Why 2026 Must Be the Year Oncology Leaders Add AI Strategy to the “People, Process and Technology” Triad The hype cycle surrounding artificial intelligence in cancer care has reached a familiar but dangerous simplification: the idea that more data, better models or faster algorithms will meaningfully change outcomes on their own. This framing is seductive because it shifts responsibility away from organizational design and toward technology acquisition. Experienced oncology l

As oncology organizations prepare for 2026, artificial intelligence is no longer best described as a collection of tools. What is emerging instead is a new operating reality: one in which AI systems increasingly decide what rises to attention, what gets prioritized and what actions are initiated next . This shift marks the transition from generative AI , which assists and synthesizes, to agentic AI , which reasons, orchestrates and acts. The readiness challenge for oncology l

When Seasonal Strain Reveals Structural Weakness As we close out the year, many oncology practices are doing more than reflecting on performance metrics or year-end results. They are thinking about patients and families spending the holidays in the middle of treatment and about clinicians and staff covering nights, weekends and on-call schedules. And they are thinking about where care coordination still breaks down when resources are stretched thin. The holiday season reliabl

In my last post I explored how proactive navigation and triage can reduce emergency department (“ED”) use among oncology patients. But there comes a point where these strategies, while vital, are no longer sufficient. As patients progress up what I call the “severity ladder,” their needs outgrow standard responses. Their symptom burden intensifies, psychosocial stress mounts and their prognosis often changes. At this pivot point, oncology practices must shift from reactive lo

Oncology practices transitioning into value-based and quality care models quickly discover that the most consequential utilization occurs immediately after a patient’s Emergency Department (“ED”) visit or hospitalization. Prior articles outlined the “severity ladder” and the importance of navigation and triage in preventing a patient from climbing the “ladder.” This article addresses the next step: Once a patient is hospitalized, what must the practice do operationally and fi

In recent posts, I emphasized two realities that matter deeply for community oncology teams. First, you cannot navigate every patient, and surface indicators such as HCC scores can mislead if used as blunt triage tools. Second, the events that drive navigation and triage are not abstract; they come through phone calls, patient portal messages, and the front desk when a worried patient shows up without warning. Third, when you extrapolate the real cost of emergency department

As we head into Thanksgiving, I want to begin with a heartfelt thank-you to every oncology nurse, navigator, physician, APP, scheduler, social worker, financial counselor, administrator, and care coordinator who shows up for patients every single day. Your work, often unseen but always essential, is what makes timely, safe, and equitable cancer care possible. You lift barriers, restore clarity, and carry patients through some of the hardest moments of their lives. Thank you.

In my last post, I wrote, “Knowing patients’ lived experiences is critical to successful value-based and quality care programs.” One of my own lived experiences shaped not only how I view healthcare, but why I continue to advocate for a system that rewards compassionate clinicians, supports patient-centered care, and prioritizes better outcomes over volume.  This isn’t a fictional story. It happened in our neighborhood, and it has stayed with me for decades.    Doctor. Neighb

My last article outlined the steps to build an Oncology Value-Based or Quality Care Model , starting with nurse-patient care coordination. The first step is to gather as much information as possible about your patients' clinical and psychosocial factors. Those data elements can then be used to design a patient navigation and triage program. Let's examine a framework in which the data can be utilized. A significant amount of data can be gathered, and we should focus on those e

You’ve done the hard work: the research is complete, and you’ve secured a powerful Physician Champion  to drive adoption. But a great strategy is the starting point and just a document until it’s executed. The next 90 days are the most critical phase, the implementation sprint  that translates vision into measurable patient impact. This period isn’t about perfection; it’s about focused action, rapid iteration, and team accountability. Step 1: Define the Strategy. Clarify the

Healthcare has been moving steadily from fee-for-service to models that reward outcomes and patient experience. Government programs such as MACRA/MIPS and private payer arrangements encourage health systems to manage population health and reduce unnecessary utilization, but a surprising gap remains between value-based reimbursement and the way health systems pay their physicians. A cross-sectional study of 31 physician organizations in four U.S. states found that volume-based

We've explored the demand and supply drivers of healthcare utilization. My next posts will consider how this research can help achieve success in value-based care models. First, we need to consider what defines “value" in healthcare. Why?   According various studies, U.S. healthcare spending is the highest in the world while healthcare outcomes are low, but it’s not all bad news. Oncology innovation shows even greater results. We'll explore thoughts about why in a future post

While the population health pioneers discussed in my previous posts were exploring consumer- driven facets of healthcare utilization...

When we talk about value-based care today, it’s easy to focus on recent policy changes or the latest technology platforms. But the roots...

My transition to a value-based care consulting role prompted me to look over the years I’ve spent in the healthcare field. The models we...