Chapter 12: The Center for Global Oncology Becomes the MD Anderson Cancer Network, Part I

Chapter 12: The Center for Global Oncology Becomes the MD Anderson Cancer Network, Part I

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Description

Ms. Hay explains how institutional growth has resulted in reorganization that has brought the Center for Global Oncology into the new MD Anderson Cancer Network. The aim, she explains, has been to address the disconnect between business development and research.

She talks about the “product line” of connections with MD Anderson: partnerships, sister institutions, and certified membership.

Ms. Hay also explains the process by which the MD Anderson Network’s significance has been clarified within MD Anderson, winning support from division heads. Since division heads must approve physicians working in partner institutions, this facilitates expansion.

Identifier

HayAC_02_20150602_C12

Publication Date

6-2-2015

City

Houston, Texas

Topics Covered

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center - Building the Institution; Entrepreneurs, Biotechnology; Institutional Mission and Values; MD Anderson Culture; The Business of MD Anderson; The MD Anderson Brand, Reputation; MD Anderson History; Institutional Processes; Building/Transforming the Institution; Multi-disciplinary Approaches; Growth and/or Change; Business of Research; Fiscal Realities in Healthcare

Transcript

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Okay. Well, let’s go back to this story of the Center for Global Oncology. You kind of said, back then—and I guess there have been changes since. So, tell me about how the Center for Global Oncology morphed over time.

Amy Carpenter Hay:

Over time, it’s—as, quite frankly, the partners grew, and as, institutionally, all of our programs started to grow, there was a shift from the Center of Global Oncology to what we now call the MD Anderson Cancer Network. Now, the components of the MD Anderson Cancer Network are different than the Center of Global Oncology. They included—or include still today—leadership from Business Development, which now is myself; leadership from Clinical Operations, which is now Dr. Maggie [Margaret] Row; leadership from our Physicians’ Network, which is Mr. Bill [William] Hyslop; and leadership from our regional care centers. What this has done, with the oversight of Dr. Tom [Thomas] Burke [Oral History Interview] and his role, is created a—kind of a next step in the evolution of our relationships. So, now, instead of only having our partners nationally, within the Cancer Network is also our certified members. Our certified membership is a quality program at—that is a program really geared to smaller community hospitals. It’s around quality and safety, and adherence to guidelines. So, it’s not intended to be a full integration. It’s not intended to be prospective. It’s a retrospective review of the doctors providing care. And that’s run out of our Physicians’ Network. So, we pulled that into the Cancer Network, but we pulled in a much greater focus on what we were doing regionally here in Houston. So, from a leadership perspective, that became part of the Cancer Network. And the one change that did occur was that the sister institutions in Global Academic Programs actually left the Cancer Network, or, at that time, the Center for Global Oncology, and has been residing since that time in the research side. Now I think what Dr. Bogler was, perhaps, alluding to in your conversation is that this—while this occurred, what he and I had noticed over the last year is that it is very easy for a disconnect for business and research to occur internationally. Because he has a group that is working on the research relationships, and we have a very large group working on the business international relationships. So, we have been trying to bridge that gap, meaning we’ve been working on ways to keep each other informed, keep our groups informed, have joint committees that focus on international relationships, to try to be more consistent across MD Anderson.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

What kind of problems arise when there’s that disconnect?

Amy Carpenter Hay:

Well, the disconnect is that, you know, the sister institutions’ relationships really should be research-only relationships. As human nature, everyone always asks for a bit more than what they should, and so, oftentimes, those sister institutions will request more and more services that tend to fall into the business category—more clinical delivery. And at the same time, when we in Business Development and Clinical are talking internationally, oftentimes individuals also would benefit from their research collaboration. So, not having those two programs aligned presents a challenge, and one in which, I think Dr. Bogler and I both agree, if we can keep a higher level of communication we can overcome. But, you know, that is something that we continually work on.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Mm-hmm. Do you find you’re—here I’m switching our perspective to just inside MD Anderson—is there—do you find there’s a good alignment, you know, value-wise? Do you find you have to do a lot of explaining within MD Anderson of what you do, and how there should be buy-in from other folks? I mean, is there a kind of mystery about what your role is within the institution?

Amy Carpenter Hay:

I think there has been, over time. And I’m not sure I would—I would put it as much on my role as an individual, but the network’s role as a whole. Now, what I would tell you, though, is I think that’s—over the last year to two years, that’s significantly changed. And a lot of that has to come—has come with Dr. [Ronald] DePinho’s entry into the institution. And a higher level of communication with the division heads and the leadership at MD Anderson. There’s really, you know, I think, two components of that. First, approximately two years ago, I was invited to sit on the executive committee of Dr. DePinho. I think that was the first big step of trying to ensure that the business development aspects of the institution were at the table and transparent across the organization. The second step is a much higher integration and direction from the division heads of MD Anderson.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

And what did that—effect did that have?

Amy Carpenter Hay:

The division heads?

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Mm-hmm.

Amy Carpenter Hay:

It—well, it in—it had the effect of, quite frankly, keeping them informed and involved in what was going on outside of MD Anderson. You know, for many years, there was a much greater focus internally on our operations. And so, this was a gradual approach to really making sure that the entire institution was informed and responsible for what we were doing outside of the Texas Medical Center.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

Yeah, you told the story about setting up that first proton—or Radiation Therapy Center in Bellaire, and how that was, like, a new idea for people. But it sounds like it’s been a slow cultural change—

Amy Carpenter Hay:

It has.

Tacey Ann Rosolowski, PhD:

—at MD Anderson, to get people to look beyond the physical boundaries of the institution.

Amy Carpenter Hay:

Absolutely. It’s been a very slow cultural change. And I think that we’re in a very nice place now. Our future development on the regional side—so, just within a thirty-five-mile radius around the Texas Medical Center—is to not only have services but to also, quite frankly, have our own unique buildings and have our own unique space in which we can control the services that are being delivered. So, it’s been a very large shift in thinking, not only internally, but also externally. This has translated into a much greater influence and relationship on our partner members because the division heads should be, and delegate their—within their staff, the authority to approve and disapprove any doctors across the network. So, by virtue of that, they have to be not only informed and involved, but also responsible for those clinical-delivery systems.

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Chapter 12: The Center for Global Oncology Becomes the MD Anderson Cancer Network, Part I

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