Open AccessThe VCCC Research & Education Lead Program: Collective Leadership in Cancer Across Multiple Organisations
Author(s) -
Michael D. Layton,
Everett A. Johnson,
Sarah Hall,
Hannah Cross,
James F. Bishop,
Grant A. McArthur,
Karen Lacey
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of global oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.002
H-Index - 17
ISSN - 2378-9506
DOI - 10.1200/jgo.18.60100
Subject(s) - alliance , context (archaeology) , public relations , medicine , opinion leadership , medical education , knowledge management , political science , computer science , paleontology , law , biology
Background and context: The Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre (VCCC) is Australia´s first formally constituted comprehensive cancer center, based on NCI principles. It is an alliance of 10 organizations: 7 hospitals, 2 medical research institutes and a university, based in Melbourne, Australia. A key goal for the VCCC is to create meaningful collaborations across partner organizations. Aim: The VCCC established the Research & Education Lead (R & E Lead) Program to build leadership capability who can harness the critical mass of talent across the VCCC alliance to work toward optimal integration of cancer research and education into routine patient care. Strategy/Tactics: This VCCC Research & Education Lead Program manifests the foundational principles of the VCCC by systematising and normalizing collaborative activities across the VCCC alliance. The program is a vehicle that allows the VCCC to address its strategic priorities to enable: - better integration of research, education and clinical care - sharing of ideas and knowledge to improve patient outcomes - shared education and training across member organizations Program/Policy process: Clinicians-scientists were appointed to each tumor stream as VCCC R & E Leads (approx. 0.2 EFT). Their role is to build networks of expertise and to drive change that is evidence-based, strategic and agreed across the VCCC alliance, with a focus on the end goal of better outcomes for cancer patients. The program provides the basis for a model of distributed leadership, wherein champions invested in the VCCC concept are embedded in partner organizations. Outcomes: Three R & E Leads were initially appointed as a pilot for 2 years, with a further three leads appointed during this period. Following the pilot, the program has been expanded to encompass 10 tumor streams as well as leads in primary care integration and cancer nursing. Achievements to date have included the development of a Massive Online Open Course in Cancer Survivorship, conduct of numerous symposia and events that upskill the cancer workforce in niche areas identified by the leads as needs, and consensus on the clinical challenges and research priorities to be tackled collectively within each tumor stream. Overarching program benefits included increased engagement and collaboration across partner organizations, more sharing of knowledge, and more participation in collaborative efforts including VCCC strategy development and advocacy. What was learned: A key finding of an interim program evaluation identified that the appointment of clinician-scientists as the leads was an important factor in their ability to cross the boundaries between research and clinical practice and between organizations, and to work closely and cohesively with clinical service leads for the tumor streams.