Fidel Arturo Valea MD

Fidel Valea, MD is the system chief of gynecologic oncology at Northwell Health and the director of gynecologic oncology for the Northwell Health Cancer Institute. He previously served as the Director of Gynecologic Oncology for the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) from 2018-2021 after serving six years as a member of that division. With 25 years of service, he is one of the nation's longest-standing oral board examiners for the ABOG. He also proudly serves on the board of directors of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Dr. Valea has won numerous regional and national teaching awards. During his 12-year tenure at Stony Brook, he served as the Principal Investigator for the Gynecologic Oncology national study group and Division Head. Afterward, he was recruited to Duke University School of Medicine where he held several leadership positions, including vice chair of education and both residency director and fellowship director in gynecologic oncology.

Among the many clinical trials Dr. Valea has been involved in, he is most known for his work in improving perioperative care (ERAS), surgical education, and preinvasive diseases of the cervix. He was also involved in the development of sentinel lymph node mapping for patients with endometrial cancer, a technique for successfully identifying the most important lymph nodes to remove in these patients.

Born in Cuba and raised in New York, Dr. Valea was inspired as a child by a close family role model who pursued a path in medicine. He continued to meet mentors in different clinical specialties that cultivated his interest in becoming a surgeon, and specifically a gynecologic oncologist. Although Dr. Valea has a passion for surgery and fixing things with his hands, first and foremost, he's a "people person."

Dr. Valea loves the lifelong relationships that he develops in this field. In fact, he keeps every card and every gift that patients have given him over the years. He takes the time to build a personal connection with not just each patient, but with their support systems as well, so that everyone can feel "happier, safer, connected and more comfortable" through every step of their journey together.