GenesisCare Cape Coral staff members stand in front of the Cape Coral location’s new Varian Edge machine, which is an innovative technology for non-invasive cancer treatment. COURTESY OF GENESISCARE
USUALLY THE NAME OF THE FOUNDER and CEO of a medical care practice starts with the title “Dr.” That’s not the case with Dan Collins, head of GenesisCare, the Australian company that acquired the Fort Myers-based 21st Century Oncology this year. But it’s actually a good thing because it means Mr. Collins brings a different perspective and approach to medical treatment — that of the patient and the family caregiver. Mr.
Collins, whose professional background was in business and financial markets, saw how the health care system worked when his father contracted a rare terminal illness, and he didn’t like what he observed.
“I was frustrated by that experience as a family member caring for my father,” he said. “I could see that there were four or five things that were straightforward to fix in the health care system, so I left what I was doing and started with an idea to put together one clinic that could get it right. There is quite a big disparity between what patients might be able to access in one location compared to another, so with all of that there’s inequality in access to high-end care. You should be able to access this no matter where you live, but that’s just not the reality of how health care works. So how do I make it easier for you to access excellent care in your local community? And ideally, we want that to be more affordable as well. The mission of the organization is grounded entirely in patient quality, access and innovation.”
COLLINS
Mr. Collins started that one clinic, a cardiology center, 15 years ago with the help of seven doctors. He said the intention never was to grow large but rather to improve patient outcomes. But the success of the one clinic caused GenesisCare to grow to two clinics, and now the company has over 440 clinics in five countries with over 5,000 employees. Acquiring 21st Century Oncology added about half of those clinics, but purchasing the company is only the beginning of GenesisCare’s investment.
GenesisCare founder and CEO Dan Collins, right, holds the ribbon with Dr. Connie Mantz, left, as Janet Anderson cuts the ribbon at Genesis- Care’s Cape Coral location. COURTESY OF GENESISCARE
“Prior to GenesisCare closing on this acquisition, although we still were able to retain a good group of (medical) personnel, in terms of technical capability, we really had stagnated,” said Dr. Connie Mantz, a practicing radiation oncologist in Lee County who stayed on through the acquisition to become chief policy officer in the United States for GenesisCare. “21st Century Oncology was in some trouble with a set of challenges. We were not making the technical improvements to keep us at the forefront, as we had been historically, of radiation therapy care. Now, since the acquisition, we’ve been able to make significant upgrades in our key markets in Southwest Florida.”
Mr. Collins said GenesisCare is investing $300 million in technology and training upgrades for its acquired clinics. Those upgrades include the new Varian Edge and Varian Halcyon non-invasive cancer treatment machines installed in Cape Coral in October, which is equipment to provide treatments rarely available outside of big-city or university med centers. But Mr. Collins said it takes more than innovative equipment to improve patient outcomes.
“GenesisCare comes to the U.S. in a very different way compared to most other health care operators,” he said. “We’ve got a very clear and specific clinical operating model that we introduce into our centers, which improves quality and patient access. So, it’s not about the technology or the investment — anyone can do that. What’s important is that you actually translate that to a result that is meaningful for a patient.”
Dr. Mantz said having access to GenesisCare’s clinical system will improve patient care in the former 21st Century Oncology clinics.
“There are many ways to treat patients with radiation therapy to eradicate their cancers, and some are better and more effective than others,” he said. “There is an organizational structure in GenesisCare that brings together physician leadership from all of their markets in the world, so now we have an opportunity to work within a global network of really smart, high-quality physicians to bring the best to our local practices.”
Mr. Collins also said he views investment as meaning more than investing into his business. The company leads or participates in nearly 200 clinical trials and has research partnerships with institutions such as Oxford University. He said that, in Australia, GenesisCare serves as the largest educator of cancer professionals. The company also collaborates to plug gaps in public and university hospital services wherever it goes in the world.
“One of the unique features of GenesisCare, from a business perspective, is whilst we are a successful business organization, we are big contributors to the community, public health and access in a way that not many health organizations are,” Mr. Collins said. “So, it’s not just about investing. It’s about how we’re investing, why we’re investing. The benefit is broad ranging, and wherever GenesisCare goes, the local community benefits because we understand how health care works. It happens locally, and we enjoy being part of the local fabric. To our mode of business, the business investment is matched by our community investment.”
Mr. Collins has invested more than money into GenesisCare’s expansion into this country. He has invested into the community by moving his young family from Australia to the U.S. — in the middle of the pandemic upswing in this country — so he can personally see to getting the company off to the right start here.
“You’re not going to find him with a stethoscope around his neck, but that’s OK,” Dr. Mantz said. “He gets health care and knows what constitutes good health care. It’s good to work with him.” ¦
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