By Dansby Evans
City of Hope leaders recently launched a new initiative to develop strategic integrated programs at the institution. A working committee of City of Hope’s Senior Leadership Council issued an internal request for proposals to gather ideas for developing these new programs. The institution wants to identify and develop a pipeline of programs that achieve national or international prominence, contribute to City of Hope’s National Cancer Institute comprehensive cancer center designation and lead to demonstrable results.
Leaders point to City of Hope’s hematologic malignancies program as an example.
The request for proposals calls for a “team science” approach that cuts across departments and divisions, leverages existing strengths and combines elements of research, clinical trials, translational research and technology.
Michael A. Friedman, M.D., president and chief executive officer, explained that City of Hope’s basic, clinical and translational research directions evolved over time without a specific strategy for selecting and building the best possible integrated programs. “With the institution’s strategic direction more clearly defined, this process will focus our efforts and identify the programmatic investments required to achieve our goals,” Friedman said.
Proposals are due Jan. 15 and will be reviewed by the Cancer Center Leadership Committee. Members will evaluate submissions on specific criteria: documented excellence in basic, clinical and translational science; a significant patient population to conduct clinical trials; and alignment with the institution’s strategic goals and priorities, among others.
“We have many, many outstanding clinical and research programs,” said Robert Figlin, M.D., Arthur and Rosalie Kaplan Professor of Medical Oncology and interim cancer center director, “and we are looking for our next opportunities to develop truly world-class integrated programs that incorporate all elements of clinical care, basic and translational research, using our hematology program as the standard bearer.”
Figlin said the group initially will select the two or three programs that most closely meet the criteria. “Our hope is that this process will enable us to identify a robust pipeline of program ideas that we can continue to develop and invest in over time,” Figlin said. Following the Cancer Center Leadership Committee’s review, an external review committee will conduct a site visit, where members will evaluate top submissions and issue recommendations about how best to develop the ideas.
More information about the process is available from Figlin or through the strategic integrated program link on the City of Hope intranet front page.