Turning Oncology Innovation Into Action: Stephen "Fred" Divers, MD

Ahead of the 2026 Patient-Centered Oncology Care® (PCOC) conference, taking place September 24-25 in Nashville, Tennessee, Stephen "Fred" Divers, MD, of the Genesis Cancer and Blood Institute and the American Oncology Network, previewed his upcoming session and what he is looking forward to most about the meeting.

Alongside other experts during his session, “Innovation to Implementation: Insights From the 2026 Oncology Care Index,” on September 24, Divers will discuss findings from the Oncology Care Index, a survey developed by Johnson & Johnson to examine the gap between innovation and implementation in cancer care.

In an interview at the recent Community Oncology Alliance (COA) Payer Exchange & Innovation Summit, he explained that it originally set out to capture how providers perceive the disconnect between innovations developed by life science companies and their actual implementation at the point of care. The survey has since evolved to also address the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in oncology, asking providers not only whether they believe AI has a role in care delivery but also where they are in the implementation process.

According to Divers, the results reveal a notable gap: 80% of survey respondents said they believe AI has a role in oncology care, yet only 25% reported having fully implemented AI technologies into their practice. He credited Johnson & Johnson for highlighting this disconnect across both innovative therapies and technologies, noting that closing this gap will be essential for the field.

Divers connected these findings to the broader conversation around outcomes and quality, drawing on the COA Quality & Value Study, which he discussed during a session at the COA Payer Exchange & Innovation Summit. He argued that achieving superior outcomes and meeting quality metrics will require oncology practices to adopt AI technologies alongside continued integration of novel therapies. Without this dual evolution, he cautioned, community oncology risks falling behind. Divers also noted that the Oncology Care Index and the COA Quality & Value Study complement each other well in illustrating where the field needs to focus its efforts.

Turning to the PCOC meeting overall, Divers expressed enthusiasm for returning this year, describing it as a valuable forum where colleagues can ask each other difficult questions with candor. He noted that the meeting draws sharp thinkers and described it as a “breeding ground” for exchanging ideas. Divers said he is “super excited to be back at PCOC this year and see some old friends and exchange ideas and really think through: how do we continue to evolve as a care delivery platform in the community?”