Employers are facing unprecedented health plan challenges with 72% reporting a higher prevalence of cancer within their populations, making it the top condition driving healthcare costs. To counter this, organizations are increasingly turning to Centers of Excellence (COEs) for solutions. As of 2025, 49% have implemented cancer COEs, with projections showing this number will rise to 73% by 2027/28. This session will explore how leveraging COEs can position organizations to address these challenges and provide high-quality care, improve patient outcomes, and effectively manage costs.
Key Takeaways
- Analyze the trends in cancer costs, innovative treatments and research breakthroughs
- Identify the key components of an effective COE partnership within your benefit design
- Examine case studies demonstrating the success of COEs in managing complex cancer cases
- Develop a roadmap for integrating COEs into your employee benefit ecosystem to ensure timely and effective cancer care
Brent Westra is a Director within Mayo Clinic's Complex Care Program. He has a background in product management, marketing, and communications and joined Mayo Clinic's Complex Care Program after almost 10 years supporting specialty laboratory testing for Mayo Clinic Laboratories. He is responsible for building relationships with employers, payers, and third party administrators to ensure that complex patients have access to Mayo Clinic’s destination medical centers in Rochester, Florida, and Arizona. Brent completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Augsburg University.
Dr. Denise Harnois is a Transplant Hepatologist with 27 years of clinical and research experience devoted to improving outcomes of patients with liver disease and those who require liver transplant. She has previously served as the Medical Director of the Liver Transplant program at Mayo Clinic Florida, which is one of the largest in the world. Currently, Dr. Harnois also serves as an Associate Medical Director in Mayo Clinic’s Department of Contracting and Payer Relations, which focuses on ensuring patients around the world have access to Mayo Clinic’s specialty care.
