Advocate Spotlight: Michael Kolodziej, M.D.

This month, as part of our Advocate Spotlight series, we are highlighting Michael Kolodziej, M.D., a member of our Cancer Policy Institute Advisory Board. Read on to learn about Dr. Kolodziej, his background in cancer care, and how cancer advocacy has played a role throughout his career.

“Healthcare is complicated, and change is hard. But change is absolutely necessary for us to give our patients the best possible care. … if we keep the patient as our North Star we will succeed.”

— Michael Kolodziej, M.D.

Tell us a little about yourself and your background in cancer advocacy and policy.

I have done just about everything in cancer care. After finishing medical school at Washington University in St. Louis and my residency at Barnes Hospital and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, I stayed at Penn for heme onc [hematology oncology] training. I chose heme onc because it was undergoing dramatic scientific evolution, was intellectually stimulating, and offered the ability to get close to patients and their families. And I have certainly not been disappointed. After completing my training, I pursued academic medicine at the University of Oklahoma, but after 7 years I decided to move to community practice. Since my wife was from New York, we chose to move to upstate New York. I joined a US Oncology [Network] practice because I didn’t really know a thing about how to run an oncology practice, and that turned out to be a really good decision. I was fortunate to become involved with the US Oncology [Network] physician leadership and learned so much about how care is delivered and paid for.

In 2013, I moved to Aetna, where I was National Medical Director in charge of oncology programs. I didn’t really understand how health plans work, and I learned a ton. I was also given a fair amount of flexibility to explore my interests in care delivery, including the Aetna oncology medical home program. I then went to Flatiron, a startup interested in big data in cancer. And for the last 3 years I have been working at ADVI, a Washington, D.C., strategy and policy firm with a broad range of clients, including providers as well as life science companies like pharmaceutical companies and companies developing diagnostic tools.

So, I took care of patients, I learned both the good and bad of how care is paid for, I dabbled in big data and how that could improve patient care as well as add to our knowledge base, and have worked with many of the innovators interested in advancing cancer care. Cancer advocacy has been an important part of each of these jobs. As a physician, I advocated for my individual patients. But I also volunteered to speak on various cancer subjects and to be a resource to support groups. As a medical director [at Aetna], I advocated for policies that facilitated the best care. At Flatiron, I championed the use of real-world data to improve how patients were treated on a day-to-day basis. And as a healthcare consultant, I attempt to help clients understand the potential impact of their innovations and chart strategies to facilitate access.

“I took care of patients, I learned both the good and bad of how care is paid for, I dabbled in big data and how that could improve patient care as well as add to our knowledge base, and have worked with many of the innovators interested in advancing cancer care.”

Is there one issue you are particularly passionate about?

I am passionate about ensuring every cancer patient gets the best possible care. This involves making sure care is based on the best available evidence. It also involves making sure the care is holistic, taking into account the individual patient’s wishes and desires. It must be affordable. It needs to be personalized and not just based on the mutation analysis. And at the end of the day, patients should be happy with the care they received. This is what people mean when they talk about the “triple aim” in healthcare, but I want the triple aim to be relevant to each individual patient.

What is one tip or piece of advice you’d like to share with others who are interested in becoming a cancer advocate?

Healthcare is complicated, and change is hard. But change is absolutely necessary for us to give our patients the best possible care. Everyone involved in healthcare is going to need to give a little. But if we keep the patient as our North Star we will succeed.

Tell us something fun about yourself — any hobbies, interests, or fun facts?

I am married to another oncologist whom I met in college, Gina Resta, who recently retired. We have 2 grown children. My son Peter is a data scientist working in healthcare analytics and my daughter just started medical school. My wife and I love to travel, enjoy good food and good wine, the theater, and of course New York Yankees baseball and Notre Dame football. We live in Saratoga Springs, New York — definitely one of the most beautiful places in the country, especially in the summertime.