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Memorial Sloan Kettering Neurosurgeon William Christopher Newman

William Christopher Newman, MD

Spine Neurosurgeon

My Role at MSK

Areas of Expertise

My Specialties

  • Primary and Metastatc Spine Tumors
  • Reconstruction and Stabilization Of The Spine
  • Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
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Dr. Newman's Office Information
Languages: English
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About Me

What I Do at MSK
  • Assistant Attending Neurosurgeon
Get To Know Me

I am a neurosurgeon specializing in the care of people with primary spinal tumors, cancers that metastasize (spread) to the spine, and tumors involving the spinal cord and its nerves. I also have experience in using spinal cord stimulation to treat pain syndromes in patients with cancer and delivering medication intrathecally (directly to the spine), among other techniques. This expertise allows me to remove tumors precisely, manage pain syndromes, and minimize the effects of surgery on my patients’ quality of life. I am passionate about providing expert, compassionate, and personalized care that uses my advanced training in minimally invasive techniques (surgery done with small incisions or cuts), image guidance, and robotics.

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In addition to my neurosurgery clinical work, I am a member of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s Multidisciplinary Spine Tumor Center, where I collaborate with a team of radiation oncology, interventional radiology, pain medicine, rehabilitative medicine, and medical oncology specialists to provide comprehensive care to our patients. We draw on our vast experiences in cancer care to not only provide high-quality medical attention to our patients but also to develop new treatment strategies that can push the field forward. For example, by combining surgery with radiosurgery and targeted therapies, we have revolutionized the treatment of spine tumors while minimizing these treatments’ impact on patients’ quality of life.

Being diagnosed with a spine tumor can be a scary moment for many people. It is my mission to ensure that my patients and their families feel well-informed about their diagnosis, understand their treatment options, and feel confident about the treatment plan that we develop together. After meeting with me, my patients should not only understand their diagnosis and treatment options but also know that they have a clinical team that is both committed to offering compassionate care and focused on achieving the best outcome possible.

My clinical research involves the study of the biomechanics of spine tumors relative to patient outcomes. The goal of this research is to understand how spine tumors influence spinal stability and the surgeries that patients need to maintain stability and improve pain. I also study the impact of socioeconomic factors on survival and quality of life among people with cancer.

Outside of work, I spend my time with my wife, children, and our dog. We love to explore New York and travel. I also enjoy cooking, following basketball, and am an avid — albeit exceptionally average — runner.

My Role at MSK

A spine neurosurgeon is a doctor with special training in surgery on the spine.

Areas of Expertise

My Specialties

  • Primary and Metastatc Spine Tumors
  • Reconstruction and Stabilization Of The Spine
  • Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
  • Degenerative Spinal Disorders
  • Intradural Spine Tumors
  • Spinal Cord Tumors
  • Surgical Pain Modulation
Education & Honors

Education

  • BS (Biomedical Engineering), Harvard University
  • MD, University of Florida College of Medicine

Residencies

  • Neurological Surgery - University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Awards and Honors

  • Neurosurgery Educator of the Year, LSU Health Sciences – Shreveport (2021)

Fellowships

  • Neurosurgical Oncology Fellowship - University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
  • Neurosurgical Oncology Fellowship - Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Insurance Information

Understanding your insurance options is an important part of managing your cancer care. We have relationships with many common healthcare providers and plans.

Aetna

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS, Transplant

Aetna Medicare Advantage (MTA retirees only)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Anthem BCBS and other BCBS licensee plans

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

See updates

Anthem BCBS Health Plus

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

See updates

Anthem Blue Cross Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO, DSN

See updates

Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal Employee Program

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO

See updates

Blue Cross Blue Shield states outside of NY/NJ

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO PPO, POS

See updates

Carrum Health

In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental

Cigna

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Connecticare

In Network Coverage Type
POS, EPO, HMO

Emblem

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Emblem to learn more.

Emblem Essential

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Emblem Medicare Advantage (Medicare Choice PPO Network and VIP Prime Network Only)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

Empire Essential

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Empire Plan / NYSHIP (Blue Cross/UnitedHealthcare split plan)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

See updates

Fidelis

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, EPO

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Fidelis to learn more.

Fidelis Managed Medicaid & HARP

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Fidelis Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

First Health

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

Healthfirst

In Network Coverage Type
EPO, HMO, PPO, POS

Offers a qualified health plan from the Health Insurance Marketplace. Call Healthfirst to learn more.

Healthfirst Managed Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

Healthfirst Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
HMO, PPO

Healthsmart

In Network Coverage Type
PPO EPO

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (HMO)

In Network Coverage Type
HMO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey (PPO)

In Network Coverage Type
PPO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey Omnia Tier I (EPO)

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

See updates

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield New Jersey Omnia Tier II (EPO)

In Network Coverage Type
EPO

See updates

Horizon Medicare Advantage

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

Husky CT Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Magnacare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO

Straight NJ Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Straight NY Medicaid

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Medicare Part A&B (traditional Medicare)

In Network Coverage Type
Federal Government

Multiplan/Beech Street/PHCS

In Network Coverage Type
Supplemental

MVP

In Network Coverage Type
PPO/OAP

Non-Participating Plans with Out of Network Benefits

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, EPO, HMO

NYC Medicare Advantage Plus for City Employees

In Network Coverage Type
TBD

Oscar

In Network Coverage Type
HMO/EPO

Oxford

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, EPO

World Trade Center Health Program (WTC)

In Network Coverage Type
State Government

Qualcare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Tricare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, HMO

UMR

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS

United Healthcare

In Network Coverage Type
PPO, POS, HMO

Don't see your carrier or plan? We can help you understand your coverage.

If you don't have health insurance or are worried that your care may not be fully covered, our financial assistance programs may be able to help.

If you have questions about insurance, call us at 646-497-9176.

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Current Patients
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Contact and Location

Dr. Newman sees patients at one location.

Location
New York, NY
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
1275 York Avenue New York NY 10065
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Colleagues

Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering work as teams, with specialists from all different areas. This allows us to consider all your needs together, and to give you the best possible care.

See all Neurosurgery doctors

Clinical Trials

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Find a Clinical Trial for You

Memorial Sloan Kettering's doctors and scientists are constantly developing new treatments for cancer. MSK is typically running hundreds of clinical trials at a given time.

You may be able to participate in a clinical trial even if you are new to MSK. Search our online directory to find trial information and see more about who can participate.

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Research and Publications

Publications on PubMed

Visit PubMed for a full listing of Dr. Newman’s journal articles. Pubmed is an online index of research papers and other articles from the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.

See all on PubMed

Disclosures

Doctors and faculty members often work with pharmaceutical, device, biotechnology, and life sciences companies, and other organizations outside of MSK, to find safe and effective cancer treatments, to improve patient care, and to educate the health care community.

MSK requires doctors and faculty members to report (“disclose”) the relationships and financial interests they have with external entities. As a commitment to transparency with our community, we make that information available to the public.

William Christopher Newman discloses the following relationships and financial interests:

No disclosures meeting criteria for time period


If you’re a patient at MSK and would like more information about your doctor’s external relationships, please talk with your doctor.

The information published here is a complement to other publicly reported data and is for a specific annual disclosure period. There may be differences between information on this and other public sites as a result of different reporting periods and/or the various ways relationships and financial interests are categorized by organizations that publish such data.

This page and data include information for a specific MSK annual disclosure period (January 1, 2023 through disclosure submission in spring 2024). This data reflects interests that may or may not still exist. This data is updated annually.

Learn more about MSK’s COI policies here. For questions regarding MSK’s COI-related policies and procedures, email MSK’s Compliance Office at [email protected].


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