Podcast Summary

Podcast: Becker’s Healthcare Podcast

Episode: Dr. Theodoros Teknos, President & Scientific Director, University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center
Host: Mackenzie Bean
Date: February 19, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode features Dr. Theodoros ("Ted") Teknos, President and Scientific Director of the University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center and Deputy Director of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. The conversation explores strategic misalignments between cancer centers and broader health system priorities, operationalizing research discoveries, capital and investment strategies amidst financial constraints, and key organizational capabilities needed for ongoing cancer care success.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Dr. Teknos’ Background ([01:32])

• Trained as an otolaryngologist, head and neck surgeon; actively performs cancer and reconstructive surgeries.
• Leads the University Hospitals cancer program since 2017; holds significant experience across multiple institutions.

Strategic Misalignments: Cancer Centers vs. Health Systems ([02:27])

• Core Challenge: Not finances, but "language and time horizons."
  • Cancer centers: Focus on aspiration, hope, academic discovery.
  • Health systems: Focus on execution, operational results.
• Quote:

  “The gap really closes when oncology strategy is framed not just as prestige and academic success, but also as one of the system's most powerful engines for sustaining growth and differentiation as well as value.” – Dr. Teknos [03:13]

• Leaders should translate cancer ambitions (prestige, new treatments) into concrete system-relevant outcomes:
  • Reduced patient leakage
  • Demonstrated downstream revenue
  • Cost differentials versus competitors
  • Differentiation with payers
• Centralization/Decentralization:
  • Centralize only crucial complex services (e.g., bone marrow transplants, phase 1 trials)
  • Decentralize standard care, infusions, imaging to lower-cost regional sites
• Organizational Alignment:

  “Rather than being a separate siloed leader ... cancer center leaders really need to be system executives. Their goals should be closely aligned with the system goals as well.” – Dr. Teknos [05:24]

Real-World Example: Translating Ambitions to System Outcomes ([06:24])

• UH Model: Academic medical center with a standalone cancer hospital and 17 regional sites.
• Complex care and trials centralized; standard care decentralized to regional sites.
• Patient-centricity: Patients evaluated centrally but treated closer to home when possible, improving access and reducing costs.
• Win-win:

  “We not only meet patients needs where they are ... we also then free up capacity in the main hospital for us to do more complex care ... and payers like it because they see that we are actually trying to defray costs.” – Dr. Teknos [07:21]

Translating Discovery into Clinical Practice ([08:33])

• Major upcoming challenge: Integrating precision medicine, systems biology, AI, and digital twins into clinical workflows.
• Operational demands:

  “There is an underestimation of what this will take to really implement into our workflows.” – Dr. Teknos [09:34]

• Accelerate clinical trial accrual through AI and machine learning.

Investment Strategies Amid Financial Constraints ([10:24])

• Financial pressures: Government payers dominate, with reimbursement changes looming; grant funding increasingly competitive (only top 4% funded).

• Investment Mindset:

  • Relentless focus on value and cost effectiveness.
  • Avoid investing in “marginal gain” high-cost technologies.
  • Prioritize evidence-based interventions, standardized pathways, and value-based care.
  • Use rigorous cost-benefit analysis for new therapies.
  • Early detection/screening: Investing in population-based programs (ex: lung cancer screening) shows both clinical and economic benefit.
  • Expanding reach: Prefer partnerships and network collaboration over “brick and mortar” expansion.
  • Leverage technology: Use AI/machine learning for triage, clinical decision support, reduced administrative burden.
  • Shorten ROI horizons:

    “We really need to see that ROI in a shorter time horizon rather than a longer time horizon.” – Dr. Teknos [14:25]

• Mackenzie’s Recap:

  • Dr. Teknos affirms a “five-pronged approach:” value focus, standardization, early detection, partnerships, and technology/data-driven investment decisions ([15:09]).

Long-Term Success Factors for Health System Cancer Strategy ([15:48])

• Enterprise-wide approach: Oncology as a systemwide portfolio, not just a siloed service line.

  “Cancer programs ultimately are about 25% of the revenue of the entire health system and over a third of the margin. So it really needs to be embedded in system strategy.” – Dr. Teknos [16:16]

• Key Capabilities:
  • Cohesive, system-level strategy
  • Frequent use of robust data for decision-making
  • Deep physician engagement—beyond employment, involving them in workflow design and innovation
  • Strategic partnerships (regional practices, joint ventures)
• Pitfalls to Avoid:
  • Over-expansion of facilities without matching workforce
  • Fragmentation of care across unsynchronized regional units
  • Over-investment in long-term “hit or miss” innovations
  • Lack of organizational integration

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The biggest misalignment isn’t money. It’s really language and time horizons.” – Dr. Teknos [02:31]
• “Cancer center leaders should also focus on the other metrics that are really important to the system.” – Dr. Teknos [03:54]
• “Payers like it because they see that we are actually trying to defray costs and bend that cost curve...” – Dr. Teknos [07:50]
• “There is an underestimation of what this will take to really implement into our workflows.” – Dr. Teknos [09:34]
• “We can't continue to build a bigger and bigger system ... we can expand our reach ... without actually having to do more brick and mortar acquisition.” – Dr. Teknos [13:16]
• “Ultimately the systems that are going to succeed ... are going to be the ones that really think of oncology as an enterprise wide portfolio and not just a simple service line.” – Dr. Teknos [15:50]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:32] Dr. Teknos' background and clinical role
• [02:27] Misalignments between cancer centers and health systems
• [06:24] Real-world example of centralizing/decentralizing care
• [08:33] Challenges of translating research into clinical care
• [10:24] Investment decision-making under financial pressure
• [15:09] Mackenzie’s five-pronged summary
• [15:48] Future capabilities and factors for a winning cancer program

Closing

Dr. Teknos emphasizes the need for cancer care leaders to communicate in system-relevant terms, align incentives, utilize data and technology for both efficiency and patient benefit, and adopt a holistic and collaborative approach for sustained success.

“It’s going to require a lot of, you know, very thoughtful decision making and … great stewardship of … the limited capital dollars that are out there.” – Dr. Teknos [15:15]