Finding Harmony in Oncology Innovation, Patient-Centered Care at PCOC 2025

Tomorrow marks the start of this year's Patient-Centered Oncology Care (PCOC) conference, held September 25 and 26 at the JW Marriott in Nashville, Tennessee, where experts will gather to explore the rapidly evolving oncology landscape.

Ahead of the conference, co-chairs Kathy Oubre, MS, CEO of Pontchartrain Cancer Center, and Davey Daniel, MD, chief medical officer of OneOncology, share key aspects of the meeting and how this year's theme, "Finding Our Rhythm: Embracing Change in Oncology Care," will be reflected throughout the panel discussions and beyond.

This transcript was lightly edited for clarity; narration and captions were generated by AI.

Transcript

Narration: On September 25 and 26, experts will gather at the JW Marriott in Nashville, Tennessee, for this year's Patient-Centered Oncology Care, or PCOC, conference. The event will feature 15 panel discussions exploring the rapidly changing oncology care landscape, all tied to this year's theme: "Finding Our Rhythm: Embracing Change in Oncology Care."

In this video, co-chairs Kathy Oubre and Dr Davey Daniel share what attendees can expect from this year's conference. They also offer deeper insight into the theme and how it will be reflected throughout the program.

Overall, what can attendees look forward to at this year's PCOC conference?

Oubre: Attendees can look forward to a truly comprehensive experience at the 2025 Patient-Centered Oncology Care conference. The program brings together providers, representatives from payers, as well as policy and patient advocates to really tackle the most pressing challenges we have in cancer care today.

Over the next two days, there will be practical discussions on value-based care, payment models, coverage and regulatory changes, and the rising costs of care, but always with the patient experience and health equity at the center. What makes this meeting unique is that it isn't just about theory, it's about sharing the best patient-centered business practices and strategies that attendees can take back to their practices or their own organizations.

There's also an incredible opportunity to network across disciplines, hear diverse perspectives, and form collaborations that drive meaningful change. Ultimately, people will leave Nashville with a clearer sense of where oncology care is headed and with concrete tools to improve access, outcomes, and equity for patients.

Daniel: We have leaders from across oncology, from practice leaders, payers, industry, and innovators, who are all thinking about how we can move oncology care forward.

From discussions on the personalization of medicine and the use of technology in cancer care to the integration of pathways and survivorship programs to improve care, we hear from people in the trenches, bringing those programs into clinics.

This year's theme is "Finding Our Rhythm: Embracing Change in Oncology Care." How will this be represented throughout the conference?

Oubre: This year's theme, "Finding Our Rhythm: Embracing Change in Oncology Care," really captures where we are right now in the field. Oncology is rapidly facing some monumental shifts, whether it's new payment models, like maximum fair price, the resurgence in value-based care arrangements, evolving health care policy, advances in precision medicine and bispecifics, or the continued emphasis on health equity.

Throughout the conference, you'll see these themes reflected in panels and keynotes that highlight how practices, payers, and patients are adapting to these changes while keeping our patients at the center of our care. The sessions are designed not just to acknowledge these changes, though, but to showcase innovative solutions and real-world examples of how organizations are finding their rhythm, balancing cost pressures, maintaining quality, and improving access.

The goal of the conference, as always, is to leave attendees with a sense of confidence that change, while complex, can be embraced in a way that strengthens both patient care and the sustainability of oncology practices.

Daniel: This year's theme of "Finding Our Rhythm: Embracing Change in Oncology Care" is really going to be reflected throughout the conference. It was said that the only constant in life is change, and we recognize how this shows up in oncology.

So much of oncology has changed in the last 20 years. Therapeutic options available today are almost unrecognizable compared to 20 years ago, and the way the care is actually delivered really must evolve. It's not really a single pivot point we're adapting to; it's an era of constant movement, a rhythm of change that requires practices and physicians to adjust accordingly.

It's almost like jazz music for improvisation. It's not chaos. The musicians have rules of harmony, timing, and structure, and that's why it kind of all adapts and creates something cohesive in the end. In oncology care, we really have to be able to figure out how we keep changes from becoming unpredictable and really have shared principal standards in how we implement them, instead of them being disruptive.