Leadership, Planning, and Evaluation

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LEADERSHIP, PLANNING & EVALUATION: ABSTRACT The University of Florida Health Cancer Center (UFHCC) has established a highly effective leadership team and structure for planning and evaluation. UFHCC Director, Licht (MOO), assembled the team in 2016, shortly after his appointment as director in late 2015. The UFHCC Executive Committee (EC) consists of the Director, along with the Deputy and Associate Directors. The EC and Licht are the UFHCC's policy-making body, responsible for establishing the vision for the center and ensuring that UFHCC meets its strategic goals to enhance cancer research that impacts the population of its catchment area (CA) of North Central Florida. The EC leads strategic planning, establishes policies, and reviews progress toward the goals of the UFHCC strategic plan. Under the leadership of Licht, the EC developed and continually assesses the UFHCC research programs, shared resources, and membership. The EC utilizes internal and external advice to effectively plan and evaluate new programmatic initiatives, faculty recruitment, shared resources, and foster team science and opportunities to advance the UFHCC's progress. In 2016, with input from internal and external stakeholders, the EC developed its first strategic plan, Vision 2022, to provide a roadmap to develop the cancer center in the framework of the NCI Cancer Centers Program. The plan, with advice from the External Advisory Board, guided the leadership to develop and enhance cancer research at UF, creating a collaborative culture inclusive of the entire university, investing requisite resources to support 3 research programs and 3 shared resources, reorganize and expand clinical trial capabilities, develop strategies for community outreach with the advice of the community advisory board, formulate an inclusive research career enhancement program, and develop mechanisms to bring UF discovery into the clinic. Accomplishments include expansion of clinical, basic, and population-based research through the recruitment of 58 new UFHCC members (45 external), including 45% women and 17% URM. Since 2016, NCI funding increased from $9.6M to $13.2M/yr of direct costs (up 37%), peer reviewed funding from $21M to $32.6M/yr of direct costs (up 55%), and total funding $25M to $40M/yr of direct costs (up 60%). Publication output increased from 369 in 2016 to 641 in 2021 (up 1.7-fold), yielding 506 high impact (IF >10) publications over the reporting period. Accruals to all interventional trials increased from 515 to 1,748 (up 3.4- fold), with treatment trial accruals increasing from 138 to 299 (up 2.2-fold) now representing ~9% of reportable cases. IIT accrual accounted for 91% of all enrollments and 59% of treatment enrollments and included translation of multiple UFHCC discoveries into the clinic. Having met the goals of Vision 2022, a new strategic plan, Momentum 2027, was created building around 4 foundational pillars guiding all UFHCC activities. These include: 1) conduct transdisciplinary research; 2) translate scientific advances; 3) lessen the CA cancer burden; and, 4) grow a prepared, diverse workforce. This plan integrates the strategic initiatives of the research programs, shared resources, and the various components, and will guide our priorities and actions during the next 5 years.