News & Stories
Dr. Susan Beris
April 23, 2022
Yale New Haven Hospital is pleased to announce a gift to establish the Susan Beris, MD, Neurosurgical Oncology Program. The program will build upon the success of the busiest brain tumor surgical program in Connecticut and expand on the highly specialized neurosurgical oncology care provided at Yale New Haven and Smilow Cancer Hospital.
Dr. Beris, a beloved pediatrician, was practicing in her western Connecticut clinic over three years ago when she experienced a seizure and was found to have a malignant brain tumor in the motor area of her brain. Deemed inoperable by local neurosurgeons, she sought other opinions in the Northeast corridor and was referred to Jennifer Moliterno, MD. Dr. Moliterno, a renowned expert in the microsurgical treatment of complex brain tumors, performed an awake craniotomy on Dr. Beris, removing the mass while preserving her function. Inspired by the desire for more patients to have access to the outstanding care she had and in gratitude to Dr. Moliterno, Dr. Beris has chosen to gift a generous portion of her estate to create an endowed fund to support the program in perpetuity.
“I’d like for other patients to be aware of the program and able to access the same level of high quality care and expertise that I was fortunate to have. I am indebted to Dr. Moliterno and happy to be able to support her work in this way,” says Dr. Beris.
Dr. Moliterno is associate professor of neurosurgery at Yale School of Medicine and chief of neurosurgical oncology and will serve as the director of the Susan Beris, MD, Neurosurgical Oncology Program. She is also the clinical director of the Chenevert Family Brain Tumor Center. She leads a team of neurosurgeons, nurse practitioners and nurses who provide cutting edge neurosurgical care for the greatest number of brain tumor patients in Connecticut each year.
According to Dr. Moliterno, “Dr. Beris’ transformational gift will enable us to further enhance and expand our reach to even more patients throughout Connecticut and beyond. We are truly honored and grateful for Susie’s generosity which will ensure the continued growth of our program and increase access to the highest quality of care for brain tumor patients.”