Tag: achieving-accessible-cancer-care-at-tennessee-oncology

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.

Access to high-quality cancer care should not depend on where a patient lives, but distance remains a major barrier for many, particularly in radiation oncology where treatment often requires daily visits over several weeks. Tennessee Oncology has made expanding local access a core priority, naming John G. Phillips, MD, MPH, executive vice president of radiation oncology centers to lead the effort.

Phillips and Tennessee Oncology are pursuing a multiyear plan to expand comprehensive cancer centers in smaller communities, strengthen hospital partnerships, and bring advanced therapies closer to patients. “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.”

Historically a partner to hospitals in delivering radiation services, Tennessee Oncology has shifted toward directly owning and operating radiation programs as part of broader cancer centers. Phillips said that transition is key to improving access, quality and consistency of care. “Just a few years ago, we didn’t own any radiation oncology facilities,” he said. “Now we own three centers, with plans for further expansion. We have about 30 radiation oncologists on staff, with five additional hires coming over the next year.”

In his new role, Phillips oversees radiation oncology operations across the network, including clinical development, quality and safety initiatives, research integration, and radiopharmaceutical growth. His long-term vision is to establish comprehensive cancer centers that act as anchors for multidisciplinary care and strengthen local health systems. “When you bring a comprehensive cancer center into a smaller community, it changes the health care landscape,” he said. “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 began with personal family experiences and solidified during training. With an undergraduate background in applied computer science, he was drawn to the field’s technological aspects and the continuity of care radiation oncology provides. “You’re not just treating a disease,” he said. “You’re walking alongside patients during some of the hardest weeks of their lives.”

Phillips completed his 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 AI-driven research at Harvard’s Computational Neuroscience Outcome Center, applying machine learning and neural networks to predict radiosurgery outcomes for patients with brain metastases, work he says helped pave the way for personalized approaches now emerging in oncology.

A major focus of Phillips’ clinical and strategic leadership is theranostics, which combines advanced molecular imaging with targeted radioligand therapy to visualize and treat cancer with high precision. Phillips was senior author on the American Society for Radiation Oncology white paper on quality and safety considerations for radiopharmaceutical therapy, which outlines infrastructure, staffing, training, and multidisciplinary coordination needed to expand these treatments safely beyond academic centers.

“There’s a real national access issue coming with radiopharmaceuticals,” Phillips said. He highlighted 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 said Tennessee Oncology aims to make both advanced imaging and radioligand therapy available in smaller communities.

Phillips said the organization’s mission is to eliminate geography as a barrier to cancer care, including bringing clinical trial access and comprehensive services to historically underserved areas. Tennessee Oncology is currently building a comprehensive cancer center in Tullahoma, designed to provide care comparable to metropolitan centers without requiring long-distance travel.

Access to high-quality cancer care should not depend on where a patient lives, but distance remains a major barrier for many in smaller communities, particularly for radiation oncology where treatment often requires daily visits over several weeks. Addressing that challenge is a core priority for Tennessee Oncology, which recently named John G. Phillips, MD, MPH, executive vice president of radiation oncology centers.

Phillips is leading a multiyear strategy to expand access by investing in comprehensive cancer centers in smaller communities, strengthening hospital partnerships, and bringing advanced therapies closer to patients. “Many of the communities we serve have historically had limited access to radiation oncology,” he 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.”

Tennessee Oncology has shifted from partnering with hospitals to directly owning and operating radiation oncology programs as part of broader cancer centers. Phillips said the organization now owns three centers, employs about 30 radiation oncologists, and expects five additional hires within the year. He oversees clinical development, quality and safety initiatives, research integration, and radiopharmaceutical growth across the network.

Phillips’ long-term vision emphasizes establishing comprehensive cancer centers that serve as anchors for multidisciplinary care in smaller communities. He described a “halo effect” in which bringing such centers to a town encourages other specialists to practice locally, strengthens hospital partnerships, and reduces the need for patients to travel for care.

Phillips’ interest in oncology developed through personal experience and during training, when he gravitated to radiation oncology for its blend of technology, medicine, and patient relationships. His undergraduate background in applied computer science drew him to the field’s technical sophistication and the continuous patient contact radiation therapy allows.

He completed residency at Harvard Medical School, earned an MPH from Harvard, and served as an attending physician at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, focusing on genitourinary and central nervous system tumors. Phillips also led AI-driven research at Harvard’s Computational Neuroscience Outcome Center, applying machine learning and neural networks to predict outcomes in radiosurgery for brain metastases.

A major focus of Phillips’ clinical and strategic leadership is theranostics, which combines advanced molecular imaging with targeted radioligand therapy to personalize radiation delivery while sparing healthy tissue. He was senior author on the American Society for Radiation Oncology white paper on quality and safety considerations for radiopharmaceutical therapy, which outlines infrastructure, staffing, training, and multidisciplinary coordination needed to expand access responsibly.

Phillips highlighted prostate-specific membrane antigen PET (PSMA-PET) imaging and PSMA-targeted therapy such as lutetium Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan (Pluvicto) as examples of how theranostics is reshaping cancer care. He stressed the importance of making both advanced imaging and radioligand therapies available in smaller communities, not just at academic centers.

Tennessee Oncology is implementing these priorities across its network, including building a comprehensive cancer center in Tullahoma designed to offer the same level of care available in Nashville without requiring long-distance travel. The organization is also expanding palliative care, survivorship services, and clinical trial access to community settings.

Phillips said the overarching goal is to eliminate geography as a barrier to cancer care, preventing delayed or missed treatment and bringing world-class cancer care and research into communities that have historically lacked it.