Podcast Summary: Redesigning Ambulatory Cancer Care and Advancing Nursing Innovation
Podcast: Becker’s Healthcare Podcast
Episode Date: January 26, 2026
Host: Elizabeth Gregerson
Guest: Analisa Rodriguez, Vice President of Nursing and Patient Care Services, Chief Nursing Officer, Fox Chase Cancer Center
Episode Overview
This episode features Analisa Rodriguez, CNO of Fox Chase Cancer Center, discussing the redesign of ambulatory cancer care and the advancement of nursing innovation. The conversation centers on Fox Chase’s Ambulatory Care Excellence (ACE) model, key achievements, ongoing challenges in staffing and technology adoption, and future opportunities for innovation through AI and organizational growth.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Fox Chase Cancer Center: Legacy & Achievements
- Background:
- One of the nation’s first cancer centers, located in Philadelphia and part of Temple University Health System.
- Renowned for basic, translational, and clinical research.
- Magnet designation for nursing excellence since 2000 — only 33 hospitals in the U.S. have achieved six or more consecutive Magnet designations.
- Recipient of the Gold Certification for Excellence in Person-Centered Care by Planetree International.
- Founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.
- Quote:
“We are among the only 33 hospitals in the US who have earned the Magnet designation six or more consecutive times.”
— Analisa Rodriguez [01:25]
2. Major 2025 Initiative: Ambulatory Care Excellence (ACE) Model
- Problem Identified:
- Ambulatory setting faced role ambiguity, care coordination gaps, and staff frustration.
- Growing clinical volume with stagnant staffing and resource allocation.
- ACE Model Solutions:
- Role Clarification:
- Clear delineation of responsibilities between medical assistants, nurses, advanced practice providers, and physicians.
- Task inventory conducted with staff input to define top-of-license work.
- Professional growth opportunities promoted, especially for medical assistants (encouragement for certification).
- Resource & Workflow Optimization:
- Service line-specific staffing analysis and benchmarking.
- Adjusted clinic templates and nurse workloads to allow dedicated care coordination time.
- Staffed up to ensure out-of-clinic work (e.g., follow-ups, patient prep) is covered.
- Outcomes:
- Improved care coordination and continuity.
- Enhanced patient experience via meaningful appointments (prepped by nurses ahead of time).
- Reduced clinic delays through standardized workflows.
- Transformative approach being scaled across service lines.
- Role Clarification:
- Quote:
“We clearly defined and delineated roles and responsibilities across the care team members to avoid redundancies of work... We actually completed a task inventory, if you will, and with the input of the different care team members, they identified which tasks are supposed to fall under a specific discipline so that they can continue to work at top of their licenses.”
— Analisa Rodriguez [04:00] - Quote:
“We've also experienced reduced delays in our clinics by standardization of our workflows. We now have prep for clinic time for our nurses so that they can ensure that critical task results and records are completed before appointments so that the appointment for the patient is meaningful and we're minimizing delays.”
— Analisa Rodriguez [07:47]
3. Future Challenges & Opportunities: Looking to 2026
A. Top Challenges
- Quality & Accountability:
- Maintaining high standards and achieving top-decile nursing quality.
- Driving ownership at the unit level for care excellence.
- Staffing & Retention:
- Ongoing competition for clinical talent.
- Challenge of retaining engaged and committed staff and leaders.
- Sustaining improvements from process and care model redesign.
- Quote:
“One of the headwinds that we always keep on focusing on is ...how to keep our staff and actually even leaders engaged so that we can continue to retain them. How do we maintain our low turnover, and with all of the ... redesigns ... how can we truly sustain all of the changes and deliver on what we have hoped to deliver?”
— Analisa Rodriguez [10:09]
B. Greatest Opportunities
- Technology & AI Literacy:
- Greater adoption of technology, especially in predictive analytics to optimize workload and acuity determination.
- Using AI for early warning of patient deterioration, risk prediction (falls, readmissions), and workflow enhancement.
- Promoting AI literacy and reducing skepticism among nurses — emphasizing that AI augments, not replaces, clinical skill.
- Embracing tools like ambient voice documentation to reduce nurse documentation time and free up more time for patient care.
- Organizational Willingness:
- Active collaboration with IT, readiness to pilot new technologies, and a culture open to transformative change.
- Quote:
“How can we use technology to really improve workflows and enhance efficiencies at the bedside?... In terms of just making things better for the nurses...how do we begin to incorporate, let's say, ambient voice documentation for our nurses so that we reduce the time that they are actually manually entering what their notes, what they did for the patient, so that we can reduce documentation burden and more importantly, free up some of their time so that they can actually spend with our patients.”
— Analisa Rodriguez [12:05] - Quote:
“Our team is ready and they are really excited to be part of the change in healthcare delivery.”
— Analisa Rodriguez [13:59]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On culture and innovation:
“I really would like to continue on finding ways to continue to develop our nurses, our staff nurses, as well as our leaders.”
— Analisa Rodriguez [10:34] -
On technology readiness:
“I often talk to our colleagues in our IT systems and say, hey, we would welcome any opportunities to pilot any technology implementation over at the cancer center.”
— Analisa Rodriguez [13:55]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- [00:57] — Introduction & Fox Chase Cancer Center achievements
- [02:53] — Launching the Ambulatory Care Excellence (ACE) Model
- [04:00] — Role clarification and process redesign
- [07:47] — Impact: Improved care coordination, reduced delays
- [09:11] — Future priorities: quality, staffing, innovation
- [11:24] — AI in nursing, technology adoption, and staff engagement
- [12:40] — Ambient voice documentation and freeing up nurses’ time
- [13:55] — Organization’s eagerness to pilot new technologies
Conclusion
Analisa Rodriguez provided a transparent and constructive inside look at how Fox Chase Cancer Center is fundamentally reshaping its ambulatory care practices through the ACE model, clarifying roles, optimizing workflows, and championing technology and innovation in nursing. As they look to the future, their focus will be on elevating quality, supporting staff, and leveraging AI not only as a tool for efficiency but as a catalyst for culture change in cancer care.