Meet our Oncology Team
A group of highly trained, board-certified oncologists serve patients at the Skagit Valley Hospital Regional Cancer Care Center. To help you get to know our cancer care physicians a little better, we've included physician biographies in the following specialties:
Medical Oncology
Radiation Oncology
Surgery
Medical Oncology
George F. Gjerset, MD, a graduate of the University of California and the University of California Medical School, Dr. Gjerset performed his residency at the University of California at Irvine and Long Beach Veterans Affairs Hospital and his fellowship at the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. He served as principal investigator and assistant professor at the University of Washington on an NIH grant and ran an immunology lab for 10 years before joining the local practice. He is board certified in internal medicine and oncology. He joined North Puget Oncology eight years ago and splits his time between Skagit Valley Hospital’s cancer care clinics at Skagit Valley Hospital in Mount Vernon and Cascade Valley Hospital in Arlington.
Mehrdad Jafari, MD, the Medical Director for the Skagit Valley Hospital Regional Cancer Care Center, joined the staff in February 2008 after three years as an assistant professor of medicine in hematology-oncology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Among his special interests are gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies and head and neck cancers. Dr. Jafari studied GI cancers, including colon, esophageal, liver, pancreas and stomach, during his 2004 clinical externship at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas. Dr. Jafari received his medical degree from the Würzburg School of Medicine, Würzburg, Bavaria, Germany.
Theodore "Ted" Kim, DO is the Director of The Breast Institute and the current Chief of Staff at
Dr. Kim has extensive training and research experience in breast cancer. He began his research in breast cancer as a resident. Dr. Kim’s research was the foundation of data used by the American Society of Clinical Oncology current guidelines on how to perform the Sentinel Lymph Node procedure in Breast Cancer. After completing a one-year general rotation in hematology and oncology at Tuft’s University Medical Center, Dr. Kim spent two additional years researching and treating breast cancer patients.
In 2008, Dr. Kim received a $200,000 grant from Safeway Corporation to start the Breast Institute at
Kiarash Kojouri, MD, joined Skagit Valley Hospital Regional Cancer Care Center in August 2009. Dr. Kojouri is board certified in internal medicine, medical oncology and hematology. He performed his residency with the Department of Medicine and the University of Oklahoma Medical Center where he also had his fellowship in hematology and oncology. He most recently served as an assistant professor of hematology and oncology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. He will direct clinical research efforts at the Regional Cancer Care Center and work closely with Seattle Cancer Care Alliance on the latest in clinical trials.
Bruce Mathey, MD, joined the staff in 2007 and is board certified in hematology and oncology. He is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago, completed a fellowship at the University of Washington and a residency at the University of Michigan Medical Center. Dr. Mathey started seeing patients at Cascade Valley Hospital in Arlington in April 2010.
David Kantorowitz, MD, PhD, started out to become a Clinical Psychologist receiving his Master’s degree and PhD in Clinical Psychology at Rutgers University in 1974 and 1976 respectively. He subsequently practiced and did research in Clinical Psychology while on staff as Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at Cal State University in San Bernardino. In the early 1980s, he became interested in medicine; he received his MD at University of California at San Francisco in 1983 followed by an internship at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle in 1984 and residency in Radiation Oncology at University of Rochester Cancer Center in 1987. He then practiced and did research as an Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Colorado Health Science Center until joining North Puget Radiation Oncology in 1989. He is board certified in Radiation Oncology and serves as the Radiation Oncology Medical Director for Skagit Valley Hospital.
Michal Whiton, MD, joined the staff in 2010. She is a graduate of University of Washington School of Medicine, completed an internship in Internal Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine and a residency in Radiation Oncology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA.
Surgery
Mark Johnson, MD, a general, thoracic and vascular surgeon with Skagit Valley Medical Center, is the Surgical Medical Director for the Skagit Valley Hospital Regional Cancer Care Center. Dr. Johnson is also appointed by the American College of Surgeons Commision on Cancer as Cancer Liaison for the Skagit Valley Hospital Regional Cancer Care Center. Dr. Johnson is a graduate of Yale University and the University of Washington Medical School. He served a general surgery residency at Virginia Mason Medical Center where he also was Chief Resident and Fellow in general surgery.
Bruce C. Skinner, MD is a surgeon with Skagit Regional Clinics - Mount Vernon. Dr. Skinner specializes in general, vascular and thoracic surgery including endoscopic, abdominal, thoracic surgery, cancer surgery, vascular reconstructive surgery. Dr. Skinner also has a special interest in breast pathology. He has been on staff at Skagit Valley Hospital since 1982. He is a graduate of the University of Louisville School of Medicine and completed his residency at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle.
Meet the rest of the Surgical Team at Skagit Valley Hospital.
