David E. Rivadeneira, MD, MBA, FACS, FASCRS, is director of Northwell Health Cancer Institute at Huntington and physician-in-chief of clinical strategic initiatives for Northwell facilities across eastern Long Island. He's a board-certified, multilingual general surgeon and colorectal surgeon who provides leading-edge care for colon and rectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, as well as diverticulitis. "I've always wanted to help people," says Dr. Rivadeneira, who completed his residency in general surgery at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, training at both New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Rivadeneira, who joined Northwell in 2013, works alongside a multidisciplinary team including oncologists, geneticists and nutritionists to give patients complete and convenient care. Consultations can usually be made within 24 to 48 hours at various Long Island locations-and everyone receives the care they deserve. "I treat people like I'd want a family member to be treated," says Dr. Rivadeneira. "I speak to patients in a way that helps them really understand their care-it's clear, concise and always compassionate." A professor of surgery at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Dr. Rivadeneira also instructs surgeons throughout the country and abroad. He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons and the Society of Surgical Oncology, among others. He also works closely with Northwell research partner Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory on tissue analysis for critical research studies for the very best patient care-now and in the future. "Seeing patients have better quality of life with no more pain, and seeing them enjoy major life milestones because of treatment-it just doesn't get any better than that," he says.