Leading With Purpose: How One CEO Is Guiding A 112-Year-Old Institution Into The Future Of Cancer Care

Forbes

3 days ago

When Robert Stone thinks about what makes City of Hope stand apart, it's the people. He recalls a patient who stopped him one evening outside his office, a year after her treatment had ended, just to say thank you. "I had pancreatic cancer and was given months to live,' she told him. 'A year later, your physician scientists have come up with a novel therapy that has me still here and going strong.'
Then there was the nurse he encountered one late afternoon, pulling a large and unwieldy suitcase. When Stone asked what was inside, she explained that she had a patient who was battling for her life, and who had mentioned that she missed cooking with her teenage daughter. The nurse had made it her mission to make that happen—even if that involved reserving kitchen space at City of Hope's historic Duarte campus in Southern California and bringing in pots and pans herself.
Moments like this, Stone says, are why City of Hope exists. As CEO of one of the nation's largest and most advanced cancer research and treatment organizations, Stone leads with a deep sense of responsibility: to legacy, to innovation and to the people whose lives depend on both.
"There are far too many people who are still being left behind," Stone says. Their outcome, he adds, is based on their zip code, their insurance, where they are in the country, 'or too often now because knowledge of the latest innovations hasn't reached their physicians."
That imbalance keeps him up at night. But it also fuels his drive. Stone has dedicated 29 years to serving at City of Hope, having initially committed to only three. Over that time, he has come to embody the organization's core values: compassion, inclusion, trailblazing and integrity.
"It's very personal to be entrusted with such a legacy," he says, referencing the bust of former CEO Ben Horowitz that sits in his office as a daily reminder.
Stone was mentored by three leaders who helped shape City of Hope in the mid-20th century, including Horowitz among them. "They taught me what it means to be part of an organization that's founded on humility, on excellence, on caring for your fellow human being,' he says. Now, he adds, his responsibility is to continue that legacy while embracing change.
Respect for tradition hasn't slowed Stone's pace of transformation. Under his leadership, City of Hope has evolved into a national network of cancer research and treatment, delivering advanced cancer care to more than 160,000 patients annually. Today, more than 86 million Americans live within driving distance of a City of Hope location.
"Culture must continue to evolve to meet the demands of your mission," Stone explains. "You have to love change and see it as an opportunity."
With an independent biomedical research and treatment center at its epicenter, City of Hope embodies a model of accelerated innovation and compassionate care. Stone emphasizes the power of integration: research and care, housed together, creating speed and agility. "If you or a loved one had cancer, how fast would you want us to move?" he asks. "Wait is a four-letter word for a cancer patient."
Stone remains focused on the impact of cancer on every American and their families, with particular concern about the recent surge in cases among younger populations. His attention goes beyond treatment, emphasizing the unique lifestyle challenges that follow a diagnosis. 'For young women who are diagnosed with breast cancer,' he notes, 'it presents unique challenges of lifestyle concerns about: What does the future post-cancer look like?'
That's where City of Hope's nationally recognized supportive care program comes in.
"We help our patients navigate issues such as fertility, employment, mental health, body image, managing young families and the risk of recurrence," Stone says. Supportive care means managing 'not just the disease, but the symptoms, the psychosocial implications, the resources for the patient and their families." That's how you end up with a nurse hauling a suitcase full of pots and pans to a campus on a sunny afternoon.
City of Hope is advancing precision medicine and next-generation technology. "Cancer is not one disease, it's hundreds," Stone explains. Artificial intelligence and biomarker insights will help detect disease earlier and accelerate the next wave of medicines, he adds: 'The next five years will fundamentally change so much of what we do.' In that time, we'll see breakthroughs that happen 'much faster than the last 20 years combined.'
Strategic philanthropy plays a significant role in that acceleration. In the past couple of years alone, City of Hope has launched a national integrative oncology program and a national effort to advance cures for pancreatic cancer, thanks to philanthropic support.
For Stone, that collaborative spirit defines modern cancer leadership. He understands that donors support organizations that make meaningful change.
'They want you to push the envelope,' he reflects, always mindful that a donor's deepest concern is whether their contribution will truly make a difference. 'Their greatest fear is that their money won't be maximally impactful.'
And then there are the patients he hasn't yet met. Rates of cancer and diabetes are increasing, and access is still a barrier. 'That's what we have to change,' he says.
Nearly 30 years in, Stone still walks the halls with purpose—not only for the patients he's met, but for the ones who don't yet know where to turn.