Leadership, Planning and Evaluation

Research Inst Of Fox Chase Can Ctr, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT – LEADERSHIP, PLANNING, AND EVALUATION The Fox Chase Cancer Center (FCCC) has established an expanded, highly effective leadership team and structure for planning and evaluation. The FCCC Director, Chernoff assembled a new team shortly after his appointment as Director in 2021. The FCCC Cancer Center Leadership Committee (CCLC) consists of the Director, along with the Deputy Director, Chief Scientific Officer, and Associate Directors. The CCLC and Chernoff are the FCCC's policy-making body, establishing the vision for the Center and ensuring that FCCC meets its strategic goals to enhance cancer research that impacts the population of its catchment area (CA). Under the leadership of Chernoff, the CCLC revised and continues to monitor the efficacy of the FCCC research programs, shared resources, membership, community outreach and engagement, training, and education and commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access. The CCLC utilizes internal and external advice to effectively plan and evaluate new programmatic initiatives, faculty recruitment, shared resources, foster team science and exploit opportunities to advance the FCCC’s progress. In 2022, with input from internal and external stakeholders, the CCLC began to implement the Center’s new strategic plan, which comprises a roadmap to invest in and develop Center priorities in alignment with its revitalized relationship with Temple University Health System (TUHS) and Temple University (TU), and the CA priorities. The plan, which was endorsed by the External Advisory Board (EAB), guided the leadership to transform cancer research at FCCC by creating a collaborative culture focused on discovery. In doing so, Chernoff has acquired and invested significant new institutional support to recruit new faculty, improve infrastructure, enhance shared resources, reorganize and expand clinical trial capabilities, expand community outreach with the advice of the Community Advisory Board, enhance training and education, formulate a Plan to Enhance Diversity, and develop mechanisms to bring FCCC discovery into the clinic. Accomplishments since 2019, driven by the new strategic plan, include: 1) Program reorganization resulting in two new programs 2) recruitment of 31 new faculty, 3) NCI funding increased by 12%, from $9.6M to $10.7M (DC), 4) Peer-reviewed funding increased by 21%, from $20.4M to $24.8M (DC). 5) Publication output increased from 1971 in the 2014-2019 funding period to 2,401 in this period, with an increase in high impact (IF >10) publications from 580 to 635. 6) Accruals to all interventional trials increased from 1,410 in 2019 to 1,809 in 2023, with treatment trial accruals increasing from 540 to 690, representing ~11.3% of newly registered cases. 7) IIT accrual accounted for 76% of interventional enrollments and 63% of treatment enrollments and included translation of multiple FCCC discoveries into the clinic. and 8) Improved integration across all three FCCC campuses with appointment of two new senior leaders and more intentional focus on collaboration. Under Chernoff’s direction and strong leadership team, guided by the new strategic plan, enhanced integration with TU and with strong institutional support, a continued upward trajectory of progress is expected at FCCC.