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Initiative Updates: CEO Roundtable on Cancer
2023
CEO Roundtable on Cancer Annual Meeting
Nov. 8-9, 2023
SAS Institute, Cary, NC
Going for Gold Summit
June 6-7, 2023
SAS Institute, Cary, NC
Promotions
- Tamikia Lee has been named financial analyst for the Roundtable. She first joined the organization in 2021 as a business development specialist.
- Johnathan Rine has been named senior manager of CEO Cancer Gold Standard. Johnathan joined the Roundtable in 2019 as a business operations specialist for Project Data Sphere.
Arrivals
- Mark Slagle has joined the Roundtable as its executive director of corporate communications. He comes from Duke, where he spent more than 11 years in various marketing and communication roles. He holds a doctorate in mass communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri at Columbia.
- Brittany Smith has joined the Roundtable as a business development specialist. She attended North Carolina Central University and has prior experience in early childhood education and project management. In her new role, she will provide support throughout the organization’s memberships, programs, and initiatives.
- Steve Southwick has joined Project Data Sphere as its director of data and IT operations. He comes from ConcertAI, where he served as its director of trial optimization. He earned degrees at Virginia Tech and New River Community College.
Departures
- Therese Martin has retired as program manager of CEO Cancer Gold Standard. She first joined the Roundtable in 2011 as a project assistant.
- MaryAnne Rhyne has retired as director of communications for the Roundtable. She joined the organization in 2020.
- Holly Smith has left Project Data Sphere for a new opportunity. She joined PDS as its director of data sharing products and platform in 2020.
- Betty Whichard has retired as chief financial officer and human resources director of the CEO Roundtable on Cancer. Betty joined the Roundtable in 2018 as its finance director.
Directors of the CEO Roundtable on Cancer have elected David M. Reese, MD, Executive Vice President of Research and Development at Amgen, to a two-year term as Board Chairman effective immediately.
Dr. Reese oversees Discovery Research, Global Development, Global Regulatory Affairs and Safety, as well as Global Medical at Amgen, one of the world's leading independent biotechnology companies.
He has been a member of the Roundtable Board for the past year and, before that, he provided scientific counsel to the non-profit through its Life Sciences Council.
As chairman for the CEO Roundtable, he will guide work to develop and implement initiatives that reduce the risk of cancer, enable early diagnosis, facilitate access to the best available treatments, and hasten the discovery of novel and more effective anti-cancer therapies to help eliminate cancer as a personal disease and public health problem.
The non-profit was founded by former President George H.W. Bush in 2001 to bring bold and imaginative solutions to cancer treatment and prevention.
Dr. Reese has deep experience in the area of cancer research. Since he joined Amgen in 2005, he has served in various leadership roles within the Research and Development organization including Senior Vice President of Translational Sciences and Oncology where he oversaw the translation of Amgen’s medicines from the lab into the clinic and the overall oncology strategy.
Prior to joining Amgen, Dr. Reese was director of Clinical Research for the Breast Cancer International Research Group (BCIRG) and a co-founder, president and chief medical officer of Translational Oncology Research International (TORI), a not-for-profit academic clinical research organization.
Dr. Reese is a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He completed training in Internal Medicine and Hematology/Oncology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Medicine, and subsequently served on the faculty at UCLA and the University of California, San Francisco.
It is with profound sadness that the CEO Roundtable on Cancer announces the death of its founding chairman, Robert A. Ingram.
Ingram died March 24, according to his obituary. He was 80 years old.
In 2001, President George H.W. Bush asked Ingram, then chief executive officer of GlaxoWellcome, to organize a group of corporate leaders and take action to improve cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. This group became the CEO Roundtable on Cancer, and Ingram served as its first chairman. His business acumen was essential to establishing the early direction of the organization, yet he never lost sight of its ultimate purpose, always asking himself and his colleagues, “does it help the patient?”
After stepping down as chair of CEORT, Ingram continued to serve on the Board of Directors until his death. During that time, he was the inspirational force that motivated CEORT staff, membership, and collaborators to deliver solutions that have improved outcomes for cancer patients around the world.
“I was fortunate to work with Bob for 25 years,” said William Louv, PhD, CEO of CEORT. “His optimism and energy lifted all of us who have been fortunate to be in his orbit. It will never be the same, but we will carry on as he would want us to.”
In 2022, Ingram received the Dr. Charles A. Sanders Award from CEORT for collaborative scientific research in cancer.
"I'm so proud of what the Roundtable has become but I'm equally proud of where it's going," Ingram said at the awards ceremony. "As leaders, one of our most important roles is to support the lives of our employees and their families by the policies and benefits we put in place. I am humbled and honored to have had the opportunity through the Roundtable to help accelerate better health outcomes for so many people."
In 2006, Ingram was appointed by President George W. Bush to the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Advisory Board. He accepted his third Presidential appointment in 2019, when he was appointed by President Donald J. Trump to serve on the Presidential Cancer Panel. In 2014, Ingram received the North Carolina Award for public service, the highest civilian honor the state can bestow on an individual.
As CEO of GlaxoWellcome, Ingram helped lead the merger with SmithKline Beecham that formed GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). He served as vice chairman of pharmaceuticals at GSK before becoming strategic advisor to the CEO. He was also chairman of the boards at BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Black Diamond Therapeutics, Novan and Cree. He most recently served as a general partner at Hatteras Venture Partners in Durham.
In 2013, Ingram received the NACD B. Kenneth West Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Corporate Directors. In 2014, he received the Triangle Business Journal's Life Sciences Lifetime Achievement award. Ingram served on numerous civic and professional organizations, including the boards for the James B. Hunt Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy, and the Advisory Council of the Congressional Task Force on Biomedical Research and Innovation.
Ingram grew up in Charleston, Illinois, and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Eastern Illinois University.
The CEO Roundtable on Cancer announced that Norman E. “Ned” Sharpless, MD, has been unanimously elected to its Board of Directors.
Sharpless led the National Cancer Institute (NCI) from 2017 to 2022. He was appointed acting commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2019 and served for seven months before returning to his position at the NCI. Prior to his government service, Sharpless was the director of the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill’s Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center from 2014 until 2017.
“We are very excited by the election of Dr. Sharpless to the Board of Directors,” said Bill Louv, CEO of the Roundtable. “His experience as a researcher, an entrepreneur and an administrator gives him a singular perspective that will be a vital asset in our search for ways to eliminate cancer.”
An experienced cancer researcher, Sharpless is renowned for his discoveries related to cell aging. He founded G1 Therapeutics, which developed the FDA-approved medicine Cosela (Trilaciclib), used to prevent chemotherapy toxicity. He is a member of the American Association for Cancer Research Academy, the Association of American Physicians, the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the National Academy of Medicine.
A native of Greensboro, N.C., Sharpless earned an undergraduate degree in mathematics and a medical degree from the School of Medicine at UNC-Chapel Hill. He completed his residency training at Massachusetts General Hospital and his clinical and research fellowship in hematology and oncology at Dana-Farber/Partners Cancer Care in Boston. He returned to Chapel Hill to accept a faculty appointment at the Lineberger Center in 2002.
The CEO Roundtable on Cancer is pleased to announce the latest additions to its Going for Gold initiative, a partnership with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Predominantly Black Institutions (PRIs) and Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) across the nation.
Going for Gold extends the CEO Cancer Gold Standard™ employer accreditation to recognize universities that champion health and well-being by advancing prevention, diagnosis, and quality treatment for cancer for their students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents and communities. The initiative also enables universities to contribute to research efforts through CEO Roundtable’s Project Data Sphere®, which helps expand access to clinical trial research and offers an open-access digital platform for aggregating and analyzing data to advance health equity efforts.
The newest members of the initiative are:
- Caribbean University in Bayamón, Puerto Rico
- Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Tex.
- Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, N.Y.
- Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Ark.
- Savannah State University in Savannah, Ga.
- Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Ala.
Going for Gold is intended to reduce disparities in cancer diagnoses and deaths among minority populations in the United States. Black Americans have the highest mortality rate of any racial and ethnic group for all cancers combined and for most major cancers. Hispanic Americans are less likely than non-Hispanic white Americans to be diagnosed with breast and prostate cancer, and more likely to die from cervical, liver and stomach cancer.
Going for Gold is focused on the 27 four-year HSIs with at least 60 percent Hispanic enrollment and seeks to include all 101 HBCUs in the U.S. Of those HBCUs, 50 institutions have health-affiliated programs such as medical schools, nursing, pre-med, health information and health communication, which provide opportunities for further engagement by partnering on clinical trials, developing health materials and shaping community outreach.
About Caribbean University
In 1969, Caribbean Junior College, the predecessor institution of Caribbean University, was founded in the city of Bayamón, Puerto Rico as a private, non-profit, co-educational and non-sectarian educational institution. Caribbean University has the vision of promoting social and economic change that increases the intellectual and personal maturity of society by offering an excellent higher education. Caribbean University is committed to the principle of accessibility for the most disadvantaged, comprehensibility in its offerings, and adaptability to meet the needs of the community it serves. It is committed to intellectual and social ethical development and accepts the responsibility of fostering respect for human dignity among its students and their personal commitment to improve society. Learn more at https://caribbean.edu.
About Huston-Tillotson University
Huston-Tillotson University, the oldest institution of learning in Austin, Texas, has roots dating back to 1875. HT is an independent, church-related, historically black, four-year liberal arts institution located on a 23-acre tree-lined campus near downtown in East Austin. Huston-Tillotson University’s mission is to nurture a legacy of leadership and excellence in education, connecting knowledge, power, passion, and values. The University offers associate and master’s degrees in addition to Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in more than 19 areas of study. Learn more at https://htu.edu.
About Medgar Evers College
Medgar Evers College, a Predominantly Black Institution (PBI) of the City University of New York (CUNY), was established in 1970 with a mandate to meet the educational and social needs of Central Brooklyn. The College, named for the civil rights leader, Medgar Wiley Evers, is committed to the fulfillment of this mandate.
Medgar Evers College's mission is to develop and maintain high quality, professional, career oriented undergraduate degree programs in the context of liberal education. The College offers programs both at the baccalaureate and at the associate degree levels, giving close attention to the articulation between the two year and the four-year programs. The College has a commitment to students who desire self-improvement, a sound education, an opportunity to develop a personal value system, and an opportunity to gain maximum benefits from life experience and from their environment. Learn more at https://www.mec.cuny.edu.
About Philander Smith College
Founded in 1877, Philander Smith College is a small, privately supported, historically Black, four-year liberal arts institution related to the Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church. The College offers four degrees: the Bachelor of Arts, the Bachelor of Science, the Bachelor of Business Administration, and the Bachelor of Social Work. The College's mission is to graduate academically accomplished students, grounded as advocates for social justice, determined to change the world for the better. Philander Smith College, the only United Negro College Fund member institution in Arkansas, strives to provide a quality education for all regardless of race, religion, sex, national origin or ethnic background. Learn more at https://www.philander.edu.
About Savannah State University
Established in 1890, Savannah State University is the oldest public Historically Black College or University in Georgia and the first institution of higher learning in the city of Savannah. Students select majors from 30 undergraduate and five graduate programs in four colleges — Business Administration, Education, Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, and Sciences and Technology. Learn more at https://www.savannahstate.edu.
About Tuskegee University
Located in Tuskegee, Alabama, Tuskegee University is a private, state-related and nationally ranked land-grant institution that serves a racially, ethnically and religiously diverse student body of 3,000-plus students. The institution was founded in 1881 by Booker T. Washington and is one of the nation's historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges since 1933, Tuskegee’s academic programs — many accredited by their respective accrediting bodies — currently lead to 41 bachelor’s, 16 master’s and five doctoral degree opportunities. Learn more at https://www.tuskegee.edu.
2022
Five new companies have joined the CEO Roundtable on Cancer and its campaign to do something more about cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for their employees, their families, and their communities.
The companies include Elligo Health Research®, an accelerator for clinical trials important to cancer care; Black Diamond Therapeutics, a precision oncology medicine company pioneering the discovery and development of therapies for genetically defined cancers with limited treatment options; Change Healthcare, a leading healthcare technology company focused on insights, innovation, and accelerating the transformation of the U.S. healthcare system; Jasper Health, developer of a digital guide for cancer patients; and B&C International, a global business management and consulting firm.
“The diverse areas of focus and expertise of these companies brings great energy and strength to our mutual interest in diminishing the toll of cancer and eventually eliminating this disease that affects so many families,” said William Louv, CEO of the CEO Roundtable on Cancer.
The CEO Roundtable on Cancer (www.ceoroundtableoncancer.org) was founded in 2001, when former President George H.W. Bush challenged a group of executives to "do something bold and venturesome about cancer within your own corporate families." The CEOs responded by creating and encouraging the widespread adoption of the CEO Cancer Gold Standard™ which calls for organizations to evaluate their health benefits and workplace culture and take extensive, concrete actions in five key areas of health and wellness to address cancer in the workplace. In 2018, the CEO Roundtable established Project Data Sphere® to accelerate cancer research through its online data platform and data-focused research programs.
“The work of the CEO Roundtable and Elligo Health Research align closely when it comes to facilitating access to the best available cancer treatments and advancing the discovery of new and more effective anti-cancer therapies through clinical trials,” said John Potthoff, Ph.D., CEO of Elligo. “We look forward to partnering to do more to support cancer patients, encourage prevention and improve the chances of eliminating this disease by offering research as care to patients.”
Elligo Health Research® (https://www.elligohealthresearch.com/) accelerates clinical trials through healthcare with access to over 150 million known patients and their HIPAA-compliant healthcare data, their IntElligo® Research Stack technology, and their PatientSelect identification and engagement model. Coupled with the largest Known Patient Access Network, Elligo’s Site Solutions enable healthcare practices and research sites to participate in clinical trials. By adaptive engagement of known patients and physicians, they accelerate the development of new pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device and diagnostic products.
“I am very pleased to be joining the CEO Roundtable on Cancer and to collaborate with such a renowned group of professionals who all share common goals of reducing the risk of cancer and facilitating access to best-in-class treatments,” said David M. Epstein, Co-founder, President and CEO of Black Diamond Therapeutics. “I live this mission daily, but there is still much to be done in addition to discovering and developing novel cancer therapeutics. It is inspiring to see the CEO Roundtable’s commitment to driving significant change in the way we as a society think about the impact of cancer and I look forward to contributing my insights to further these initiatives in the years to come.”
Black Diamond Therapeutics (www.blackdiamondtherapeutics.com) is a precision oncology medicine company pioneering the development of novel MasterKey therapies. They are addressing the significant unmet need for novel precision oncology therapies for patients with genetically defined cancers who have limited treatment options. Black Diamond is built upon a deep understanding of cancer genetics, onco-protein function, and drug discovery. The Company’s proprietary Mutation-Allostery-Pharmacology, or MAP drug discovery engine, is designed to allow Black Diamond to analyze population-level genetic sequencing tumor data to predict and validate oncogenic mutations that promote cancer across tumor types as MasterKey mutations. Black Diamond discovers and develops selective MasterKey therapies against these families of oncogenic mutations.
“I am delighted to be joining the CEO Roundtable on Cancer to work alongside our country’s leading cancer researchers as they drive invaluable improvements for one of healthcare’s most prominent diseases,” said Tim Suther, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Data Solutions, of Change Healthcare.
Change Healthcare is a leading healthcare technology company focused on insights, innovation, and accelerating the transformation of the U.S. healthcare system. They provide data and analytics-driven solutions to improve clinical, financial, administrative, and patient-engagement outcomes in the U.S. healthcare system.
The CEO Roundtable’s Cancer Gold Standard attracted the interest of Jasper Health. The Gold Standard is a workplace wellness accreditation program that offers an evidence-based framework for organizations to provide a healthier workplace by focusing on cancer risk reduction, early detection, and high-quality care.
“Jasper Health strongly believes our partnership with the CEO Roundtable on Cancer can rapidly accelerate the Gold Standard requirements for employers helping to provide a holistic approach to cancer support and best practice navigation for employees,” said Adam Pellegrini, co-founder and CEO of Jasper Health. “Jasper Health will work with CEO Roundtable members to deliver upon the mission of the organization and drive true health outcomes for employers.”
Jasper Health (www.hellojasper.com) is a digital guiding, navigation, and engagement experience that improves the lives of people living with cancer, those at high risk for cancer, and their caregivers. Its all-in-one oncology platform provides psychosocial support interventions while enabling connected care with the broader healthcare system. Their team includes seasoned leaders with decades of experience in digital health, clinical care, data science, and consumer engagement. Founded at Redesign Health, a company that powers innovation in healthcare, they believe that powerful technology and passionate people can relieve some of the stress of organizing care.
The CEO Roundtable mission of eliminating cancer is also a passion of Robert J. Brown, Chief Executive Officer of B&C International.
“We need a lot more vigorous things going on in our communities across the country to deal with cancer,” said Brown, who also serves as an ambassador for the Cancer Gold Standard. “Cancer is a mega problem. It deals with people at every level. I don’t care how poor you are, how rich you are, cancer is there and it’s waiting for you.”
B&C International (BCI) is a Global Strategy and Business Management Consulting firm headquartered in High Point, N.C. During its more than 50 years of existence, the methodologies and tools used by BCI have evolved, but their core principles remain the same. They are trusted advisors. Their systematic approach to aligning culture, communication, and execution, allows clients to gain confidence, clarity and consistency for strategic decision-making.
We’re excited to introduce some new additions to our team as well as new roles for at least one veteran.
Project Data Sphere® President Bill Louv, PhD, is stepping up to lead the organization as chief executive officer effective immediately. Louv had been serving as interim CEO since January, succeeding Ken Lee, who retired. He has led PDS since the CEO Roundtable formed the research organization in March 2018. Louv also has held key leadership positions in the pharmaceutical industry for nearly 30 years.
David M. Reese, MD, Executive Vice President of R&D at Amgen, has been elected to the Roundtable’s Board of Directors. Reese also will serve on the Board for PDS.
At Amgen, Reese oversees Discovery Research, Global Development, Global Regulatory Affairs and Safety, as well as Global Medical. Previously he served as Senior Vice President of Translational Sciences and Oncology, where he oversaw the translation of Amgen’s medicines from the lab into the clinic and the overall oncology strategy.
Major General Elder Granger, MD, President and CEO of THE 5Ps, LLC, also has been elected to the Roundtable Board of Directors. Granger consults in the areas of health care, education and leadership and recently became an ambassador for our Going for Gold program.
Prior to his retirement from the US Army in 2009, Granger served as the Deputy Director and Program Executive Officer of the TRICARE Management Activity, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs) in Washington, DC.
Aubrey Van Kirk Villalobos, DrPH, MEd, from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), will serve on the Health & Well-Being Council as a liaison with this important agency. She is a Health Scientist with the Implementation Science (IS) Team in the Office of the Director in the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS). In this role she leads efforts to advance the involvement of practitioners to help integrate evidence-based guidelines, programs, and policies for cancer control in public health and clinical practice. Her expertise will be critical as we continually seek to ensure the Cancer Gold Standard reflects the latest scientific evidence.
Jean-Charles Soria, Amgen’s senior vice president of Oncology within Global Development, joins our Life Sciences Council (LSC). The LSC brings together representatives of oncology pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to advise the CEO Roundtable on Cancer about ways to enable research and development to deliver more effective oncology therapies to patients faster. Soria is a medical oncologist and holds a doctorate in molecular biology. Additionally, he has authored or co-authored more than 670 articles in leading international journals and has appeared on lists of the most influential research scientists in the world.
Welcome to three new Going for Gold Ambassadors! In addition to Granger, we’ve also added:
Roberto A. Gonzalez, founder and principle of RA Gonzalez & Associates, a Veteran Service-Disabled, Veteran-, Minority-Owned small business, and Co - Founder of Cornerstone & Associates LLC. He retired in 1995 from the United States Army in the grade of Lieutenant Colonel in the Medical Services Corp after 20 plus years of services. While in the Army, he served at various levels of management and responsibility including a position as the Military Assistant and Senior Advisor to two Assistant Secretaries of Defense for Health Affairs, which included the management of the Nations' second largest integrated health care system.
Fields Jackson, Jr., CEO and Chief Cheerleader of Racing Toward Diversity Magazine, Cary, NC. Racing Toward Diversity is a quarterly magazine that showcases the best diversity efforts and initiatives being made today. Jackson also is President of the College Diversity Network; Adjunct professor at Shaw University in Raleigh, NC; Distinguished Visiting Professor at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg, SC; and former Executive Director of the HBCU Business Dean Roundtable.
Representatives from seven Historically Black Colleges and Universities met on April 5-6 with CEO Roundtable on Cancer staff and partners SAS Analytics, Amgen, Merck, and Jasper Health to identify opportunities and areas of collaboration for our Going for Gold initiative to expand access to cancer detection, prevention, and treatment and to improve health in underserved communities.
“The collective think that came from this initial in person meeting was outstanding,” said Joya Delgado-Harris, Executive Director for the Gold Standard, including the Going4Gold initiative. “It was conveyed and understood that Going4Gold is a partnership and as such, we will work together to explore assets, capacity, influences on and around each campus so that strategies and initiatives can be built or enhanced, if already existing. We want to work smarter and learn from one another. Achieving Gold Standard accreditation will be a valuable tool to help each campus understand the best ways to implement G4G activities.”
The universities already have ramped up community health offerings during the pandemic with vaccine clinics and information sessions so there is an opportunity to build on that infrastructure. Other existing activities with potential for expansion included health fairs, walking clubs, mental health workshops, community gardens, smoke free environments, healthy food demonstrations and more.
Dr. Donald Alcendor, Associate Professor Microbiology and Immunology at Meharry Medical College, said the “Social determinants of health have changed since COVID. They have not gotten better, they have gotten worse. … We have to uproot misinformation in communities. … We have to think about new ways to attack a long-lasting problem.”
Corporate partners identified existing programs to consider expanding to support Going4Gold including SAS Analytics existing work with universities to equip them with data analytics software. There also are internships and fellowships offered by Amgen, Merck, and SAS.
Jasper Health is making available its Cancer Care Companion App to the universities to allow students and their families to connect with caregivers, providers, and health plan care teams.
There was consensus around the need for collaboration and innovation, not competition and duplication, to improve health and access to care for all communities.
Xavior Robinson, Director of Health Equity Partnerships and Operations at Merck, summed up that spirit. He said it’s not only important what the partners do together but how they do it. “A value of ours is co-creation,” he said emphasizing that does not mean extracting something to commercialize.
Schools attending the meeting were Dillard University, Livingstone College, Meharry Medical College, Southern University Law Center, Stillman College, North Carolina A&T State University, and Shaw University. Three schools -- Norfolk State University, Winston-Salem State University, and South Carolina State University -- were unable to attend.
For anyone interested in joining the partnership or learning more about it, reach out to Joya at joya.delgado.harris@ceoroundtableoncancer.org.
We're excited to announce that November 1 and 2 will mark the return of an in-person CEO Roundtable on Cancer Annual Meeting and Conference to be held on the campus of SAS Institute in Cary, NC.
This event is designed for CEOs and leaders on their teams steering research, policy and advocacy, recruitment and retention, benefits, and wellness. It is an important time for us to exchange information on priorities, successes, and challenges and together chart the future of our organization.
Details about hotels, registration, and specific sessions will be shared later.
For now, please mark your calendar and reserve time to participate.
This will be a critical time together to renew friendships and reignite collaborative work after two years of virtual meetings due to the pandemic. We hope to see you in person in November!
We are excited to announce the addition of two more Historically Black Colleges and Universities in our Going4Gold Program: Meharry Medical College and South Carolina State.
Meharry Medical College, founded in 1876, is the nation’s largest private, independent historically Black academic health sciences center dedicated to educating minority and other health professionals. True to its heritage, it is a United Methodist Church related institution. The college is particularly well known for its uniquely nurturing, highly effective educational programs; emerging preeminence in health disparities research; culturally sensitive, evidence-based health services and significant contribution to the diversity of the nation’s health professions workforce. Meharry is a leading national educator of African Americans with M.D. and D.D.S. degrees and Ph.D. degrees in the biomedical sciences.
Since 1896, South Carolina State University has maintained a legacy of excellence in education. They have been home to generations of scholars and leaders in business, military service, government, athletics, education, medicine, science, engineering technology and more. Located in Orangeburg, SC, SC State was founded as a land grant college with a mission of providing education and service to the
Adam Pellegrini, Jasper Health CEO and Co-founder
Jasper Health, a first-of-its-kind cancer care navigation and experience platform, has joined the Roundtable. Jasper Health’s platform aligns directly with the core pillars of the Gold Standard and provides a digital framework to help employers realize the vision of the CEO Roundtable on Cancer.
“We are excited to work with a patient-centered enterprise like Jasper Health to deliver on our mission,” said MaryLisabeth Rich, President, CEO Roundtable on Cancer. “There is much we can do together as we work to deliver through greater access the best possible outcomes for all patients with cancer, their families, friends and communities.”
“Jasper Health strongly believes our partnership with the CEO Roundtable on Cancer can rapidly accelerate the Gold Standard requirements for employers helping to provide a holistic approach to cancer support and best practice navigation for employees,” said Adam Pellegrini, co-founder and CEO of Jasper Health. “Jasper Health will work with CEO Roundtable members to deliver upon the mission of the organization and drive true health outcomes for employers.”
Jasper Health is a digital guiding, navigation, and engagement experience that improves the lives of people living with cancer, those at high risk for cancer, and their caregivers. Its all-in-one oncology platform provides psychosocial support interventions while enabling connected care with the broader healthcare system. Our team includes seasoned leaders with decades of experience in digital health, clinical care, data science, and consumer engagement. Founded at Redesign Health, a company that powers innovation in healthcare, we believe that powerful technology and passionate people can relieve some of the stress of organizing care. To learn more, visit https://www.hellojasper.com/
The Roundtable has been hosting a series of webinars since January to offer content on health and wellbeing as well as oncology research, prevention, and treatment with a variety of audiences in mind.
Turnout for the webinars has been strong and replays of each event are posted on the links shared below. Topics addressed so far are:
- Addressing Workplace Health Burdens Post Pandemic -- Held February 4, 2022
- Glioblastoma: Innovative Data Re-Use to Accelerate Evidence Generation for New Medicines -- Held February 7, 2022
- Putting Data to Work: Dissecting Health Disparities -- Held February 22, 2022
- Elevating the Importance of Healthy Workplaces -- Held March 24, 2022
Planning continues for a webinar on venture capital and pediatric oncology research. All the topics surfaced at our Annual Conference in November 2021 as areas of interest for follow-up.
2021
The CEO Roundtable on Cancer has elected Scott White, Company Group Chairman for North America at the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, to its Board of Directors.
A member of the Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals Group Operating Committee, Mr. White is responsible for leading Janssen’s efforts to transform the health of people in the United States and Canada facing cancer, autoimmune disease, heart disease and diabetes, infectious diseases, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and serious mental illness.
“The scientific community has made remarkable progress in cancer prevention and treatment over the past 20 years that has made a difference in treatment, and the CEO Roundtable on Cancer’s work to support workplace wellness as well as innovative research, is playing an instrumental role in advancing us toward the objective of ultimately eliminating cancer,” said Mr. White. “I am honored to join this exceptional team of industry leaders at this time where the focus on health and healthcare is so important to our society’s future.”
President George H.W. Bush founded the non-profit CEO Roundtable on Cancer in 2001 to bring bold and imaginative solutions to cancer treatment and prevention. The organization continues to develop and implement initiatives that reduce the risk of cancer, enable early diagnosis, facilitate access to the best available treatments, and hasten the discovery of novel and more effective anti-cancer therapies to help eliminate cancer as a personal disease and public health problem.
“Scott White brings a depth and breadth of experience in oncology and immunology that are vital to our search for ways to eliminate cancer by accelerating research, and thereby improving treatment,” said Ken Lee, Interim Chief Executive Officer and Board Chairman, CEO Roundtable on Cancer. “We are grateful that he will be joining the Board and continuing a tradition of close collaboration from Johnson & Johnson.”
Mr. White has a wealth of knowledge in oncology and immunology. He served as President of the Janssen U.S. Immunology business, making a significant difference for people with debilitating autoimmune diseases through highly impactful medicines and innovative patient support and access programs. Prior to his Immunology role, White was President of Janssen U.S. Oncology.
He succeeds long-time Board member Joaquin Duato, Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee of Johnson & Johnson.
“Special recognition and thanks go to Joaquin Duato for five years of service to the CEO Roundtable Board,” Mr. Lee said. “He has led his company to meaningfully contribute to the CEO Roundtable’s work and those substantial contributions have helped set our direction for many years to come.”
Johnson & Johnson has been a member of the CEO Roundtable since 2004, achieving Gold Standard accreditation in the U.S. in 2006, and it became one of the first companies to earn Global Gold Standard (2013) and Gold Standard accreditation in China (2020).
Joya Delgado-Harris joined the CEO Roundtable on Cancer in June as Executive Director for the Gold Standard, inclusive of our Health Equity and Going4Gold initiative.
Joya previously was the Director of Research Integration for the American Cancer Society. In that role, she provided oversight and management of the integration of products and outcomes stemming from the Office of Cancer Research and Implementation into enterprise-wide mission objectives.
“Joya has tremendous experience and accomplishments in non-profit management and will be a great asset delivering on our CEO Cancer Gold Standard as we expand our reach and ambition,” said MaryLisabeth Rich, President of the CEO Roundtable on Cancer.
Past areas of work for Joya include program development, curriculum design, grant-writing, engaging board members and volunteers as well as developing business partnerships. In addition to the American Cancer Society, she has worked for Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization, Executive Director for the Association of Village PRIDE, and Director of Product Development for the Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter of the American Red Cross.
As a breast cancer survivor, Joya serves as a Consumer Advocate Peer Reviewer for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), administered by the Department of Defense, sitting alongside scientists to review and evaluate innovative breast cancer research grant proposals. She also serves as a reviewer for the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT).
After earning a BA from Wellesley College, Joya received a Master of Public Health degree with concentration in public health policy and management from the Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University.