Hoosier Cancer Research Network (HCRN), a nonprofit cancer research organization in Indianapolis, recently welcomed Chris Wayne, vice president of oncology at Community Health Network, as a member of its Board of Directors.

A native Hoosier, Chris has about 25 years of experience in healthcare administration, mostly in oncology operations and strategic planning.

“I’ve been fortunate as an administrator to be responsible for mostly oncology throughout my career,” Wayne said. “My role as an administrator is to support our physicians, our nurses, and all those who are along the continuum of care.”

Wayne’s understanding of the challenges of healthcare administration and the strengths of community-based oncology adds an invaluable perspective to the Board. “I think some of the greatest challenges we currently have in the healthcare arena continue to be competing priorities,” he said. “Oncology is fortunate, in that the professionalism demonstrated in the delivery of care, both in research and in the bedside delivery, exceeds a lot of existing boundaries. Those in every care setting are quick to recognize and seek out opportunities for their patients where it makes sense.”

Wayne is a strong believer in the power of collaborative research and education to advance cancer care. “I think we all need to continue to recognize opportunities to learn, to translate knowledge from bench to bedside, and to expedite that translation of knowledge in as quick a manner as possible,” he said.

Collaboration has its challenges, Wayne admits, but a common purpose centered on improving patient care and outcomes puts all the challenges in perspective. “Making research available to community-based programs, which comprises 70-80% of cancer therapy delivery in the country, is paramount,” he said. “It is our commitment not just to our patients, but to furthering our research efforts and improving even further our morbidity and mortality ratios.”

“It is a very, very exciting time to be a part of the delivery of cancer care,” Wayne adds. “What our physicians and our nurses and other team members do is amazing. I don’t think we’ve ever been in a time where research and the delivery of the care have been as close or as collaborative as we are right now.  The innovation catalysts for improving clinical outcome are being realized through areas such as genetics and immunotherapy.”

In October 2015, Community Health Network broke ground on the $60 million Community Cancer Center North, which will be connected to Community Hospital North. The center will expand oncology services in a home-like atmosphere and will provide access to wellness facilities, a knowledge center, and a nature garden as part of an integrative health model. It is expected to open in 2017.

As vice president of oncology for Community Health Network, Wayne works closely with clinicians and leadership at all of the accredited cancer centers to guide strategy and operations in an effort to deliver state of the art personalized care to all patients. “We have one of the most progressive community-based cancer programs in the country if not in the world,” Wayne said. “We are one of the most highly accredited cancer programs in that we are not just certified by the Commission on Cancer, but we are also a certified member of MD Anderson Cancer Network®, a program of MD Anderson Cancer Center, which requires tremendous rigor for achievement.”  “While very proud of this achievement we’re also very appreciative of our partnerships with other regional cancer providers.  These collaborations are critical to providing advanced care in an era where the speed of change around innovative care is faster than ever.”

All five Community Health Network hospital locations have elevated the quality of patient care with our combined expertise and MD Anderson’s evidence-based clinical guidelines and best practices. Community Health Network became the first healthcare organization in the nation to achieve this system-wide recognition.

“As a certified member of the network and affiliation with MD Anderson, it allows us to make sure that we are meeting state-of-the-art care pathways for every primary tumor site in the delivery of cancer care,” says Wayne. “It’s an incredible commitment by our physicians and our organization.”

Community Health Network has more than 30 certified physicians of MD Anderson Cancer Network – including medical, surgical, and radiation oncologists – treating patients with breast cancer, colorectal cancer, gynecologic cancers, head and neck cancer, hepatobiliary cancers (liver and pancreatic), palliative care, medical oncology, radiation oncology, and skin cancer.

Wayne also values Community Health Network’s membership in HCRN. “It keeps me, and to some extent our organization, on the cutting edge in terms of understanding what is available from a research standpoint,” he said.

Wayne was introduced to HCRN by Sumeet Bhatia, MD, a medical oncologist and hematologist at Community Health Network, who also serves on the HCRN Board of Directors. Through conversations with HCRN co-founders Patrick Loehrer, Sr., MD, and William Fisher, MD, and Executive Director Cyndi Burkhardt, Wayne felt motivated to become more deeply involved. “I was intrigued by the history of the organization, their expertise and ultimately their character and commitment to cancer care.  I am very appreciative that I have an opportunity to contribute in some small way to furthering the mission of HCRN,” he said.

About Hoosier Cancer Research Network:

Hoosier Cancer Research Network (formerly known as Hoosier Oncology Group) conducts innovative cancer research in collaboration with academic and community physicians and scientists across the United States. The organization provides comprehensive clinical trial management and support, from conception through publication. Created in 1984 as a program of the Walther Cancer Institute, Hoosier Cancer Research Network became an independent nonprofit clinical research organization in 2007. Since its founding, Hoosier Cancer Research Network has initiated more than 160 trials in a variety of cancer types and supportive care, resulting in more than 300 publications. More than 5,000 subjects have participated in Hoosier Cancer Research Network clinical trials.