Richard Schulick, MD, MBA, FACS, director of the University of Colorado Cancer Center, announced in October that he will join the University of Rochester Medical Center in April as inaugural chief clinical officer, senior vice president for health system strategy, and vice dean for clinical affairs.
Schulick’s time at the University of Colorado started in 2012 as chair of the CU Anschutz Department of Surgery; his leadership responsibilities expanded in June 2018 when he was named the director of the CU Cancer Center.
Since Schulick became director, he and his team have built upon “what already was an excellent cancer center before,” he says. “We’ve increased our funding in terms of NCI grants, other NIH grants, and grants from other places. A lot of great discoveries have been made here in the last seven years that have translated to clinical trials and gone to the FDA for approval. We’re accelerating our progress against cancers in general, and we do this by recruiting and retaining top talent and giving them the resources they need to get things done.”
During Schulick’s tenure as director of the CU Cancer Center, he spearheaded numerous initiatives and achieved notable successes. Below are just a few of his many prominent achievements.
- Brought multidisciplinary care to Colorado: When Schulick joined the university, he created the multidisciplinary cancer clinics. This allows patients to be evaluated in one day by all the specialists who take care of that specific cancer. This change brought improved care and higher than national and state average five-year cancer survivor numbers.
- Guided and grew an exceptional leadership team: Six new leadership roles were created under Schulick’s guidance. For those roles and preexisting roles that needed to be filled, Schulick and his team were able to recruit nationally renowned leadership to grow the Colorado reputation and expertise.
- Completed a successful NCI renewal: The CU Cancer Center is the only National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in the state. Schulick led the team to its latest renewal in February 2022 with a strong rating, the best received at the CU Cancer Center.
- Expanded cancer prevention and control focus: New leadership brought in under Schulick in the Cancer Prevention and Control Program has increased many initiatives around the state of Colorado, including a large push to increase cancer screening in rural parts of the state. External grant funding for the program doubled, providing support to many research areas including, lung cancer screening, palliative care, and exercise for improved survivorship.
- Increased clinical trial enrollment: During Schulick’s tenure, the CU Cancer Center’s clinical trial accrual on therapeutic trials has exceeded 500 patients per year. One quarter of those studies were investigator-initiated trials (IITs), led by cancer center members, thanks to $29 million invested in this focus area.
- Supported educators and research: Schulick emphasizes the importance of supporting educators and providing resources for research excellence. He believes that the success of the cancer center can serve as a model for other departments, emphasizing education, research, and clinical connections.
- Expanded philanthropic support: Between his two leadership roles at CU, he has stewarded philanthropic investment, including over $150 million in gifts to support clinical, scientific, and educational programs, and has established 26 new endowed chairs.
“Rich Schulick completely transformed the CU Cancer Center, putting us on a path for greater scientific discoveries, superb clinical care, and translational work that set us apart from our peers. We are deeply grateful for all that he has done,” says Co-Deputy Director Cathy Bradley, PhD.
Both Bradley and Co-Deputy Director James DeGregori, PhD, agree that Schulick’s tenure was defined by exceptional leadership, scientific advancement, and a commitment to building a world-class cancer center.
“Rich Schulick provided amazing leadership, building a highly effective cancer center through recruitment of fantastic researchers, support for new technologies, boosting clinical trials, promoting outreach and implementation of discoveries into the community, and supporting the education of the next generation of researchers,” says DeGregori. “And somehow, he makes effectively orchestrating all of these moving parts appear natural. He has always provided inspirational leadership that brings people together.”
Schulick will remain in his leadership roles through the end of 2025; DeGregori will serve as the center’s interim director while a nationwide search is conducted for a new director. The search will be led by Vice Chancellor of Health Affairs of CU Anschutz and Dean of the CU Anschutz School of Medicine, John H. Sampson MD, PhD, MHSc, MBA, who will be looking for a leader who can continue to nurture and enhance the center’s impact on understanding, preventing, and treating cancers. The CU Cancer Center remains committed to advancing cancer care and discovery, building on the strong foundation established during Schulick’s tenure.
