Lee Ponsky, MD
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Specialty: Urology, Urology-Urologic Oncology
View Expertise -
Primary Location: 3999 Richmond Rd (7 mi.)
Other Locations - Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Office Locations
Biography: Lee Ponsky, MD
Expertise
Titles
- Director, Urologic Oncology Center, UH Seidman Cancer Center
- Chair, Department of Urology, UH Cleveland Medical Center
- Professor, CWRU School of Medicine
Certifications & Memberships
- Urology - American Board of Urology
Education
Fellowship | Endoscopy - Advanced
Endoscopy - Advanced - Cleveland Clinic (2004 - 2005)
Research Fellowship | Urologic Oncology
Urologic Oncology - Cleveland Clinic (2003 - 2004)
Residency | Urology
Urology - Cleveland Clinic (1998 - 2003)
Internship | General Surgery
General Surgery - Cleveland Clinic (1997 - 1998)
Medical Education
Case Western Reserve University (1997)
Undergraduate
University Of Rochester (1993)
Awards
- Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award, 2011
- Urology Institute Faculty Teaching Award, 2011
- The Richard Cornuelle Award for Social Entrepreneurship, The Manhattan Institute, 2011
- Rescuer of Humanity Award, Project Love, 2011
- The Arnold P. Gold Foundation God Doc Award, 2009
- Outstanding Recent Alumni Award, Case Western Reserve University, 2009
- Crain’s Cleveland Forty under 40, 2008
About
Lee Ponsky, MD, attended University of Rochester as an undergraduate and then Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He began his training at the Cleveland Clinic and completed his residency and extended his training to do a research fellowship in urologic oncology, followed by an additional fellowship in Advanced Urologic Laparoscopy and Endourology.
In 2005 Dr. Ponsky joined the faculty at University Hospitals, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and is currently the chairman of the Department of Urology and Director of the UH Urology Institute. He is a professor of urology and holds the Leo and Charlotte Goldberg Chair in Advanced Surgical Therapies, and a Master Clinician in Urologic Oncology. He has over 100 publications and has been invited as a visiting professor at numerous national and international conferences and institutions. Dr. Ponsky is the co-principle investigator on an NIH RO1 grant. He is the editor-in-chief of a textbook on robotic radiosurgery and has authored more than 12 textbook chapters.
Dr. Ponsky has received numerous accolades for his medical contributions as well as his role as the founder of MedWish International in 1993. MedWish is a not-for-profit organization that saves lives and the environment by repurposing discarded medical supplies and equipment to provide humanitarian aid in developing countries. Recognitions include: U.S. Congressional Recognition; Crains Forty under Forty, as one of Northeast Ohio’s most influential people under the age of 40; Cleveland Upstander: Portraits of Courage; the recipient of the Golden Doc Award, from the Arnold P. Gold Foundation; and received the Rescuer of Humanity Award from Project Love, which recognizes and honors an individual or an organization of national or international stature, which has chosen to use their leadership beyond professional or institutional requirements to positively change the course of humanity. He has also been recognized by the Manhattan Institute in New York with the Richard Cornuelle Award for Social Entrepreneurship, for originating and effectively implemented a new nonprofit organization providing direct services to those in need. In 2011, he was recognized by Smart Business as the nonprofit board executive of the year and also received the University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Urology Institute Faculty Teaching Award from his students and residents, for recognition of outstanding commitment and efforts to student and resident teaching. In 2019 he received the Champion of Integrity Award by the Better Business Bureau for consistently displaying an aggressive commitment to ethical, honest and fair business practices.
Dr. Ponsky also serves as a founding board member of the non-profit MedWorks, which provides free health care to the uninsured and underinsured. Lee and his wife Monica have three children, Ilan, Eric and Maiya.
Research & Publications
Research Interests
Advanced imaging techniques (particularly MRI) for the diagnosis and management of prostate cancer, Active surveillance for prostate cancer, Robotic radiosurgery for kidney tumors
Featured Videos
Watch to find out more about this University Hospitals provider.
Watch UH Urology Institute Chairman Lee Ponsky, MD share his vision-forward for the UH Urology Institute.
Patient Experience Reviews
This is a great doctor and fantastic group of professionals that work in an exceptionally well taken care of facility. Make sure you keep it going this way!
100% satisfied
Good
I formally saw Dr. Ponsky more than 20 years ago. When I recently needed a urological issue addressed, I contacted his office for an appointment. I would not go to any other urologist. Dr. Ponsky listens carefully to your concerns and addresses each issue with thorough explanations. University Hospitals is certainly lucky yo have him on their team!
My impression was a very good doctor and a very nice and polite staff.
Very eficient doctor,but very busy
Very great care about me as a person and my healyh
Very professional provider. His office always follows up with needed information, orders or test results.
Caring & professional medical team
Excellent
There are none to say
Dr. Ponsky is absolutely awesome. He instills a sense of confidence in me that is wonderful. I trust him and his recommendations entirely!
Dr. Ponsky has provided me with excellent care for many years.
All personnel very friendly
Dr Ponsky is absolutely a wonderful Doctor. I feel like I am under the care of the BEST Dr. To help with my needs.
Dr. Ponsky is an excellent doctor
Excellent visit
Very confident with my care team.
Always an excellent experience with Dr. Ponsky.
Dr. Ponsky is truly an outstanding doctor...He truly cares for his patients, and goes above and beyond to ensure that as a patient I recieve the best care...compassionately, and quickly. .. Dr. Ponsky has a truly amazing vision of how to help patients from the first time you see him and throughout your care... I am so fortunate he is my doctor...He is the perfect example of how all doctors should treat their patents...He is...The Best of the Best...
All staff were extremely pleasant and professional.
Great doctor - great patient and good staff - ***
Excellent
Since I started seeing Dr Ponsky over 15 years ago, he has set a high bar for patient care and surgical procedures.
Dr. Ponsky is fabulous. ***
Liked Dr Ponsky very much. Very sincere unlike most doctors.
Dr Ponsky is personable, professional and knowledgeable. I feel very comfortable in his care.
Excellent Urologist and staff. Very efficient office.
Very happy with my care with Dr Ponsky! I trust him with my care.
Great doctor....literally, a life saver! Greatly respect his expertise and admire his dedication to his profession. Bonus is that I like him as a person. Poor guy needs a break from patient load, IMHO.
I feel I'm receiving the best care possible with Dr Pinski and his staff
Overall excellent experience. This provider was a referral from another family member. I would say exceeded expectations.
Dr Ponsky and his entire team are magnificent. I couldn't ask for a better staff to look after my health.
I found the staff particularly polite and professional.
All went well. The doctor explained everything very thoroughly I was very impressed with his bedside mannerlooop
All good
The medical staff (care provider) did an outstanding job.
Extremely pleased with caregivers help and assistance.
Effective and efficient
I love my doctor but would have liked to have seen him in person. I didn't get a chance to finish my virtual visit because we got disconnected.
First class
First Time meeting Dr.Ponsky... He was easy to talk with and discuss my future tests and made the discussion easy to understand.
Very blessed to have Dr Ponsky as a provider. Direct, amazingly intelligent and conveys a positive attitude every visit. His bedside manner helps to calm patients facing cancer.
Great Doctor and Staff ***
The Doctor and the staff are wonderful. ***
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Industry Relationships
University Hospitals is committed to transparency in our interactions with industry partners, such as pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical device companies. At UH, we disclose practitioner and their family members’ ownership and intellectual property rights that are or in the process of being commercialized. In addition, we disclose payments to employed practitioners of $5,000 or more from companies with which the practitioners interact as part of their professional activities. These practitioner-industry relationships assist in developing new drugs, devices and therapies and in providing medical education aimed at improving quality of care and enhancing clinical outcomes. At the same time, UH understands that these relationships may create a conflict of interest. In providing this information, UH desires to assist patients in talking with their practitioners about industry relationships and how those relationships may impact their medical care.
UH practitioners seek advance approval for certain new industry relationships. In addition, practitioners report their industry relationships and activities, as well as those of their immediate family members, to the UH Office of Outside Interests annually. We review these reports and implement management plans, as appropriate, to address conflicts of interest that may arise in connection with medical research, clinical care and purchasing decisions.
View UH’s policy (PDF) on practitioner-industry relationships.
As of December 31, 2016, Lee Ponsky disclosed the following Outside Relationships with Industry:
- - Accuray Inc. - Consulting
- - Tengion Inc. - Consulting