Innovation, AI, and the Fight to Stay Independent: Johnetta Blakely, MD, MS, MMHC

Johnetta Blakely, MD, MS, MMHC, cochair of the Community Oncology Conference of the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) and executive vice president of quality and clinical operations at Tennessee Oncology, sets the stage for what she predicts will be the largest COA gathering to date, with more than 2000 attendees expected in Orlando April 28-29.

The theme this year is “Innovation in Practice,” and Blakely says the focus is squarely on practical tools that help community oncologists stay competitive and remain in practice. High on the agenda is artificial intelligence (AI), which COA frames as a “practice partner” rather than a disruptor. Quality, value-based care, and support for practices still participating in the Enhancing Oncology Model are also central topics.

Blakely, a self-described generalist who has practiced oncology for more than 2 decades, speaks passionately about how dramatically the field has evolved. She describes reassuring patients with newly diagnosed myeloma that their treatment will involve no traditional chemotherapy, only targeted agents—a stark contrast to how she treated the same disease when she started her career. Keeping pace with that kind of rapid innovation, she notes, is both the challenge and the thrill of practicing community oncology today, particularly for generalists navigating advances in bispecific T-cell engager therapy, chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy, and beyond.

On the policy front, Blakely is candid about the gridlock in Washington, acknowledging that meaningful federal legislation protecting community oncology practices is unlikely in the near term. Instead, COA is pivoting its advocacy energy to the state level, where she says real progress is being made—bills are moving that protect both patients and independent oncology practices.

With a packed agenda spanning clinical innovation, AI integration, value-based care, and state-level advocacy, Blakely says she is eager to connect with colleagues and keep learning—a sentiment she expects will be shared by the thousands heading to Orlando.