by Brenda Maceo
As City of Hope leaders and faculty work to update the organization’s strategic plan, they’re looking back – at the successes and failures of the 2002 plan – in order to move forward.
Executive Vice President, Medical & Scientific Affairs, Ted Krontiris, M.D., Ph.D., who is leading the strategic planning process, updated the Clinical and Scientific Executive Team (CSET) on where City of Hope now stands four years after the launch of the last strategic plan.
"In most categories we exceeded our projections for where we would be in 2005," said Krontiris. "We just didn’t always get there in the ways we thought we would."
For instance, total revenue was projected to reach $446 million by 2005. The actual revenue for FY2005 was $39 million more than that, at nearly $485 million. The components of the total revenue, however, were not as projected. Net patient revenue exceeded expectations by $71 million and royalties were more than $48 million over projection. Conversely, fundraising revenue was less than expected due to extremely ambitious goals and an economic downturn. Research grants came in slightly ahead of expectations.
Reflecting the increase in patient revenue, Krontiris shared the most recent data from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD), which showed that total in-patient discharges increased from 3,757 in 2001 to 4,001 in 2004. He pointed out that City of Hope and Cedars-Sinai Medical Center were the only two facilities in Southern California with increases in total cancer discharges.
The increase was even more dramatic for the disease programs identified as priorities in City of Hope’s 2002 strategic plan. Those programs – prostate, breast, colorectal and lung – combined moved from the 10th most discharges in the state (at 1,017), to represent the fifth most discharges in the state (at 1,209), indicating a dramatic jump in market share.
"This trend should continue," noted Krontiris. "The opening of Helford Hospital and the continued expansion and improvement of our patient care facilities give us a big advantage moving forward."
On the research front, the 2002 strategic plan identified stem cell, transplant and developmental biology; tumor immunology/immunotherapy; and experimental therapeutics as the priority growth areas. Krontiris recounted accomplishments in each of those areas including major grants, faculty recruitments and program development activities including the formation of new departments and divisions. He also described other areas of growth in the research program that supported the strategic plan, including a $12 million, five-year Department of Defense initiative in biologic and molecular imaging.
Krontiris concluded his update presentation by reviewing the plans and progress regarding research facilities since 2002. He noted the purchase of the Baxter building, which is currently undergoing renovation, expansion of the animal facility and the development of a new biohazard facility. He also discussed longer-term plans for new buildings for Transfusion Medicine, Cancer Immunotherapy & Tumor Immunology, Experimental Therapeutics and Stem Cell Research.
"It’s an exciting time at City of Hope," Krontiris said to CSET members. "I look forward to your active involvement and input as we plan for the next five years."
