Access to high-quality cancer care should not depend on location, yet patients in smaller communities often face long travel distances for radiation therapy, which typically requires daily treatments over several weeks. Addressing that gap is a priority for Tennessee Oncology, which has named John G. Phillips, MD, MPH, executive vice president of radiation oncology centers to lead a multiyear expansion strategy.
Phillips and Tennessee Oncology plan to expand access by investing in comprehensive cancer centers in smaller communities, strengthening hospital partnerships and bringing advanced therapies closer to where patients live. “Many of the communities we serve have historically had limited access to radiation oncology,” Phillips said. “In many of these towns, we’re the only oncology provider—not because we’re pushing others out but because Tennessee Oncology is willing to invest in smaller communities to bring care within a reasonable distance for patients.”
The organization has shifted from primarily partnering with hospitals to directly owning and operating radiation oncology programs as part of broader cancer centers. Phillips said Tennessee Oncology now owns three radiation oncology centers with plans for further expansion, employs about 30 radiation oncologists and expects five additional hires over the next year. In his role he oversees clinical development, quality and safety initiatives, research integration and radiopharmaceutical growth across the network.
Phillips’ long-term vision is to establish comprehensive cancer centers in smaller communities that serve as local hubs for multidisciplinary care and strengthen regional health systems. “When you bring a comprehensive cancer center into a smaller community, it changes the health care landscape,” he said. “There’s a halo effect. Other specialists feel more comfortable practicing there, hospitals become stronger partners, and patients no longer have to choose between convenience and quality.”
Phillips’ interest in oncology developed through personal experiences and training. With an undergraduate degree in applied computer science, he was drawn to the technological aspects of radiation oncology, including linear accelerators and particle-based technologies. He completed residency at Harvard Medical School, earned a master of public health from Harvard and served as an attending physician at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, focusing on genitourinary and central nervous system tumors.
He led early artificial intelligence research at Harvard’s Computational Neuroscience Outcome Center, applying machine learning to predict outcomes in radiosurgery for patients with brain metastases. That work, Phillips said, helped inform approaches to personalized treatment and anticipated broader AI adoption in oncology.
A central clinical focus for Phillips is theranostics, which combines advanced molecular imaging with targeted radioligand therapy to visualize and treat cancer with precision. He was senior author on the American Society for Radiation Oncology white paper outlining quality and safety considerations for radiopharmaceutical therapy, including infrastructure, staffing, training and multidisciplinary coordination for safe implementation outside major academic centers.
“There’s a real national access issue coming with radiopharmaceuticals,” Phillips said. He cited PSMA-PET imaging and PSMA-targeted therapy such as lutetium Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan (Pluvicto) in prostate cancer as examples of how theranostics is reshaping staging and treatment, and he said similar advances are anticipated across other tumor types.
At Tennessee Oncology, Phillips is working to ensure both advanced molecular imaging and radioligand therapies are available in smaller communities, not only in metropolitan or academic settings. “Our mission at Tennessee Oncology, and my goal in this role, is to eliminate geography as a barrier to cancer care,” he said. The objective is to prevent delayed or missed treatment due to distance and to bring clinical trial access and world-class care to historically underserved areas.
Tennessee Oncology is building a comprehensive cancer center in Tullahoma designed to offer the same level of care available in Nashville without the burden of long-distance travel. Expanding comprehensive centers, launching radiopharmaceutical programs and strengthening palliative care and survivorship services remain central to the organization’s strategy to widen access to radiation oncology.
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