Dr. Michael Steinberg, Director of Clinical Affairs at UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, and professor and chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the David Geffen School of Medicine, the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) 2017 Gold Medal for his outstanding lifetime contributions in the field of radiation oncology. The award is the highest honor bestowed upon members of the world’s largest radiation oncology society.
Steinberg, who is one of three leaders in radiation oncology to receive the Gold Medal this year, will accept his honor along with his fellow inductees at the 2017 ASTRO Annual Meeting on Tuesday, September 26 in San Diego, California.
ASTRO awards its annual Gold Medal to revered members of the Society who have made extraordinary contributions to clinical patient care, research, teaching and service. This year marks the 41st consecutive year that ASTRO will present this accolade, and the new awardees join an exclusive class of only 81 gold medalists selected over the decades from the Society’s more than 10,000 members.
“I am grateful and humbled to receive this recognition from my peers,” Steinberg said. “For me, this award celebrates the incredible advances we have achieved in radiation oncology and cancer treatment, but also underscores the continued need to combine clinical research with effective health policy to best provide patients with state-of-the-art care.”
A recognized expert in value proposition in cancer care, Steinberg is highly influential on a national level in providing input regarding health policy and economic issues on behalf of patients through his various leadership roles. He is the founding Chair of the Health Policy Council of ASTRO and, from 2010 to 2014, was ASTRO’s President and Chairman of the Board. Steinberg served for eight years as the radiation oncology representative to the American Medical Association's CPT Editorial Panel, and two terms on the CMS Medicare Evidence and Coverage Advisory Committee. He is currently a member of the California Technical Assessment Forum, a public technology and drug assessment organization.
Steinberg’s clinical and research efforts throughout his career have focused on health disparities and quality assessment in cancer care, and the incorporation of new technology in his specialty. At UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, he currently oversees multiple projects in comparative effectiveness research and in the demonstration of patient centered value in radiation oncology. A widely renowned physician and scientist, Steinberg specializes in the use of technically advanced treatment modalities such as Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) and MRI guided radiation therapy for the treatment of malignancy. He publishes and speaks on issues related to health policy including quality of care, patient safety, evidence-based validation of emerging technology, healthcare economics, disparity and value in healthcare as well on a variety of oncology related clinical topics.
Steinberg became professor and chair in 2008. He was first appointed in the Department of Radiation Oncology in 1981. He is the Executive Vice President for Affiliations and Partnerships of the UCLA Health where he oversees strategic activities related to external development and growth for the health system. From 2010 to 2014, Steinberg served as Chair of the Electronic Health Record Oversight Board, which strategically directed the implementation of the UCLA Health System’s electronic health record, Care Connect. He now chairs the IT Steering Committee for UCLA Health Sciences. In 2012, he was elected and then appointed by the Vice Chancellor as Chair of the Clinical Chairs in the David Geffen School of Medicine. Steinberg also currently serves on the Vice Chancellor’s Health Executive Committee.
is the premier radiation oncology society in the world, with more than 10,000 members who are physicians, nurses, biologists, physicists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists and other health care professionals who specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. As the leading organization in radiation oncology, ASTRO is dedicated to improving patient care through professional education and training, support for clinical practice and health policy standards, advancement of science and research, and advocacy.
