Providence Health & Services has announced that Patrick Soon-Shiong, MD, will serve as the health-care system’s new Global Director for Cancer Services and Bioinformatics. In this role, Dr. Soon-Shiong will work closely with oncology clinicians and researchers across the five-state Providence system—Alaska, California, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Dr. Soon-Shiong is based in Los Angeles and is also a Professor of Microbiology, Immunology, Molecular Genetics, and Bioengineering at the University of California Los Angeles.
Clinical Genomic Network for Whole-Genomic Sequencing
Dr. Soon-Shiong, through his Chan Soon-Shiong Institute of Molecular Medicine, and Providence also announced their partnership to create the country’s first clinical genomic network for whole-genomic sequencing. They have installed an Illumina HiSeq X Ten sequencing system, to establish the first CLIA-approved clinical facility to drive molecular decisions for cancer patients.
Providence will be the first health-care system that will use the sequencing system, giving a comprehensive view of each patient’s disease. Rod Hochman, MD, President and CEO of Providence, said “With the leadership of Dr. Soon-Shiong and the many leading oncology clinicians and researchers across our five-state organization, we will have a vast amount of genetic information, technology, and science to pinpoint the best care and possible outcomes for patients.”
Currently, Providence and its affiliates care for more than 25,000 new cancer patients annually with nearly 100,000 patients under active care.
Physician, Surgeon, Scientist
Dr. Soon-Shiong is a physician, surgeon, and scientist who has pioneered treatments for both diabetes and cancer, published more than 100 scientific papers, and has over 95 issued patents on groundbreaking advancements across a myriad of fields. He invented and developed nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane), the FDA-approved protein nanoparticle albumin-bound delivery technology approved for treating breast, lung, and pancreatic cancers. He serves as Chairman of the Chan Soon-Shiong Family Foundation, and Chairman and CEO of the Chan Soon-Shiong Institute for Advanced Health (the CSS Institute), the Healthcare Transformation Institute, and NantWorks, LLC, a company whose mission is to converge semiconductor technology, supercomputing, advanced networks, and proven innovation. ■
