Physicians

A highly dedicated and compassionate doctor, Dr. Agajanian is triple board-certified by the American Board of Medical Oncology, the American Board of Hematology and the American Board of Internal Medicine. Fellowship-trained in Hematology and Oncology at UCLA-Olive View Medical Center/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Dr. Agajanian earned his medical degree from the University of California-Irvine College of Medicine and completed his Internal Medicine residency at UCLA. Prior to this, he graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in Physiology and Neuroscience from the University of California-San Diego, where he received top honors in his department. Dr. Agajanian has received numerous awards during his educational and professional careers, including induction into Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. He has also researched and published several articles in medical journals on the topic of Hematology and Oncology including treatment of Burkitt Lymphoma, development of a scoring system for myelodysplastic syndromes, and the study of acute chest syndrome. Dr. Agajanian has access to the latest research, technology and treatment options, including clinical trials for eligible patients. He also maintains strong professional relationships with other physicians who specialize in treatment management and support services. He strives continuously to educate patients and their families regarding cancer awareness and prevention.

Dr. Agajanian is fluent in Spanish and Armenian.

Professional Memberships:

• American Society of Clinical Oncology
• American Society of Hematology 
• Medical Oncology Association of Southern California
• Society of General Internal Medicine
• American Medical Association
• Armenian American Medical Association                  
• Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity

Patient Care Philosophy

It is Dr. Agajanian's foremost goal to optimize the quality of life for patients and their loved ones, helping them cope with the challenges brought on by cancer. Dr. Agajanian strives to relieve the burden and suffering caused by cancer while always holding the utmost respect for patients and their families. He values open communication, mutual respect and patient autonomy, listening to patients as well as providing weekly educational sessions about patients' diseases and treatment plans. He builds personal synergy with his patients so they have someone to turn to in difficult times. In addition to caring deeply for his patients, Dr. Agajanian is devoted to his wife and three daughters.

Born and raised in Germany, Dr. Berz earned his B.S. in Chemistry from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Universitaet, Frankfurt, Germany and his M.D./Ph.D from the Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany. He completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine in Norwalk, Connecticut and his fellowship in Hematology and Oncology in Providence, Rhode Island. Prior to joining The Oncology Institute of Hope and Innovation, Dr. Berz was an Assistant Professor of Medicine in Providence, Rhode Island from 2008 to 2010. From 2010 to 2011, Dr. Berz was an Associate Professor in the Department of Medical Oncology in Dalhousie University, St. John, New Brunswick. In 2005, Dr. Berz was awarded with an Outstanding Resident Award in Nor walk Hospital/Yale University, Connecticut.

Dr. Berz has made significant contributions to the field of oncology through ongoing research in clinical trials and publications in major journals.

Dr. Berz is fluent in Spanish, German, French, Russian and Hebrew.

Professional Memberships:

• American Society of Clinical Oncology
• American Society of Hematology

Patient Care Philosophy

Dr. Berz does not just treat the condition, he treats people. He always strives to meet his patients' needs with compassion and respect.

A highly caring and devoted physician, Dr. Cheung is fellowship-trained in Hematology and Oncology at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles County Medical Center and Norris Comprehensive Cancer Institute.  Dr. Cheung earned his medical degree from Western University of Health Sciences.  Dr. Cheung received his undergraduate degree from Stanford University, during which time he received the honor of training at Oxford University. After medical school, he completed both his internal medicine training and Hematology-Oncology training at the University of Southern California where he served as Chief of his fellowship program. While Dr. Cheung is trained in all cancers and blood disorders, he is considered an expert in the fields of Prostate cancer and platelet disorders, as attested by his numerous publications in both fields.  Dr. Cheung seeks to educate and empower his patients. He is dedicated to the comprehensive well-being of his patients and to the quality of their lives.  

Dr. Cheung is fluent in Spanish.

Professional Memberships:

• American Society of Clinical Oncology
• American Society of Hematology

Patient Care Philosophy

Dr. Cheung doesn’t just treat disease, he treats people. He understands that every patient has unique needs and he meets them with constant doses of personal attention.  Dr. Cheung resides in the community and enjoys spending quality time with his wife and family.

Dr. Freimann has been dedicated to providing the highest quality of care to his patients in Whittier and the surrounding communities for the past 19 years.  He takes an active role in hospital leadership. Dr. Freimann is a long-standing member of the Cancer Committee at Presbyterian Hospital (PIH) having served as chairman for several years and as a member of the Medical Executive Committee. He has also served as past chairman of the departments of Medicine at PIH and Whittier Hospital Medical Center. Dr. Freimann is triple-board certified in Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology and Hematology. After receiving his medical degree from UCLA, Dr. Freimann attended the prestigious M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas for his fellowship training in medical Oncology and Hematology. There, he participated in many areas of cancer research, particularly the area of combinations of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Dr. Freimann has presented papers at the annual meetings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Society of Hematology, and published articles in the Journal of Clinical Oncology and American Journal of Clinical Oncology.

Trained in treating a broad spectrum of solid tumors, benign and malignant hematologic conditions, Dr. Freimann’s particular interests are in treating breast cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer and lymphoma.

Professional Memberships:

• American Society of Clinical Oncology
• American College of Physicians
• California Medical Association
• Medical Oncology Association of Southern California

Patient Care Philosophy

Dr. Freimann and his family live in Whittier. He likes to spend his free time watching the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim play at Angel Stadium. In addition to being an avid baseball fan, Dr. Freimann also enjoys the outdoors, skiing in the winter, camping and fishing in the High Sierras in the summer.

Highly committed to providing the best patient care, Dr. Alexander Gaitanis is a board-certified Oncologist and Internal Medicine physician by the American Board of Medical Oncology and American Board of Internal Medicine.  Dr. Gaitanis received his undergraduate degree from Philadelphia University with a Bachelors of Science degree in Biology. He then attended Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine where he earned his Post-Baccalaureate degree in Bio-Medical Sciences followed by his medical degree. He then went on to complete his Internship and Internal Medicine residency. This was followed by an Oncology/Hematology fellowship at the University of Florida. In addition to his clinical training, he spent a year at the University of Tennessee Department of Medicine as an Internal Medicine physician between his residency and fellowship.

Dr. Gaitanis has received numerous awards during his educational and teaching career, including the Resident Research award, and is a published author in the field of cancer nanotechnology.  

Dr. Gaitanis is fluent in Greek.

Professional Memberships

• American Society of Clinical Oncology
• American Society of Hematology

Patient Care Philosophy

Dr. Gaitanis is actively involved in patient care and is committed to providing compassionate, quality care and improving his patient’s quality of life. He finds this part of his work very gratifying. He works hard to provide his patients access to the best care available and empower them through their treatments by providing them with a clear diagnosis and access to the latest technology, treatment options, support, and clinical trials.

A firm believer and advocate of whole-person care, Dr. Gamal was born in Cairo, Egypt and received his Doctor of Medicine with honors from Ain Shams University in Cairo before moving to the United States. He then completed his Internal Medicine residency at the Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, NJ before completing his Hematology and Medical Oncology fellowship at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, PA. Dr. Gamal's prior appointments included serving as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. In 2005, he moved to the west coast and served as the Attending Physician and Partner for the Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology at Beaver Medical Group in Redlands, CA where he was a co-investigator for multiple phase II and III clinical research trials before joining The Oncology Institute of Hope and Innovation.

Dr. Gamal has received numerous awards including “Polaris Recognition” and the “Orion Award” for outstanding patient care. He has also presented on topics such as Extranodal Marginal Zone Lymphomas of MALT-Type, Quinine-Induced Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome, and Thrombotic Microangiopaties as well as co-authored a chapter about unusual lymphomas in "Blood Disorders in the Elderly" reference manual in 2008.

Professional Memberships:

• American Society of Clinical Oncology
• California Medical Association
• Christian Medical and Dental Association

Patient Care Philosophy:

Dr. Gamal strives to deliver comprehensive and compassionate whole-person care with a personalized approach that meets the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of each patient.  He achieves this through a multi-disciplinary approach of open communication and collaboration with surgeons, radiologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists and other members of the patient's care team.   He places a high value on symptom management to maximize quality of life for each patient throughout all phases of his/her treatment journey.  Dr. Gamal's motto, "There is always hope" is evident as he guides his patients every step of the way.

Born and raised in the East Coast, Dr. Huang earned his B.S. in Biology from Cornell University and his M.D. from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine. He completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and his fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at UCLA – Olive View Medical Center. During his training, Dr. Huang was active in research at the Louis Warschaw Prostate Cancer Center and at UCLA – Olive View Medical Center studying the links between obesity and outcome in patients with prostate cancer and breast cancer.  Prior to joining the Oncology Institute of Hope and Innovation, he spent two years in private practice in Newport Beach.  Through his training and private practice, he has gained a wealth of clinical experience in oncology and hematology. 

Dr. Huang is fluent in Spanish and Mandarin Chinese.

Professional memberships:

• American Society of Clinical Oncology

Patient care philosophy

Dr. Huang endeavors to find the intersection between science and compassion in caring for his patients.  He seeks to design personalized treatment strategies for each individual while helping them maintain the highest possible quality of life.  Dr. Huang knows that the doctor-patient relationship in oncology is unlike any other and strives to build a relationship based on trust and mutual respect.  He enjoys and makes use of every opportunity to educate his patients so that they are informed and empowered during their journey through the practice. 

Dr. Huang enjoys playing basketball, watching football, cooking, and - most of all - spending time with his wife and three young sons.

Born and raised in Chicago, Dr. Huang attended Medical School there and earned his MD at the University of Illinois. This was followed by Internship and Residency at Northwestern University McGaw Medical Center. He then worked as a Hospitalist at downtown Chicago's famous Cook County Hospital, gaining intensive and valuable medical experience, before returning to University of Illinois Medical Center to complete a Hematology and Oncology Fellowship, finishing as Chief Fellow. Among many honors, his research abstract studying "The Function of HGMA2 Gene in Idiopathic Bone Marrow Fibrosis" was selected for oral presentation at the American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting.  Being Triple Board-Certified in Oncology, Hematology, and Internal Medicine, he then worked in full-time practice in Michigan for six years, treating thousands of patients with every type of cancer or blood disorder, publishing several manuscripts, and serving on Multidisciplinary Tumor Boards for Breast, Lung, and Gastrointestinal Cancers, as well as multiple Quality Improvement Councils at the Cancer Center. Now with comprehensive training and practical experience, Dr. Huang joins us in Southern California to continue delivering state-of-the-art cancer treatment to patients while showing compassion to them and their families.

Dr. Huang is fluent in Mandarin Chinese. 

Professional Memberships:

• American Society of Clinical Oncology
• American Society of Hematology

Patient Care Philosophy:

"Knowledge is Power - especially in the fight against cancer." Having acquired special training in communicating with cancer patients called The OncoTalk program, Dr. Huang is particularly renowned for his ability to listen to his patients and educate them, explaining highly complex treatment options without complex jargon. 

Dr. Huang is a devoted husband and proud father of three. He cherishes family time and is also passionate about any activity outdoors, particularly hiking, camping, and scuba diving.

Dr. Kim grew up in Japan in a Korean household, but most of his life was spent in the Los Angeles area.  He earned his undergraduate degree with high honors in Molecular Cell Biology from University of California, Berkeley.  He then earned two masters degrees, one from Biola University in cultural anthropology, and another from Dartmouth College in epidemiology and biostatistics.  His medical degree was earned from Loma Linda University School of Medicine.  This was followed by an internal medicine residency at UCLA - Olive View Medical Center where he was recognized as the most humanistic intern, the most outstanding intern, and the most outstanding resident for two years in a row.  He also served as the chief resident of his internal medicine residency, during which he held simultaneous appointment as a Clinical Instructor of Medicine at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.  He then trained in hematology and medical oncology at UCLA - Olive View and Cedars-Sinai Medical Centers, where he was recognized as the most outstanding fellow for two years in a row.  During his fellowship, his focus of research was on gastrointestinal malignancies, especially in gastric cancer involving young patients. 

Dr. Kim has presented on the topic of multiple myeloma at a national meeting for the Society of General Internal Medicine, and has published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, Southern Medical Journal, and Acta Oto-laryngologica, and eMedicine. Dr. Kim has traveled to Honduras, the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, and East Asia on medical mission trips through Global Health Outreach. Dr. Kim believes in a whole-person approach to medical care. Medical, physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of care are of utmost importance. 

Dr. Kim speaks both Japanese and Korean

Professional Memeberships:

• American Society of Clinical Oncology
• American Society of Hematology
• American Medical Association / California Medical Association
• American College of Physicians
• Christian Medical Association
• Korean American Medical Association
• Phi Beta Kappa
• Royal Society of Medicine

A firm believer in providing quality care to both patients and their families, Dr. Reynolds is triple-board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine, American Board of Medical Oncology, and American Board of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Fellowship trained in Medical Oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, Dr. Reynolds earned his medical degree at Ohio State University College of Medicine in 1974 and completed his residency over at Carney Hospital at Boston University.  Dr. Reynolds also has two graduate degrees, which include a M.S. in Physical Chemistry from Northwestern University and a M.B.A. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Besides his vast experience as a medical oncologist, Dr. Reynolds has also held several academic appointments, including serving as an Assistant Professor of Medicine over at Albany Medical College and Boston University’s School of Medicine.  He also served as the Instructor of Medicine at Cornell University’s Medical College.

Professional Memberships

American Society of Clinical Oncology
American College of Physicians

Patient Philosophy

Dr. Reynolds believes that the best care address the medical, social, psychological, and spiritual issues that arise while providing restorative, curative, or life-prolonging treatment. This is the core of what palliative care provides patients. It also includes awareness of all ethical modes of care such as acupuncture, massage, chiropractic, nutritional supplements, and prayers are just some of the many.

Dr. Rupani received his Bachelors of Science in Biochemistry and Cell Biology degree from the University of California, San Diego, La Jolla with honors.   After medical school, he completed his internship year in internal medicine at the University of Connecticut.  Subsequently Dr. Rupani returned to Los Angeles where he completed both his internal medicine training and hematology-oncology training at LAC-USC Medical Center.  Trained in oncologic and hematologic malignancies as well as hematological disorders, Dr. Rupani shares a special interest in lymphomas.  Dr. Rupani seeks to educate and empower his patients. He is dedicated to the comprehensive well-being of his patients and to the quality of their lives.

Dr. Rupani is fluent in Spanish.

 Professional Memberships:

• American Society of Clinical Oncology  
• American Society of Hematology  
• American College of Physicians  

Patient Care Philosophy

Dr. Rupani understands that there is a person behind the disease.  He takes great deal of interest in educating his patients about their disease to empower them through one of their most difficult times during their lives.  

Dr. Rupani's philosophy is in treating the patient with a multidisciplinary approach including not only the Surgical Team, Radiation Oncologist, and Radiologist but also a Nutritionist, Pscychologist, Physical Therapist and Social Worker. All these team members assist in the emotional and physical journey during the patient’s battle against their disease and for a positive outcome.