Executive Director of UF Health Proton Therapy Institute retiring
Stuart Klein has led the cancer treatment facility since 2005
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (September 13, 2023) – The University of Florida Health Proton Therapy Institute today announced the retirement of Stuart Klein, MHA, executive director. He has led the development and operations of the innovative cancer treatment facility since 2005, managing a program that to date has treated more than 11,000 cancer patients from around the world. Klein will retire in November, and the University of Florida has formed a search committee and is conducting a nationwide search for his successor.
As the administrative and executive leader of the state-of-the-art cancer treatment facility, Klein was responsible for opening the Institute in 2006, the Southeast’s first proton therapy center. Under his leadership, the facility holds the record for the fastest ramp-up of any proton facility, reaching 100 patient treatments per day within the first 19 months of operation, and for recently completing a 10,000 square foot expansion and equipment upgrade project. The Institute has likewise achieved an international reputation treating cancer patients from 34 countries. Klein was instrumental in negotiating several international relationships including agreements with the United Kingdom, Norway and several Canadian Provinces.
“We are grateful for Stuart’s dedication to the Institute over the past 17 years. He was instrumental in opening the facility and continuing to push us towards innovating proton therapy for cancer treatment,” said Dr. Nancy Mendenhall, medical director of the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute.
In retirement, Klein plans to spend more time with his family, including seeing his granddaughter often, and to travel more with his wife Cathy. He is an esteemed member of the Northeast Florida community, and is a member of the American College of Radiation Oncology’s Society of Radiation Oncology Administrators, and a founding member of The Proton Consortium, now known as the National Association for Proton Therapy.
“His legacy is interwoven into the fabric of the proton therapy community. His dedication has left a lasting impression on proton therapy as a whole, impacting countless lives and shaping the future of this cancer treatment,” said Jennifer Maggiore, executive director of the National Association for Proton Therapy.
Prior to joining the Institute, Klein served as Administrative Director of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Pennsylvania Health System in Philadelphia. His legacy includes nearly 40 years as a health services administrator specializing in radiation oncology and finance for large academic medical facilities.
About UF Health Proton Therapy Institute
The UF Health Proton Therapy Institute is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization affiliated with the UF College of Medicine and the UF Health Cancer Center, a Florida Cancer Center of Excellence and NCI-Designated Cancer Center, dedicated to delivering state-of-the-art cancer treatment and setting new standards for treating and curing cancer. It is an accredited radiation oncology facility by the American College of Radiology. The cancer treatment facility houses both conventional radiation and proton therapy and delivers proton therapy to 100 patients a day. For more information about the UF Health Proton Therapy Institute, please visit www.floridaproton.org or call 904.588.1800.