The Beat

Live at HLTH: Closing Gaps in Cancer Care- featuring Harlan Levine

Episode Summary

The future of health equity is within reach, and it's inspiring to see organizations like City of Hope driving change in the healthcare ecosystem. In this episode, Harlan Levine, President of Health Innovation and Policy at City of Hope, delves into the critical topic of health equity and access to optimal cancer care. Harlan shares insights into healthcare innovation, the value the City of Hope adds to health systems and patients, and the barriers to accessing optimal cancer care, particularly as they relate to health equity. Harlan also discusses potential solutions for eliminating these barriers and paints a compelling picture of the ideal future of health equity. He shares a focus on patient-centered care, collaboration, and innovation, reshaping the healthcare landscape to ensure equitable access to life-saving therapies. Tune in to gain valuable insights and inspiration from Dr. Harlan Levine's vision for the future of healthcare.

Episode Notes

About Harlan Levine:

Harlan Levine, M.D., is president of health innovation and policy.  He also serves as the chair of the board of AccessHope™, a spinout company from the City of Hope that is focused on serving the employer market and making leading-edge cancer care available to all, regardless of geographical location.

Prior to the City of Hope, Dr. Levine held executive roles at UnitedHealth Group, Towers Watson, and Anthem Inc. He currently serves as a board member and secretary for BioScienceLA, as a member of the Keck Graduate Institute’s Board of Trustees, and as a board member for Vida Health, Active Life Scientific, and Reimagine Care.  He is on the advisory board for Innovaccer and Laguna Health. For 10 years, he has been a strategic advisor to the founder/chairman of the board of Quantum Health, and now chairs its external clinical advisory board.  In addition, he is a member of the Accessibility and Affordability Working Group for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and a senior fellow for Health Evolution Forum’s New Models of Care Delivery.

He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and licensed by the Medical Board of California. He earned his undergraduate degree from Harvard College and his medical degree from the University of California San Francisco. He interned at Mount Zion Hospital and Medical Center in San Francisco and completed his residency in internal medicine at Cedars-Sinai Health System in Los Angeles.

Things You’ll Learn:

• City of Hope's Distinctive Strategy: Integrating state-of-the-art research with patient-centric care. Their outreach to underrepresented markets and the introduction of a mobile van for prevention and screening empower communities with NCI-level care accessibility.
• Dr. Harlan emphasized how social determinants of health, including the cost of care, transportation challenges, and insufficient culturally relevant education, contribute to inequalities in cancer care.
• The importance of collaboration, policy adjustments, and the integration of community and academic oncologists. 
• The initiatives at City of Hope, including the affiliated company Access Hope, aim to provide expert opinions and cutting-edge cancer care to diverse populations.
• Gain an understanding of the obstacles that create barriers for patients to access the latest advancements in cancer treatment and assess the effects of limited networks on fair access to care.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Harlan on LinkedIn.
• Follow City of Hope on LinkedIn.
• Visit the City of Hope website here.