With several important initiatives underway at Moffitt Cancer Center, one of the greatest challenges is prioritizing them in a way that is most impactful for its field and patients, said President and CEO Patrick Hwu, MD.
He has led the Tampa, Fla.-based cancer hospital since 2020, which is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in the state. Before arriving in Tampa, Dr. Hwu spent 17 years with MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
Becker’s connected with Dr. Hwu to learn more about his leadership approach, his connections with front-line staff and the legacy he hopes to leave before retirement.
Editor’s note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: What’s an industry or business outside of healthcare you think leaders could take notes from?
Dr. Patrick Hwu: Definitely the tech industry. One thing that really stands out is how they embrace the rapid integration of new ideas and technology, especially artificial intelligence and automation. We can learn so much from this and have so much to gain in the healthcare industry. I believe AI and automation have such incredible potential to transform patient care, accelerate research breakthroughs and streamline our workflows. Whether it’s using AI to predict treatment response, find new drug targets or improve diagnostics, we’re only just beginning to scratch the surface.
Q: What’s one of your lesser-known talents or leadership superpowers?
PH: I would consider listening one of my greatest leadership superpowers. While it seems simple, so many leaders don’t focus on active listening, really taking the time to hear feedback and use it to inform decision-making. When I first joined Moffitt, I set out on a mission to hear from teams across the enterprise, from patient care to research and administration. I’ve been participating in these “listening tours” for more than four years now, and insights from our front-line team members have helped us realize challenges and opportunities, as well as inform our strategy. Listening connects me to the needs of our patients, team members and community, and I believe it is one of the most impactful ways a leader can build trust and drive change within an organization.
Q: What’s the most difficult choice you’ve had to make for your organization this year?
PH: With so many important and exciting initiatives at the cancer center, one of the greatest challenges is prioritizing and resourcing them in a way that makes the greatest impact for our field, and most importantly, for the cancer patients of today and tomorrow. An example of this is pushing forward our new bioengineering department, which really brings together engineering, immunology and oncology to accelerate and scale next-generation cancer therapies.
Q: Picture this. It’s the first day of your retirement. What, if anything, do you worry about regretting? What do you hope your legacy will be?
PH: I would regret not taking bold enough steps to enact real change for cancer patients and for the field of immunology. If I had to point to one specific thing, I would be upset with myself if I retire before the day when we see CAR T and other cell therapies really working well for solid tumor malignancies. That’s something I helped to start in the ’90s, and though the therapy has achieved unprecedented success in hematologic malignancies, I’d love to witness that success in solid tumors as well.
