#AMCCBS leaders in cancer care gathered. The keynote address by health care futurist Nick Webb explored transformative trends and the 2025 ACCC Annual Award winners, Christian G. Downs, Mandi Pratt-Chapman, PhD, and J. Thaddeus Beck, MD.
After a day on Capitol Hill, an inspiring keynote about the future of cancer care, and a celebration of the winners of the 2025 ACCC Annual Awards, the ACCC 51st Annual Meeting and Cancer Center Business Summit (#AMCCBS) featured a full-day of sessions on Thursday, March 6.
AMCCBS Day 2 opened with Nick Webb, Health Care Futurist and author of Chaotic Change: Embracing Chaos to Drive Innovation and Growth, and his keynote The Future of Cancer Care Delivery: 2025 and Beyond.
The presentation highlighted 3 transformative trends in oncology: hyper consumerism, integration of advanced technologies, and human experience innovation. The health care landscape is shifting rapidly, and while there exists immense opportunity for growth and improvement, there are also significant challenges ahead. The first key factor shaping health care’s future is consumerism; patients are not just seeking clinical outcomes–they want transparency, convenience, and personalized care. “Consumerism is what ultimately drives the bottom line,” Webb stated. In this new reality, health care organizations must shift their focus from solely clinical value to experiential value.
“There is opportunity here to understand patients at a much better level,” Webb explained. “To improve quality and safety, we need to create exceptional experiences at every point of interaction–from the pre-care moment to the first touch, core moments, last touch, and even the in-touch moment.”
“When we take a look at it holistically across the payer universe,” Webb went on, “organizations that are offering the least amount of friction, that are delivering the most human experiences, do a far better job of driving sustainable and predictable growth.”
Another area of massive transformation is the realm of artificial intelligence (AI). Webb sees AI as a game-changer for health care, particularly in areas like drug discovery. “We can collapse drug discovery in some cases for 100 years, theoretically down to 6 to 8 years,” he said. “That’s a reality we’re going to see over the next 3 to 5 years as we start to use faster machines that can analyze both structured and unstructured data.” But AI’s true potential lies in what Webb calls collaborative intelligence: the fusion of human and machine intelligence. “When you think about artificial intelligence, when you combine it with real intelligence, you then get collaborative intelligence, or cooperative intelligence,” said Webb. “That’s where the magic happens.” By pairing human expertise with AI’s processing power, providers can make more informed decisions, speed up processes, and ultimately improve patient outcomes.
The future will require more than just technical skill; health care organizations will need to focus on attracting, retaining, and inspiring their health care staff. “People want to be in an environment where they believe in the mission,” Webb argued. “But they also want that mission to be part of their own evolutionary journey. Without baking that into the design of their experiential value, they won’t do it.” It is therefore essential that organizations create an environment where staff feel both motivated and supported.
There is a clear need to adapt quickly, manage change effectively, and keep the human experience at the forefront. Webb remarked, “Where the experiences go, revenue flows. It’s absolutely unequivocal, and that includes almost all aspects of health care.”
Following Webb’s keynote address, Meagan O’Neill introduced the 3 winners of the ACCC Annual Awards to recognize these individuals’ significant contributions to patient care, the practice of clinical care and research, and the greater oncology community.
The Annual Achievement Award recognizes an individual or an organization that has made outstanding contributions to cancer care and to patients with cancer. This year’s award was presented to Christian G. Downs, JD, MHA, 2003-2024 executive director of ACCC.
With over 25 years of experience in association management, Downs has played a crucial role in working with health care providers, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and Congress on issues pertinent to associations. His contribution to ACCC in particular is staggering, as he led the association’s advocacy efforts around issues such as the 2003 Medicare Modernization Act, the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and the Oncology Care Model, in addition to overseeing the development of comprehensive education programs and resources.
Under Downs’ leadership, ACCC launched the first Patient Assistance and Reimbursement Guide, the Financial Advocacy Network (FAN), the ACCC Innovator Award Program, the ACCCBuzz blog, and the CANCER BUZZ podcast. His commitment to working towards the goal of ensuring equitable access to care for all patients with cancer has shaped ACCC and its staff for years to come.
“All I ask as we go forward is that we do not only accept new players onto the team, but go out and find those people who should be around the table and invite them,” said Downs. “That’s what’s going to make us stronger in the long run.” Downs expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to lead ACCC initiatives with a focus on patient centered care. Through his support of patients and the entire cancer care team, his vision led to the development of comprehensive education programs for ACCC members in critical areas, including patient navigation, survivorship, and financial advocacy. His establishment of FAN remains a cornerstone education program and is at the core of our organizational mission, to empower care teams to help guide patients through the complex web of payment and coverage plans.
The Clinical Research Award recognizes an individual whose research has positively impacted an oncology patient, family, or community, and was presented to Mandi Pratt-Chapman, PhD, associate center director for community outreach and engagement, GW Cancer Center. Through her research in patient navigation and health equity—particularly for intersectional LGBTQIA+ populations—Dr. Pratt-Chapman has worked to improve patient-centered care and health outcomes for those experiencing severe cancer disparities.
Dr. Pratt-Chapman has developed national, consensus-based core competencies for oncology patient navigators and provided free training for these professionals. She was also lead author of consensus-based LGBTQIA+ cultural competency standards for training clinicians to refine how providers and researchers ask patients and participants about sexual orientation and gender identity. Dr. Pratt-Chapman has served as co-principal investigator for the National Cancer Survivorship Resource Center and has co-authored 4 holistic clinical practice guidelines on breast, prostate, colorectal, and head and neck cancer survivorship care.
As she accepted her award, Dr. Pratt-Chapman emphasized the importance of practical application: “We’ve always focused on application: How do we make what we learn available and usable for practices and for patients?” She also highlighted the recent opening of a cancer prevention and wellness center in Ward 8 in Washington, DC, “which is closer to a lot of the people who often have to travel the furthest for cancer treatment.”
Dr. Pratt-Chapman also underscored the importance of advocacy, urging, “Silence isn’t neutral. It doesn’t mean that you have to be loud or put yourself at risk, but that you’re standing up for the people around you and protecting them.” Despite the challenges, Dr. Pratt-Chapman remains steadfast, saying, “It’s going to take all of us. I’m extremely honored to accept this award.”
The David King Community Clinical Scientist Award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated leadership in the development, participation, and evaluation of clinical studies, or who is active in the development of screening, risk assessment, treatment, or supportive care programs for patients with cancer. This award is named after David K. King, MD, FACP, an ACCC past president, who passed away after battling cancer. Dr. King spent his entire career caring for individuals with cancer and advocating for access to quality care, while also championing the Community Clinical Oncology Program and the value of clinical research in the community setting.
This year, the award was presented to J. Thaddeus Beck, MD, FACP, Highlands Oncology. Dr. Beck has worked tirelessly to bring cutting-edge clinical research, including Phase I clinical trials, into the community setting. He has led several initiatives to improve access to the latest advancements in cancer treatment for patients in geographically isolated areas. By establishing a clinical trials program at Highlands Oncology, Dr. Beck has provided patients with early access to innovative therapies that would otherwise be unavailable to them. Notably, his work has also increased the diversity of clinical trial participants, thus improving the generalizability of clinical trial results.
“In 2025 we now have 50 open trials and 50 employees,” Dr. Beck stated. His commitment to community-based research has elevated the quality of care of these patients and increased access to clinical trials research for the region. For other organizations looking to develop a successful environment, he recommended appointing an invested physician leader. By having great partners and providing dedicated time for that staff member, there will be a greater chance of successful management and quality care. Dr. Beck concluded, “I am humbled and honored to receive this award from ACCC.”
ACCC extends its congratulations to the 2025 Annual Award Winners and deep gratitude for the meaningful work they’ve done to positively impact patients in their communities.
To learn more about the nomination and selection process for the ACCC Annual Awards, please email Aisha Williams, Manager of Member Volunteer Engagement.
Stay tuned for more coverage of the ACCC 51st AMCCBS on the ACCCBuzz Blog and follow @ACCCBuzz on X for real-time updates.
