Opportunity 

Breast cancer remains one of the most common and serious diagnoses for women, with care needs continuing to grow. At the same time, the period immediately following diagnosis is often marked by delays, uncertainty, and fragmented coordination across care practitioners and specialties. Patients may wait weeks to connect with their care team or understand next steps, even as emotional distress is at its peak. These early gaps in access and communication can slow the start of treatment and create a perception that care is disjointed or difficult to navigate. 

For health systems, these challenges are compounded by increasing competition and missed opportunities to engage patients early in their care journey. Despite rising patient volume, systems may struggle to capture and retain patients due to slow intake processes and limited coordination across sites. By addressing delays, reducing fragmentation, and creating a more connected and timely experience at the very beginning of the treatment pathway, we can improve cancer care delivery for more patients and continue to effectively care for them across their journey. 

Intervention 

The OnePenn Breast Oncology program redesigns the earliest phase of care to provide faster, more coordinated support for patients after diagnosis. Rather than waiting to see multiple clinicians before a plan takes shape, patients enter a single care pathway that brings together the right information, people, and next steps from the beginning. 

Soon after diagnosis, patients meet with an oncology nurse through a telehealth visit to review their situation, ask questions, and begin planning care. Behind the scenes, care teams across specialties are already coordinating tests, imaging, and referrals so that key pieces of the workup are underway before the first physician visit. This approach brings clinicians across specialties and sites into one coordinated system. By aligning teams, standardizing processes, and using technology to support coordination, this model enables patients to move more quickly from diagnosis to informed decisions and treatment. 

Impact 

OnePenn Breast Oncology was launched at the Hospital of University of Pennsylvania, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, and Pennsylvania Hospital in August 2025 and has since expanded to Penn Medicine Princeton Health and Chester County Hospital. 

With this care model, patients connect with a clinical team within 48 hours—previously this could take as long as two weeks—and complete key tests much sooner, including a 47% reduction in time to MRI. This earlier momentum carries through the rest of care, allowing patients to start treatment (infusion or surgical procedures) 16% faster, translating to about 4–6 days sooner. 

Patients also report high satisfaction, rating their experience 4.9 out of 5 stars on average, and describe feeling more supported and informed from the outset. 

Given the success of this program, the team is working to apply the model to other cancers in an effort known as the Rapid Access Oncology Initiative. Expansions to colorectal and genitourinary cancers, myeloma, and lymphoma are planned for late 2026 and early 2027.