Mission & History

Dr. John Brown entered practice on the west side in 1964 as the first formally trained oncologist in community practice in the state of Minnesota.

Dr. Brown's colleague and future practice partner, Dr. Irving Lerner, was the first physician formally trained in medical oncology to enter private practice in Saint Paul in 1967.

The first joint practice of oncology on the Minneapolis side of the river was Oncologic Consultants, formed by Dr. John Brown, Dr. Ignatio Fortuny, and Dr. Burton Schwartz.

Dr. Mark Sborov and Dr. Margaret MacRae joined this group and opened the first suburban oncology practice, located in Edina on the campus of Fairview Southdale Hospital.

During the same time period on the Saint Paul side of the river, Dr. Lerner with Dr. John Wangsness started Saint Paul Internal Medicine, while Dr. Lewis and Dr. Michael Lobell formed Saint Paul Hematology and Oncology, and were later joined by Dr. Ken Caldwell and Dr. Rodger Johnson.  Dr. John Savage was also practicing gynecologic oncology in Saint Paul at that time.

Dr. Schwartz approached the three Saint Paul oncology groups, and in 1995 one metropolitan practice known as Minnesota Oncology Hematology, P.A. (MOHPA) was formed.

These physicians were destined to become leaders who would help establish the framework for the specialty community cancer care that Twin Cities residents know today.

Minnesota Oncology’s history reflects healthcare in general, in that small has had to become large to provide effectively for an ever more sophisticated and demanding patient base in a climate of limited financial resources.

In 1996, the physicians of MOHPA entered into a long-term management services arrangement with a practice management company based in Texas, now US Oncology. Practice leaders sensed the nascent need to link arms with dedicated oncologists and hematologists across the nation – to participate in establishing standards of care, increase access to clinical research trials, attract the most qualified physicians, and maximize practice efficiencies by sharing data and fine-tuning best practices.

Over the course of the past decade, the intent and purposes of this affiliation have been fully realized.

The research capability of US Oncology affiliates has made it possible for the network to contribute to the development of many of the latest cancer-fighting drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use.

In order to make the practice more easily recognizable in the community, a brand identity change was undertaken in 2009, changing our market brand name from MOHPA to Minnesota Oncology.

Our new company logo and tagline represent the science of cancer treatment, as well as the emotional, educational, financial and practical assistance we offer to our patients and their families.

In recruiting new physicians and staff, Minnesota Oncology works with the leading fellowship programs in the country including the Mayo Clinic and University of Minnesota.

In 2013 Minnesota Oncology added a clinic at WestHealth in Plymouth, expanding our northwest metro presence. And in August 2014, we opened our Chaska Clinic in the Lakeview Professional Building, bringing comprehensive cancer care to the southwest metro.

With over 70 providers – physicians, physician assistants and certified nurse practitioners – now practicing in 11 clinic locations across the greater Twin Cities metro area, Minnesota Oncology is the largest independent oncology practice in the state of Minnesota.

In 2023, Minnesota Oncology added two new clinic locations. Our Maple Grove clinic opened in May 2023. Our services also extended into Wisconsin, with our Hudson clinic opening in August 2023.