AccessHope Expands Executive Leadership Team Amid Rapid Growth and Upcoming Market Expansion

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Nov 13, 2024, 09:00 ET

Duke University Oncologist and former Optum Executive Dr. Yousuf Zafar Named Chief Medical Officer
Veteran Digital Health and Commercial Leader Peter Bridges to Serve as Chief Strategy and Growth Officer
Debra Morris Promoted to President

DUARTE, Calif., Nov. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- AccessHope, LLC, a company changing the way leading-edge cancer expertise is delivered, today announced that it is expanding its executive leadership team in response to growing demand for the company's personalized cancer benefit and upcoming product expansion. Yousuf Zafar, MD, MHS, a widely published practicing oncologist from Duke University who brings expertise in value-based care and precision medicine, will assume the role of chief medical officer. Experienced digital healthcare executive Peter Bridges will assume the position of chief strategy and growth officer. In addition, Debra Morris will be elevated to the role of president, after joining the company earlier this year as chief operating officer and chief financial officer.

"AccessHope has experienced phenomenal growth in 2024. More and more employers and payors are seeing the value of providing unique cancer benefits that bring cutting-edge expertise from top cancer institutions and subspecialists to the places and people who need it most. Our spring 2024 spinout from City of Hope to become a standalone commercial business, coupled with our recent Series B funding, have positioned us well for the future," said AccessHope Chief Executive Officer Brad Kreick. "We are excited to welcome Yousuf and Peter to the team, and promote Debby to her new role. I look forward to working with these seasoned executives as we respond to the growing demand to expand our products and services to further support patients and their families through their broader cancer journey."

New Additions to the C-Suite

Dr. Yousuf Zafar, Chief Medical Officer – Dr. Zafar is a practicing oncologist, an adjunct professor at Duke University and a Fellow of the American Society of Clinical Oncology who has authored more than 100 publications. Most recently he was senior vice president of Medical Informatics at Optum and Change Healthcare, prior to its acquisition by Optum. In this role, he oversaw development and implementation of innovative solutions that leverage real-world evidence, precision medicine, digital health and data analytics to improve patient outcomes, optimize care delivery and reduce healthcare costs. Prior to Change Healthcare, Dr. Zafar was at the Duke Cancer Institute, where he served first as director of Healthcare Innovation, and then as chief quality and innovation officer. He earned an M.D. at The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences. He completed his oncology training and earned an M.H.S. in Health Sciences in Clinical Research from Duke University. As CMO, Dr. Zafar will lead AccessHope's clinical infrastructure.
Peter Bridges, Chief Strategy and Growth Officer – Bridges most recently was managing partner at Peter Bridges Partners, where he was a business strategy and commercial consultant to CEOs, Boards of Directors, investors and executive leadership teams at some of the world's top digital healthcare firms in the United States, Europe and Asia. Previously, he served as president of Curai Health, an AI/ML-enabled virtual primary care clinic. Prior to that, Bridges was chief commercial officer at Ginger (which merged with Headspace Health in 2021), where he led Ginger's Sales, Client Success, Channel, Health Plan, Strategic Partner and Consultant Relations teams. He currently serves on the advisory boards of MedHaul and Meru Health. Bridges holds B.A. degrees in economics and psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an M.B.A. in Finance from the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. Bridges will lead AccessHope's corporate strategy and growth functions, as the company expands its capabilities across the broader oncology journey and enters new market segments.
Debra Morris, President – Morris joined AccessHope in May 2024. She previously was at Apria Healthcare, one of the nation's leading providers of integrated home healthcare equipment and services. She led the company through strategic transformation driven by significant changes in the home healthcare industry, including reimbursement, regulatory and technological changes, all culminating in Apria's 2021 IPO and subsequent acquisition by Owens and Minor. She currently serves on the boards of two public companies, Rexford Industrial Realty (NYSE: REXR), a leading industrial real estate firm, and Biote (Nasdaq: BTMD), an innovator of hormone replacement and therapeutic wellness. Morris will continue to oversee our operational functions with a focus on strategy implementation and business execution.

Expansion of the leadership team follows continued double-digital annual growth since AccessHope's founding. In the past year, the company accelerated its momentum, became a stand-alone commercial entity with Kreick at the helm, and closed on a $33 million Series B financing that will support product and technology development, oncology network expansion and entrance into new markets.

AccessHope also added to its network of partnerships with the country's most elite National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, which now includes City of Hope, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Emory Healthcare and Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Northwestern Medicine and the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, and UT Southwestern Medical Center and its Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center. Through its collaboration with these renowned cancer centers, AccessHope is able to provide people, no matter where they live, with access to expertise designed to improve their outcomes.

About AccessHope
AccessHope, LLC, believes in putting the ever-growing body of cancer knowledge to work for the greater good. The company delivers a revolutionary cancer benefit that is changing the way leading-edge expertise is delivered. Through collaborations with City of Hope, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Emory Healthcare and Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Northwestern Medicine and the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, and UT Southwestern Medical Center and its Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, AccessHope shares the latest discoveries in cancer care with employees' plans and local oncologists to help as they develop precise plans for treatment. The company brings the vast expertise of major medical centers to benefit people near and far. They never have to switch doctors. They never have to leave home. It's simply a better approach to treating cancer. An organization founded by City of Hope, AccessHope offers the benefit to approximately seven million members through more than 400 employers, including over 60 Fortune 500 companies. For more information about AccessHope, visit myaccesshope.org and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.