Soon-Shiong to lead Providence Health's new cancer division

Billionaire philanthropist and healthcare entrepreneur Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong has been named the global director for cancer services and bioinformatics at Providence Health & Services, Renton, Wash.

Soon-Shiong—known for his cancer and diabetes treatments and pharmaceutical breakthroughs—will work with Providence oncologists and researchers in the newly created position to expand access to cancer treatment.

His Chan Soon-Shiong Institute of Molecular Medicine will also partner with the health system to create a clinical genomic network for whole genomic sequencing, according to a news release.

“Using the most advanced, most sophisticated tools imaginable today, we are on a mission to solve the mystery of cancer and establish an adaptive learning system where the power of one can inform many,” Soon-Shiong, 62, said in a statement. “Partnering with Providence and the many clinicians treating cancer patients across its five-state system will dramatically advance how we care for people facing cancer.”

In 2011, Soon-Shiong, a minority owner of the Los Angeles Lakers, formed NantWorks. The Los Angeles-based digital technology company has been the primary vehicle for his latest genetic data research. He was named one of Modern Healthcare's Top 25 Minority Executives in Healthcare in 2014, and one of the magazine's 50 Most Powerful Physician Executives in 2010.

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