eBulletin Newsletter

NCCN Foundation Recognizes Patrick O’Brien, NCCN Foundation Board Treasurer, for their Generous Contribution to Help Cancer Patients Live Better Lives

Name: Patrick O’Brien
Hometown: Philadelphia

Q: Tell us a little about yourself.
I live in Fort Washington, PA with my wife, Amy, and four children; whose ages range from 10-18. Most nights and weekends find me at youth sporting events, recitals, or school plays. Outside of family and professional life, my interests include the outdoors, traveling, non-fiction books, and probably an unreasonable amount of time spent supporting my favorite sports teams.

Q: What is your current professional role?
I serve as the Chief Administrative Officer for the Fox Chase Cancer Center Medical Group. The corporation employs 150 physicians and 75 APP’s across nine Departments and frequently receives accolades for novel discoveries, patient satisfaction, and superior quality outcomes. I have been fortunate to be with Fox Chase in a variety of roles for nearly 26 years and enjoy working alongside dedicated colleagues with a common goal a characteristic that not surprisingly aligns with my experience with the NCCN Foundation.

Q: What brought you to the NCCN Foundation?
I have been a member of the NCCN Board since 2011 and have been on the NCCN Foundation Board since 2021, serving as the Board Treasurer. Over my years as a Fox Chase representative to the NCCN Board, I watched the Foundation grow from its infancy to the robust organization it is today as it expanded its patient resource library exponentially while concurrently providing increased funding support to young investigators for important research pursuits. I enthusiastically agreed to accept the invitation to join the Foundation Board when the prior Treasurer, Ray Lynch, retired.

I felt a strong connection to the Foundation’s mission and purpose. The patient guidelines are practical to me, and I have seen the impact they have on patients and their families at times when they are anxious and perhaps feel vulnerable.

Q: What does the NCCN Foundation mission mean to you?
Commitment to advancing cancer care so all patients can live better lives resonates in me as a core principle of humanity that each of us can understand and get behind. 

We have all undoubtedly been impacted by cancer in one way or another and have dealt with the trials and tribulations associated with a cancer diagnosis. With the NCCN Foundation working to advance treatment options through funding research efforts and educating patients and their caregivers on what to expect in their cancer journey, the organization plays a key role in supporting advancements in cancer care as well as individuals impacted by cancer. There is tremendous value in the output of the efforts of the NCCN Foundation.

Q: What do you want the readers to know about the NCCN Foundation?
The organization plays a key role in supporting both NCCN Member Institutions (directly through Young Investigator Awards) as well as individuals worldwide. The evidenced-based material in the NCCN Guidelines for Patients is invaluable in an era where so much conflicting information exists on the internet. To have a free, single source of content that is frequently updated and, in many cases, available in a handful of languages is a tremendous resource.

I also want readers to be aware of the patient guidelines and share the link to the library with anyone whom they think can benefit from the vast amount of resources available: NCCN.org/patientguidelines. In addition, it is important to recognize the resources extend beyond specific cancer types and include guidelines for supportive care, prevention, and risk reduction.

Q: How do you incorporate the work of the NCCN Foundation into your daily life?
I share the link to the patient guidelines library at every possible opportunity as I feel it is a tremendous resource. One of my main objectives is to increase awareness of the NCCN Foundation and the patient guidelines as the information is unparalleled in assisting cancer patients and caregivers.

Q: What are you most proud of regarding the NCCN Foundation?
The patient guidelines are the pearl to me but I also must mention the team- both the Board and the employees of the Foundation- as they are truly dedicated to supporting the mission, increasing awareness and the reach of the organization. The relatively small size of both groups allows nimbleness in strategy and direction while allowing everyone to be a contributor. The leadership has been creative in working to increase visibility, diversify revenue streams, and enhance the impact of the organization while being steadfast in its focus on the core mission.

Q: What are you most excited about for the NCCN Foundation in 2024?
Continuing to grow the number of translations of the patient guidelines to widen the reach of such important information as well as new approaches to connect with supporters of the NCCN Foundation. I know that while the resources that are provided through the Foundation, both in research support and educational material, have already touched a large number of lives (over 1.2 million individual users in 2023), the best is yet to come for the growing organization and I am proud to be part of the team.