Steven Grossman, MD, PhD, Grace E. Hoag Executive Medical Director Endowed Chair, Hoag Family Cancer Institute, shares his bold vision for advancing cancer care through academic excellence, compassionate delivery, and philanthropic partnership.
A nationally recognized physician-scientist and international expert in gastrointestinal cancers with leadership experience at top academic institutions, Dr. Grossman brings deep expertise and an ambitious vision to the Hoag Family Cancer Institute. His decision to join Hoag in April of this year underscores the institute’s status as a destination for patient-centered, leading-edge oncology.
In just a few short months, Dr. Grossman has made a powerful impact. In this interview, he shares more about what drew him to Hoag, how philanthropy is fueling critical momentum, and what comes next in the evolution of cancer care in Orange County and beyond.
What made Hoag the right next step for you, and how does this opportunity align with the kind of impact you want to have on cancer care?
My academic career began at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard, and I’ve since built research programs across several major institutions, most recently at USC. What excited me about Hoag is that it’s building something truly unique—an academic cancer institute grounded in a patient-first, community-based philosophy.
Many large academic centers have broad priorities. At Hoag, the focus is crystal clear: delivering the best outcomes by putting the patient and family at the center of everything. That alignment—combining the pursuit of innovation with deep compassion—is what makes this a once-in-a-career opportunity.
How do you see the privademic model at Hoag benefiting patients in ways other systems can’t?
Privademic is a fusion of private, community-based care and academic-level research. Hoag’s DNA is rooted in serving this community with excellence. But what sets Hoag apart is the recognition that delivering the best care also means leading in discovery—bringing in the latest clinical trials, developing new therapies, and conducting meaningful translational research.
We’re not just offering what is available today. We’re actively working to shape what’s possible tomorrow. That’s the privademic model: academic rigor, without com-promising community connection.
How do you see donor support continuing to shape the future of cancer care at Hoag, particularly when it comes to expanding clinical trials, navigation, and in-tegrative care?
Simply put, everything we’ve been able to build—our clinical trials program, our navigation services, integrative care, and our translational research—rests on the support of philanthropy. None of it would exist without the generosity of this community.
I’ve worked at many institutions, and I’ve rarely seen this kind of grassroots commitment combined with grateful patient support. Hoag’s dynamic culture of giving is unique and lets us move quickly. For example, funds from the Grace E. Hoag Executive Medical Director Endowed Chair are allowing me to do things today—just three months in—that I’ve been waiting five years to do at other research institutions. Our donors are right here with us, ready to move bold ideas forward.
As Circle 1000 celebrates 38 years of support, what kind of legacy do you believe this has created, and what message would you share with longtime supporters like them?
What Circle 1000 has accomplished is truly remarkable. Their dependable, year-in and year-out giving creates a foundation we can build on with confidence. This type of sustained support allows us to invest in what matters most: people and programs.
It’s not just generosity—it’s strategic philanthropy. Circle 1000 is enabling us to recruit top physician-scientists, build critical infrastructure, and scale high-impact programs. As a new leader here, I couldn’t be more thankful. Their legacy is living and growing every day.
This year’s Circle 1000 funds are supporting several strategic priorities. Can you share what those are and why they’re critical to the future of cancer care at Hoag?
This year, Circle 1000 is helping us invest in several key areas:
• On the people side, we’re providing protected research time for physician-scientists, supporting academic infrastructure like grant writing and data analysis, and recruiting top talent.
• On the program side, we’re strengthening our multidisciplinary clinics, expand-ing navigation, supporting our integrative medicine offerings, and helping fund our nursing symposium and nursing scholarships. These are not nice-to-haves—they are essential to delivering compassionate, leading-edge care.
What kind of impact do you think areas like cell therapy or radiotherapeutics will have on patient outcomes, and how can philanthropy accelerate progress?
There are three signature areas for us at the Hoag Family Cancer Institute that will have a direct and immediate impact:
• Cell therapy uses a patient’s own cells to fight cancer. It’s already approved for some blood cancers but still in development for cancers like lung, colon, prostate, and ovarian. Philanthropy is enabling us to recruit a top leader and prepare to lead clinical trials in this space.
• Radiotherapeutics are highly targeted treatments that deliver radiation directly to cancer cells. We already have an exceptional leader in this field at Hoag, Dr. Gary Ulaner, James & Pamela Muzzy Endowed Chair in Molecular Imaging and Therapy, whom Circle 1000 also helped recruit. With additional support, this program could become a national destination for research and care.
• Integrative oncology rounds out our holistic model. We want to build a truly unified program—one that supports patients physically, mentally, and emotionally—and philanthropy will be key to making that happen.
With the Sun Family Campus expansion introducing new capabilities, how will this infrastructure help you realize your vision for holistic, coordinated cancer care?
The new Cancer Care on Demand Center, which will offer 24/7 oncology urgent care-style services, will be a game changer. Cancer patients often face urgent issues that arise outside typical clinic hours, and the ER is not an ideal environment. Having a dedicated facility for cancer patients means faster, safer, and more compassionate treatment when they need it most.
It also directly supports advanced therapies like cell therapy, which can have delayed side effects. Having an expert team ready around the clock ensures continuity of care for trial participants—and peace of mind for all cancer patients in the community.
In addition, the expanded infusion capacity on the Sun Family Campus will allow us to deliver cutting-edge treatments in a comfortable environment. This growth supports our broader goal of bringing the most advanced care closer to home.
Final Thoughts
Dr. Grossman’s vision is ambitious, backed by decades of experience and a community of supporters who believe in Hoag’s ability to lead. As he says: “We’re building something special here. We’re recruiting top talent, launching new clinical trials, and devel-oping programs that have the potential to shape the future of cancer care everywhere. With community support, there’s no limit to what we can accomplish.”
