Becker’s Healthcare Podcast Summary: "Scaling Preventative Cancer Care with Data, Technology and Human Touch"

Release Date: July 23, 2025
Host: Lucas Voss
Guest: Dr. Dax Kirbogoff, Senior Vice President, HCA Healthcare Sarah Cannon Cancer Network

1. Introduction to Dr. Dax Kirbogoff

In this episode, Lucas Voss welcomes Dr. Dax Kirbogoff, a seasoned medical oncologist and the Senior Vice President of the HCA Healthcare Sarah Cannon Cancer Network. Dr. Kirbogoff has over a decade of experience in building cancer programs, emphasizing the critical role of risk identification and prevention in delivering effective cancer care. He oversees a collaborative ecosystem involving physicians, nurses, genetic counselors, IT leaders, and healthcare administrators to enhance patient care within the communities served by HCA Healthcare.

2. Tackling Fragmentation in Oncology Care

Dr. Kirbogoff discusses the inherent fragmentation within the healthcare ecosystem, particularly in oncology, where siloed screenings and risk assessments hinder comprehensive patient care. He explains the necessity of a coordinated approach to identify high-risk patients, stressing that effective risk identification leads to patient empowerment. According to Dr. Kirbogoff, "If you don't know that you're at risk, you don't know what questions to ask around how to mitigate that risk" (02:07).

3. Strategies for High-Risk Patient Identification

The conversation delves into the strategies employed by HCA Healthcare to improve risk identification. Dr. Kirbogoff highlights that over 85% of cancer care occurs in community settings and more than 95% of cancer screenings take place outside major medical centers. Despite this, less than 10% of individuals with a family history suggestive of cancer predisposition are aware of their risk. Addressing this gap, HCA Healthcare leverages technology, standardized processes, and clearly defined roles to enhance communication and connect at-risk patients with appropriate providers.

4. The Role of Technology in Preventative Care

A pivotal component of HCA’s strategy is their partnership with Ambri Genetics and the utilization of the Ambri Care platform. Dr. Kirbogoff emphasizes that technology serves as an enabler rather than the sole solution. This platform facilitates seamless connections across various healthcare settings, enabling patient-centric engagement and efficient risk assessment. He notes, "Our partnership with Ambri Genetics... has really been a potent enabler that has helped us to connect the dots between all of those different settings" (04:08).

5. Patient Impact: Christina’s Story

One of the most compelling segments features the story of Christina, a 54-year-old woman with a strong family history of breast cancer. Through HCA’s preventative care program, Christina underwent genetic counseling and testing during her routine mammogram. Despite a normal mammogram result, a deleterious mutation was identified, leading her to opt for a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy. Dr. Kirbogoff shares, "Christina... underwent that procedure, and... she was found to have breast cancer. I mean, thank goodness it was an early stage cancer" (09:07). This narrative underscores the tangible benefits of proactive risk identification and intervention.

6. Overcoming Organizational Challenges

Implementing a system-wide high-risk program involves navigating various barriers, including organizational resistance and fragmented care systems. Dr. Kirbogoff explains that success was achieved by involving clinicians and genetic counselors from the outset, allowing flexibility in the program’s design, and ensuring robust data analytics. He states, "We involved our clinicians... to guide the build of this program... we gave them flexibility" (11:10). This collaborative and adaptive approach enabled the scalable deployment of the program across diverse patient populations and geographies.

7. Metrics for Measuring Success

Measuring the effectiveness of the preventative care program relies on several key metrics:

• Patient Engagement: Over 85% of patients completed their risk questionnaires either before or shortly after their mammograms (14:21).
• Risk Identification: Nearly 15,000 patients identified for intensified screening and approximately 1,000 individuals with identified mutations receive informed healthcare decisions.
• Program Expansion: The program has extended beyond mammography centers to primary care and other cancer screening portals, recognizing that risk assessments often reveal non-breast cancer related interventions.

Dr. Kirbogoff emphasizes the importance of outcome-based data in validating the program’s success and guiding future improvements.

8. Future Outlook: Innovations in Preventative Cancer Care

Looking ahead, Dr. Kirbogoff is optimistic about the continued integration of technology and personalized medicine in cancer prevention. He anticipates the expansion of universal risk assessment across all healthcare entry points and the incorporation of advanced techniques like radiomics for more comprehensive risk evaluations. Additionally, the emergence of blood-based cancer screening technologies holds promise for detecting cancers that currently lack effective screening methods. Dr. Kirbogoff remarks, "Our power to intervene in a positive way on behalf of our patients really excites me as part of that future promise" (17:50).

Conclusion

This episode of Becker’s Healthcare Podcast provides an insightful look into HCA Healthcare’s innovative approach to scaling preventative cancer care. Through strategic use of technology, collaborative efforts, and a strong focus on patient empowerment, Dr. Dax Kirbogoff illustrates how coordinated efforts can significantly improve cancer prevention and early detection outcomes. The patient-centric strategies and future-oriented vision discussed offer valuable lessons for healthcare organizations aiming to enhance their preventative care initiatives.

Notable Quotes:

• Dr. Dax Kirbogoff (02:07): "If you don't know that you're at risk, you don't know what questions to ask around how to mitigate that risk."

• Dr. Dax Kirbogoff (04:08): "Our partnership with Ambri Genetics... has really been a potent enabler that has helped us to connect the dots between all of those different settings."

• Dr. Dax Kirbogoff (09:07): "Christina... underwent that procedure, and... she was found to have breast cancer. I mean, thank goodness it was an early stage cancer."

• Dr. Dax Kirbogoff (11:10): "We involved our clinicians... to guide the build of this program... we gave them flexibility."

• Dr. Dax Kirbogoff (17:50): "Our power to intervene in a positive way on behalf of our patients really excites me as part of that future promise."

For more insightful discussions and industry-leading perspectives, visit Becker’s Hospital Review Podcast Page.