John Phillips, M.D., FACS, extraordinary expertise and dedication to advancing urologic care, combined with his commitment to enriching the educational experience for our medical students, ensures that the next generation of physicians benefits from his leadership and innovation.

A national leader in robotic surgery, residency training, and the basic science of urologic diseases, Dr. Phillips joined the Westchester Medical Center medical staff as section chief of Urologic Oncology and Robotic and Laparoscopic Surgery, and the NYMC faculty in 2007. In addition to his continued role as section chief, he currently serves as program director for the Westchester Medical Center Residency Training Program in Urology as well as professor of urology and executive vice chair of the NYMC Department of Urology.

An expert in kidney cancer and minimally invasive 'kidney-preserving' surgery for small renal masses, Dr. Phillips has performed more than 2,000 Da Vinci robotic surgeries and is a pioneer in MRI-based fusion prostate biopsy, which has markedly lowered infectious complication rates of prostate biopsies.

With a strong background in 'neo-bladder' reconstruction after bladder removal (cystectomy), Dr. Phillips has performed total intracorporeal neobladder surgeries since 2015. In 2020, Dr. Phillip’s lab was selected as a three-year award recipient in the Empire State Clinical Research Training Program, which has led to the pre-clinical evaluation of nanoparticle therapy in bladder cancer.

Dr. Phillips has been widely published and presented on a range of urological topics. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Urologic History.

Education

• M.D., Yale University School of Medicine
• Residency, General Surgery and Urology, Yale-New Haven Hospital
• Fellowship, Urologic Oncology Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health

Areas of Expertise

• minimally invasive and robotic surgery
• robotic and urologic oncologic surgery
• urologic oncology
• clinical trials
• residency training

Honors and Awards

• William Didusch Art & History Award
• American Urological Association, 2020
• Recipient, 2019-2022 Empire Clinical Investigator Program (ECRIP) grant
• President, New York State Urological Society (NYSUS), 2017-2019

Research

Between 2020 and 2022, Dr. Phillips served as a co-investigator with Dazhong Xu, Ph.D., in the Empire State Clinical Research Training Program (ECRIP) at New York Medical College and Westchester Medical Center. Their groundbreaking research, supported by a $500,000 grant, focused on advancing nanoparticle therapies for bladder cancer. Additionally, from 2010 to 2020, Dr. Phillips contributed significantly to bladder cancer research through the Seize the Ribbon Bladder Cancer Research Fund, backed by a $125,000 grant.

Publications

• Ambinder D, Lubarsky R, Barnett J, et. al. "AUTHOR REPLY." Urology, 180(), (2023) 33-34. doi: 10.1016/j.urology.2023.05.055
• Lubarsky R, Ambinder D, Barnett J, et. al. "Prostate Cancer: Under-representation of African American Men in Research Studies Used in the Latest NCCN Guidelines." Urology, 180(), (2023) 28-34. doi: 10.1016/j.urology.2023.05.051
• Li C, Edeni D, Platkin S, et. al. "Effect of Gene 33/Mig6/ERRFI1 on hexavalent chromium-induced transformation of human bronchial epithelial cells depends on the length of exposure." Journal of environmental science and health. Part C, Toxicology and carcinogenesis, 40(3-4), (2022) 227-247. doi: 10.1080/26896583.2022.2147358
• Hirani R, Harutyunyan A, Phillips JL, et. al. "Interventions to Reduce Opioid Prescriptions Following Urological Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Letter." The Journal of urology, 208(5), (2022) 958. doi: 10.1097/JU.0000000000002943
• Bassily D, Wong V, Phillips JL, et. al. "Rezūm for retention-retrospective review of water vaporization therapy in the management of urinary retention in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia." The Prostate, 81(14), (2021) 1049-1054. doi: 10.1002/pros.24201
• Wong TH, Ambinder D, Flusberg M, et. al. "Small lymphocytic lymphoma of the prostate mimicking a PIRADS 5 lesion that resolved after systemic treatment." Urology case reports, 39(), (2021) 101775. doi: 10.1016/j.eucr.2021.101775
• Patel NH, Parikh SS, Bloom JB, et. al. "Contemporary Trends in Percutaneous Nephrolithomy Across New York State: A Review of the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System." Journal of endourology, 33(9), (2019) 699-703. doi: 10.1089/end.2019.0115

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Recent Presentations

• Masterclass in Endourology and Robotics, “Advances in Robotic Kidney”, Society of Urologic Robotic Surgeons (SURS) & Endourology Society, August 27th, 2021
• Empire Urologic lecture series, NYS AUA, “Adrenal diseases for the Urologist”, April 14th, 2020
• Grand Rounds, Department of Oncology, “Molecular Markers in the Management of Prostate Cancer”, Westchester Medical Center, Valhalla, NY April 11th, 2019
• Medical Student Lecture, “The Genito-Urinary Exam”, January 31st, 2019, Valhalla, NY
• Grand Rounds, Department of Transplantation Medicine, “The Incidental Renal Mass”, Westchester Medical Center, January 4th, 2019

Professional Service

• Historian, American Urologic Association (AUA)
• President, New York State Urologic Society (NYSUS)

Memberships and Affiliations

• American Association of Clinical Urologists
• New York State Urological Society
• New York Section, AUA
• Society for Urologic Oncology
• American Urologic Association (AUA)
• Mid-Atlantic Section, AUA

Languages

• Spanish
• German