Transition begins for new oncology leadership

A change is coming to the administrative leadership of the oncology service line.

After decades of being a recognized face in leading the service line’s operations, Theresa Franco, vice president of operations at Nebraska Medicine, will transition her duties to Kyle Skiermont, PharmD, as she plans to retire at the end of 2022.

The two will be co-leaders through June 2022, and then Dr. Skiermont will take over as the administrative leader, in addition to his current roles of Nebraska Medicine vice president of operations for pharmacy and therapeutics and assistant dean for clinical affairs at the UNMC College of Pharmacy.

"I am honored to be working with such a highly regarded team within the health system, regionally and nationally," Dr. Skiermont said. "I hope to build on the past successes of the team and continue to build and grow our program. There continues to be so many clinical advances in the treatment of cancer that this is a remarkably exciting time to be working in this space."

The oncology leadership role is personal for Dr. Skiermont, as his mother was a cancer patient at the medical center. He saw firsthand, as a patient’s family member, the care and expertise given.

"The care she received was amazing, and she is doing great now and is cancer free," he said. "That is one of many experiences that have made me passionate about working for Nebraska Medicine and specifically with the oncology service line."

Over the course of several months, Franco will help Dr. Skiermont become familiar with all the operations aspects of the service line and facilitate introducing him to internal and external stakeholders of the oncology services.

"People have invested in me, and I have tried to be a good steward of that investment. I want to make sure I leave the program in the best shape possible," Franco said. "I want to help get Kyle that type of exposure and let him bring his own talents to the next level of the cancer initiatives that will be important to the organization."

"Theresa’s shoes will not be easy to fill, she is so well known and well respected in the cancer and health care world," Dr. Skiermont said. "I am so fortunate to have time to overlap with Theresa and to be able to lean on her knowledge and experience. I am certain partnering with her will accelerate my learning and uptake of key information."

Dr. Skiermont does have experience working in oncology, having led infusion operations at Fairview Health Services in Minnesota, but he knows there is a lot to learn in many areas of oncology.

"My experience in infusion, along with experience leading genetic counselors and home medical equipment, have given me the opportunity to lead other areas outside of traditional pharmacy," he said. "These experiences have taught me valuable lessons about working with multiple stakeholders across many areas of the health system."

"Kyle’s background really gives us a leg up from the standpoint of confidence and achievement going forward," Franco said. "It’s clear to see he’s talented and will bring innovative ideas and perspectives to the position to help shepherd the cancer program into the next phase of its awesomeness."

Julie Vose, MD, chief of the UNMC Division of Hematology/Oncology, has spent many years working with Franco and thanks her for her leadership. She looks forward to the next chapter with Dr. Skiermont.

"Theresa has been a wonderful leader and collaborator in the clinical areas of hematology/oncology for many years who has supported all physicians and health care providers to work as successful team members. We will all miss her enthusiasm and knowledge," Dr. Vose said. "We welcome Kyle as the new administrative leader and look forward to working with him in the years to come."

During and after the transition, Franco will continue her focus on strategy for cancer network services and regional outreach opportunities. She also will be helping with the planning of the innovation design unit and its connection to Project NExT.

"Working in these areas gives me the opportunity to further our cancer reach and provide support for the innovation necessary to be successful in our future delivery of health care," Franco said.

The change in scope of work and pace will be different for Franco, but she welcomes it as she winds down her career.

"You don’t go 100 miles-per-hour and just stop," she said. "For the way I’m wired, this is a really good move for me, as it gives me time to phase this important transition but still be connected to the people and organization who have made my career more fulfilling than I ever dreamed."