Medical Oncologist • Mary Bird Perkins
William Varnado returned to Louisiana in 2020 with a goal: help patients receive cancer care close to the people and places that sustain them.
After serving as chief fellow in hematology and oncology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the Denham Springs native brought that experience home. He treats patients at Mary Bird Perkins and helps expand the systems supporting their care.
He co-founded Baton Rouge’s first multidisciplinary breast cancer clinic with a colleague, bringing specialists together in one visit so newly diagnosed patients could receive coordinated recommendations and connect with support services. As a principal investigator for national clinical trials, he helps make research opportunities available locally.
A partner and executive member of Louisiana Hematology Oncology Associates, Varnado has contributed to the growth of Louisiana’s largest physician-owned medical oncology practice and serves as Baton Rouge General’s chief of oncology.
His community outreach emphasizes prevention, early detection and access to research. Behind those leadership roles is a perspective he returns to daily: He will see many cancer journeys, but each patient has only one.
How I define success: “Patients not only living but thriving in the midst of cancer treatment”
Professional philosophy: “When you think you are having a bad day, put yourself in the place of the
patient on the other side of that clinic door.”
