General Info

An innovator and leader in the field of medical oncology/hematology, William N. Harwin, MD is a highly respected clinician and researcher, as well as medical administrator. Since founding Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS) in 1984, Dr. Harwin has guided the organization to a national reputation for excellence. He started his medical practice as a solo practitioner with his wife Marilyn as the only employee February 23, 1984. Dr. Harwin is passionate about ensuring that patients have convenient access to world-class oncology care close to home. Board-certified in Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology and Hematology, he provides compassionate, personalized care to patients in Lee County, with a focus on encouraging participation in clinical trials. Although he treats all forms of cancer, Dr. Harwin has a special interest in lymphomas, gastrointestinal cancer, prostate cancer and breast cancer, having lost his first wife to the disease in 2006. His personal experience with cancer has given him a unique perspective, both as an oncologist and as a single father. Each year he has been named one of the top doctors in Southwest Florida by “Castle Connolly: America’s Top Doctors.” Winners of this prestigious award are peer-nominated and then reviewed and chosen by a national, physician-led panel, ensuring the highest practice standards are achieved. After receiving his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, Dr. Harwin completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine, and a Fellowship in Hematology and Medical Oncology at the University of Miami. In 1997, he performed the first peripheral stem cell transplant in Southwest Florida for a woman with breast cancer. A past president of the Florida Society of Clinical Oncology (FLASCO), Dr. Harwin remains active in physician education. He is a noted lecturer and has published in leading medical journals, including the Journal of Clinical Oncology. He served for a number of years on the Editorial Board for the Oncology Business Review(OBR). In 2015, Dr. Harwin was named to the Physician Advisory Panel for Florida Blue (Blue Cross/Blue Shield), one of the largest health insurance companies in the state. Dr. Harwin has served as a principal investigator in numerous clinical trials throughout his career and was a driving force in developing the FCS Phase 1 Clinical Trials Program, which has set a national benchmark for community oncology and rivals programs at many large academic medical centers. From 2010 through 2021, Dr. Harwin was the highest accrurer of phase 1/2/3 clinical trials amongst entire group of FCS physicians. In addition to his dynamic medical practice, Dr. Harwin is devoted to his family of four adult children and seven grandchildren and his significant other Ronda.