Knight Cancer Group hires new CEO
Brian Druker, M.D., CEO of the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, sent the following announcement to Oregon Health & Science University members announcing a new CEO of the Knight Cancer Group, which was created with the $2 billion donation from Phil and Penny Knight to lead the Knight Cancer Institute and manage OHSU’s cancer services.
Dear colleagues,
I’m pleased to announce that Joel Helmke, M.H.A., has been selected to serve as chief executive officer of the Knight Cancer Group, the new entity we are creating to manage cancer care at OHSU’s inpatient and outpatient facilities and deliver best outcomes for patients with cancer. He will start his new position in mid-March.
Mr. Helmke joins OHSU from Fox Chase Cancer Center at Temple University Health System in Philadelphia, where he has served as chief operating officer of cancer services since 2021, overseeing daily operations of the National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center, as well as the development of Temple’s oncology strategy.
With decades of leadership experience at several of the top cancer centers in the country, Mr. Helmke is known for his ability to drive turnaround and efficiencies in clinical operations, growth and market strategy, capacity management, patient access and volumes, revenue models, and cancer institute structure and governance. This experience lends itself to the oversight responsibilities of leading the Knight Cancer Group, which will operate under OHSU’s hospital license and be the exclusive provider of professional oncology services at OHSU.
At Fox Chase, Mr. Helmke held budget responsibility and operational accountability for cancer services on Temple’s five hospital campuses, driving growth in patient volumes, enhancing the patient experience, overseeing the expansion of cancer care throughout the region, leading capital improvements to facilities and contributing to its overall financial success.
Prior to his time at Fox Chase, Mr. Helmke was senior vice president of clinical operations at City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, California, an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center and 32-site cancer network. While there, Mr. Helmke helped lead planning for Hope Plaza Outpatient Center, and co-led programming and design for several new facilities, including its Orange County campus, ambulatory imaging facility and patient hotel. He also helped plan for an increase in both standard, approved and experimental CAR-T therapies, facilitating capacity planning, pathology workflows, staff training and financial clearance.
Before joining City of Hope, Mr. Helmke served as system vice president for WellStar Cancer Network, an affiliate of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, in Marietta, Georgia. While there, he completed a revamp of the oncology service line governance structure and led efforts for investment in oncology nurse navigation, psycho-oncology, genetic counseling, nutrition and integrative medicine.
Mr. Helmke built his early career in Texas, culminating in 14 years at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where he held increasing levels of responsibility, culminating as executive director and division administrator of internal medicine in 2014. At MD Anderson, he led eight clinical centers and nine academic departments and spearheaded an effort to better manage the patient experience.
He holds a master’s degree in health care administration from Texas State University, and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from University of Houston. In addition to his extensive professional experience, Mr. Helmke serves as board chair on the Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers, is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a Six Sigma Executive Champion, and served on the board of the Association of Cancer Executives.
Mr. Helmke said he looks forward to leading the Knight Cancer Group as we embark on a new era, with the support of Phil and Penny Knight’s historic $2 billion gift and in partnership with the existing Knight Cancer Institute and OHSU Health leadership team.
“I am thrilled to be walking into an environment where there is a tradition of excellence, a nationally recognized brand, incredible resources, and where people want to do very ambitious things,” Mr. Helmke said. “All the raw materials are there. My job is to create alignment, enable success and achieve a great deal. And I’ve got everything I need to accomplish that. I can’t wait to get started.”
Please join me in welcoming Mr. Helmke to Oregon, to OHSU and to the Knight Cancer Institute community.
Brian
Brian Druker, M.D.
CEO, OHSU Knight Cancer Institute