a Port Washington resident and chair of Department of Radiation Oncology at NYU Winthrop, will each receive the hospital’s highest honorary award, the Streaming Star, in recognition of their years of service and vast contributions to NYU Winthrop and its patients.
“In all facets of life, the 2019 Gala Honorees, Charlie Strain and Dr. Jonathan Haas, exemplify strong leadership, commitment, and character and have impacted NYU Winthrop, its patients, and staff in tremendous ways,” said John F. Collins, president and CEO of NYU Winthrop. “Both individuals are deserving of this recognition for all they have contributed to the hospital, including our partnership with NYU Langone Health.”
Strain has had a long-standing relationship with NYU Winthrop Hospital, playing a key leadership role during a time of tremendous growth and elevated prominence for the hospital.
Strain joined the board of directors in 2002 and was elected board chair in 2006. During his 13-year tenure as chairman, Strain consulted on all facets of the hospital’s business and operations, especially building the hospital’s academic and research programs. His years of unwavering service, combined with philanthropic support, have aided the hospital’s continued growth and success. His visionary leadership and strong business acumen were critical throughout the hospital’s recent merger with NYU Langone Health, leading the hospital to a momentous new chapter in its 100-plus year history.
In addition to his vast contributions to NYU Winthrop, Strain has been a leader in the community, with his philanthropic work encompassing healthcare, medical research, the arts, the business community, and family and children’s charities on Long Island.
He serves on the boards of the Long Island Association, Family and Children’s Association, and Accelerate Long Island, Inc. Strain was a managing partner at the law firm Farrell Fritz, P.C. from 2001 to 2015. During that time, he institutionalized a pro bono program, encouraging attorneys to handle cases for individuals and organizations in need in the local community. In 2019, The Best Lawyers in America recognized Strain with the Long Island Healthcare Lawyer of the Year award. Strain has been married to his wife, Denise, for 40 years. They have two daughters, Caitlin and Alicia. He earned his Juris Doctorate from St. John’s University School of Law and is a proud Chaminade High School alumnus.
Haas is chairman of the Department of Radiation Oncology at NYU Winthrop Hospital and Associate Professor of Radiation Oncology at NYU Long Island School of Medicine. A pioneer in CyberKnife®, Haas has performed over 5,000 CyberKnife treatments to treat prostate cancer — more than any physician in the U.S. CyberKnife is a non-invasive treatment that delivers extraordinarily accurate, targeted radiation to tumors.
NYU Winthrop is a teaching center for this technology, which is also used to treat cancers of the breast, brain and lungs. Physicians from all over the world visit the hospital to learn CyberKnife techniques under the auspices of Dr. Haas and the radiation oncology team. The American Society for Radiation Oncology— which holds the world’s most important meeting for the radiation oncology community — turns to Haas to lead training in stereotactic body radiation therapy, the type of radiation used in CyberKnife, for its members.
Dr. Haas is a prolific researcher, continually pursuing new avenues to enhance cancer care and improve outcomes. He led the largest single-institution (NYU Winthrop) study that reviewed the effectiveness of CyberKnife in treating prostate cancer.
The study, which involved several thousand patients, showed a long-term disease-free survival rate of 95 percent. Dr. Haas has been widely published and serves as a peer-reviewer of articles for the industry’s most prestigious academic publications: Radiation Oncology; Frontiers in Radiation Oncology; and International Journal of Radiation, Biology and Physics. In addition, he lectures on CyberKnife internationally, having most recently been hosted by forums in Singapore and Hong Kong.
Haas is an avid runner, and competed in two New York City marathons — at the age of 40 and then at 50. He holds a brown belt in Bujinkan, a form of martial arts. He and his wife, Jodi, have 15-year-old twins, Daniel and Remi. Haas received his medical degree from Washington University in St. Louis and completed a residency in Radiation Oncology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, serving as Chief Resident his final year.
Proceeds from this year’s Gala will benefit the expansion and modernization of the hospital’s New Life Center, which provides obstetrical, pediatric, and neonatal services. This important project will enable NYU Winthrop to continue to provide exceptional, family-focused maternity care within a state-of-the-art facility and will directly benefit scores of patients and their families.
Guests of NYU Winthrop’s 2019 Gala, Fusion, will enjoy lively music, fine dining, cocktails, and special entertainment. Tickets, sponsorships, and journal opportunities are selling out fast. For more information about NYU Winthrop Hospital’s Annual Gala, visit www.nyuwinthrop.org/events or contact Shari Prinstein in the Office of Development at (516) 663-8275 or via e-mail at shari.prinstein@nyulangone.org.
