Jennifer Burrows, RN
Chief Executive, Providence Oregon
Dear Oregon Core Leaders,
I am pleased to announce that Bryan Bell, M.D., D.D.S., has accepted the roles of executive medical director of Providence Cancer Institute and director of the Earle A. Chiles Research Institute.
Dr. Bell is a head and neck surgical oncologist, researcher and educator. He will begin serving in his new roles this fall, and will work closely with our current leader, Walter J. Urba, M.D., Ph.D. throughout the transition. Dr. Urba announced in August he is retiring at the end of the year.
Dr. Bell is well prepared to lead our oncology services and research teams that deliver care in 32 clinics and eight Oregon hospitals serving more than 9,000 cancer patients annually in Oregon.
We recruited Dr. Bell to the Providence Cancer Institute in 2009. He founded the Providence Head and Neck Cancer Program and Clinic and assembled a multidisciplinary team to advance care through translational research and early phase clinical trials. Since 2019, he has served in a growing number of regional and division cancer leadership roles.
Under his leadership, Providence experienced significant growth of its clinical footprint, quadrupling the number of surgical oncologists and adding 10 additional clinics on four different hospital campuses for breast, thoracic, head and neck, and hepatobiliary surgical oncology, as well as gynecologic oncology and Oregon’s first and only oral oncology clinic.
Dr. Bell’s deep commitment to growth of cancer programs, education, and research is surpassed only by his steadfast service to his patients. He lives our Mission in caring for our most vulnerable patients facing incredibly challenging diagnoses.
This is what makes Dr. Bell the servant leader he is, and one who will lead Providence Cancer Institute into the future.
I am grateful to Dr. Bell for taking on these new responsibilities, and to Dr. Urba for building our strong foundation in cancer care and research.
Please read the thoughts below from both Dr. Bell and Dr. Urba.
With gratitude,
Jennifer
A message from R. Bryan Bell, M.D., D.D.S.
I am deeply honored to succeed Dr. Urba, and I am committed to building upon his legacy of transformational immuno-oncology research and the development of a world-class cancer center dedicated to translating the next generation of immunotherapies from the lab bench to the patient bedside, delivered within the communities where our patients live.
Dr. Urba led the global trial of ipilimumab, the first immunotherapy to show an improvement in overall survival for metastatic melanoma, a disease that was almost uniformly fatal. Because of his vision and Providence’s research team, Oregonians often had access to this and other lifesaving immunotherapies years before they were widely available. Today, thanks to immunotherapy, more than half of all patients with metastatic melanoma are alive and well 5 years after diagnosis, with countless lives saved and families kept intact because of Providence’s dedication to research and early phase clinical trials.
Since then, Providence and the Earle A. Chiles Research Institute have continued to have an outsized influence on the field with the development of OX40, vaccines, novel immunotherapy combinations, adoptive cellular therapy for solid tumors and, most recently, highly personalized, next generation gene-engineered TCR-T cell therapy targeting specific mutations within an individual's tumor. As a community-based health system with a Mission to serve all, especially the poor and vulnerable, Providence is uniquely positioned to help eliminate inequities in cancer care delivery and enhance access to cutting edge technology and clinical trials.
By leveraging our system investments in a robust digital infrastructure, genomics, AI, translational research and an integrated oncology workforce deployed throughout the communities we serve, we intend to more effectively prevent cancer, detect it earlier, develop better, less toxic treatments, expand survivorship programs and comfort patients and their families throughout the cancer care continuum.
It is with great admiration of our multidisciplinary cancer care teams, caregivers and researchers that I accept this privilege to serve as your leader. From the brilliant scientific minds working to develop tomorrow's therapies, to the unsurpassed expertise of our clinical teams, and the dedication of those in administrative and program roles, our people are truly outstanding.
Each day you make a positive difference in the lives of our patients and for each other. Our Mission and values are evident in all you do – and together we will continue to bring hope, comfort and healing to those we are privileged to serve. Together we will #FinishCancer.
Respectfully,
Bryan Bell, M.D., D.D.S., FACS, FRCS(Ed)
A message from Walter J. Urba, M.D., Ph.D.
It is with great enthusiasm that I support the appointment of R. Bryan Bell, M.D., D.D.S., FACS, FRCS(Ed), as the next leader of Providence Cancer Institute and the Earle A. Chiles Research Institute. For more than a decade, I’ve had the pleasure of working with Dr. Bell as a physician colleague, faculty member of the Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, and medical director of the Providence Head and Neck Cancer Program and Clinic. Dr. Bell’s exceptional skill as a surgical oncologist and educator, combined with his passion for clinical excellence and immuno-oncology research, quickly established him as a sought-after partner in cancer care and research.
During this time, Dr. Bell assumed additional leadership responsibility as physician executive and division director of surgical oncology, radiation oncology and clinical programs, as well as surgical oncology research, which led to the expansion of oncology care in our communities and innovative translational cancer research.
Most recently, his service as oncology medical director for the Providence Central Division and co-chair of the Providence Cancer Leadership Council helped guide the delivery of cancer care to our patients and communities in the face of challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Bell is an ardent advocate of cancer immunotherapy and bench-to-bedside research. He is also known for his commitment to our Mission and core values, which he embodies in his compassionate care for our patients and concern for underserved populations.
With his experience and accomplishments, Dr. Bell will continue to be a champion for Providence Cancer Institute, the Earle A. Chiles Research Institute, and the patients and communities we serve. I am grateful to Dr. Bell for his partnership and friendship, and I look forward to supporting his vision and leadership to finish cancer.
In appreciation,
Walter J. Urba, M.D., Ph.D.
Chief Medical Officer, Providence Cancer Institute
Director of Cancer Research, Earle A. Chiles Research Institute
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