ACCC and Lilly Announce Seven Awardees of the Healthcare Improvement Initiative “Improving the Precision Oncology Care Pathway”

ROCKVILLE, Md., March 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The Association of Cancer Care Centers (ACCC), in collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company, is pleased to announce the seven recipients of the “Improving the Precision Oncology Care Pathway” Request for Proposals (RFP).

The grant program invited community hospital-based programs and physician group practices to apply for grants to develop targeted, actionable solutions, based on quality improvement methodology, to effectively address patient loss along the precision oncology care pathway.

Awardees

The following cancer programs have been selected to receive funding for their innovative proposals:

• Northside Hospital, Inc. | Genomics Care Coordination Pilot
• Parkview Hospital, Inc. | Quality Improvement Initiative to Measure Process Improvement for Clinical Practice Gaps in Precision Oncology
• Sanford Health | Increasing Access to Comprehensive Genomic Testing: Nurse Navigation Workflows
• The Queenʻs Medical Center | Improving the Precision Oncology Care Pathway: Pancreatic Cancer
• Thomas Jefferson University | Developing Reproducible Processes to Identify and Mitigate Gaps in Molecular Diagnostic Testing
• University of Alabama at Birmingham | OPTIMATCH Oncology Patient-Tailored Inclusion Matching using Artificial Trial-Criteria Computation Heuristics
• University of Washington | Improving the Precision Oncology Care Pathway

“Precision medicine requires a deep understanding of the nuances of tumor molecular testing, but also a systematic plan for implementation and integration into everyday practice,” said ACCC member Stacey Cohen, MD. “Through this grant program, ACCC member programs and practices are offered a unique opportunity to explore quality improvement initiatives that expedite the implementation and sustainability of precision oncology efforts within their own health systems.”

“Lilly is committed to supporting initiatives that foster the translation of scientific evidence into clinical practice and improve patient outcomes,” said Kara Clinton, Senior Vice President of Oncology Global Medical Affairs, Eli Lilly and Company.  “This initiative was an opportunity for Lilly to collaborate with ACCC to support community healthcare systems in addressing barriers preventing optimal biomarker-informed cancer care and ensure more patients can benefit from precision oncology.” 

Addressing Clinical Gaps in Precision Oncology

This grant program asked that oncology programs identify site-specific challenges and develop clear, actionable strategies to  address them, with a strong emphasis on improving patient care. The funded proposals are designed to:

• Analyze and address key healthcare gaps in patient outcomes, system processes, and/or healthcare provider performance.
• Implement measurable interventions to reduce variation and improve care quality for patients with solid tumors.
• Demonstrate interdisciplinary collaboration to achieve long-term impact.

About ACCC

The Association of Cancer Care Centers (ACCC) is the leading advocacy and education organization for the multidisciplinary cancer care team. More than 45,000 cancer care professionals from over 1,700 hospitals and practices nationwide are affiliated with ACCC. Providing a national forum for addressing issues that affect community cancer programs, ACCC is recognized as the premier provider of resources for the entire oncology care team. Our members include medical and radiation oncologists, surgeons, cancer program administrators and medical directors, senior hospital executives, practice managers, pharmacists, oncology nurses, radiation therapists, social workers, and cancer program data managers. For more information, visit ACCC’s website at www.accc-cancer.org. Follow us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and read our blog, ACCCBuzz.

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SOURCE Association of Cancer Care Centers (ACCC)