Advancing Our Legacy of Innovation and Care Delivery Research

The McKay Institute for Oncology Transformation (The McKay Institute), part of Tennessee Oncology, is an interdisciplinary innovation hub accelerating cancer care innovation through the development, funding and application of transformative ideas.

Through strategic partnerships and investments, The McKay Institute serves as Tennessee Oncology’s dedicated innovation arm. It honors the legacy of Tennessee Oncology founder Dr. Charles McKay, whose expansive vision drove progress in both the clinical practice and business of oncology, setting new standards for care delivery and innovation.

McKay ventures are not limited to any one industry, setting, or business model. We explore new ideas wherever and however there is a potential to advance oncology.

The McKay Institute is a vehicle for:

Clinical product development and rollout

From new technologies to lab studies, we facilitate every step of bringing new products to market.

Personalized leadership and advancement opportunities

Through our individualized work models, our partners can design their own career paths. Physicians, for instance, are able to split their time between practice and public policy or entrepreneurial projects.

Business and investment ventures

McKay offers the resources, funding and processes to turn new ideas into marketable ventures that transform the business of oncology.

The McKay Institute will serve as a facilitator, both internally and in collaboration with external partners, to test new ways of care delivery across urban and rural sites of care. Specific projects already underway include:

An award from the Tennessee Department of Health for the Tennessee Healthcare Resiliency Program for NEST (navigated, embedded, supportive care via telehealth), which aims to develop, implement, and evaluate a program of support oncology services for cancer patients in rural and underserved communities.

A joint grant with the University of Pennsylvania to study behavior nudges to improve adoption of palliative care.

Participation in the NIH BEST study through the University of Pittsburgh, which is studying the impact of opioid therapy for pain in individuals with metastatic cancer.

Every venture is different, but our partnership model focuses on three pillars:

OPERATIONS

We offer our partners the management resources, funding, processes, and opportunities to bring their vision to life and nurture its growth.

CARE DELIVERY RESEARCH

We support the discovery of new solutions through research from data testing and analysis to outcomes research.

INNOVATION

We believe in new possibilities, and we provide the necessary support to test, implement, and scale new ideas.

As a platform for professionals to forge their own career paths while gaining experience at the top of oncology, The McKay Institute is a catalyst for future healthcare leaders:

Physicians have access to the best technology, research and collaborators as they make high-stakes decisions on the frontlines, in the lab and in the boardroom.

Entrepreneurs have access to physician peers and oncology experts to bolster their ideas with clinical insights, giving them foresight and a competitive edge in the market.

The McKay Institute was announced on October 24, 2023. As it grows, the hub will bring new ideas into Tennessee Oncology while expanding and enhancing the technologies, businesses, innovations, and leadership that will shape the future of oncology care.