A NEW SERIES:
Bringing Precision Medicine to Everyone
In Episode 66 of the Precision Medicine Podcast, host Karan Cushman kicks off a vital new series, Bringing Precision Medicine to Every Patient, in collaboration with Dr. Kashyap Patel, a nationally respected community oncologist and founder of the No One Left Alone initiative. This series explores what it takes to close the gap between innovation and access in precision cancer care—especially in community and rural settings where disparities remain greatest.
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Dr. Patel, a long-time advocate for equitable oncology care, shares the real-world barriers patients face—from gaps in provider awareness to financial constraints and restrictive payer policies—and how his organization is actively working to address them. He also offers powerful patient stories that highlight the life-saving potential of timely biomarker testing and personalized therapies.
Joining the conversation is Dr. Angella Charnot-Katsikas, a molecular pathologist, policy leader at Palmetto GBA, and breast cancer survivor, who brings a unique perspective from both the clinical and payer sides. She emphasizes the importance of collaboration across care teams, the need for rapid diagnostic turnaround, and the urgency of keeping pace with evolving clinical guidelines.
Together, the guests affirm that precision medicine is the standard of care—but for too many, it’s still not the reality. This episode lays the foundation for a transformative series focused on dismantling systemic barriers and ensuring every patient—regardless of their zip code—can benefit from the best of modern cancer care.
Download the full transcript of the episode here (pdf).
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About Our Guests
Kashyap Patel, MD, FACCC, LSSBB
Hematologist & Medical Oncologist
Kashyap Patel is the CEO of Carolina Blood and Cancer Care Associates. Dr. Patel is a
practicing medical oncologist, board certified in Hematology, Oncology, and Internal Medicine.
Dr Patel is the immediate past president for the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) and the past chair for the clinical affairs and trustee for the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC). He
has published/presented over 150 papers and is frequently interviewed and cited in mainstream
media including The New York Times, Washington Post and NPR. He has been an advisor for the large payers including DHHS (SC), Palmetto GBA and serves on an advisory board for Medicaid HMOs. He has a special interest in end-of-life care, health care policy and economics. He has expertise in value-based care and has successfully led Oncology Care Model pilots with two payers including CMMI.
Additionally, Dr Patel has been working directly with cancer patients for the last twenty years. He has served as chairman of several committees in numerous South Carolina hospitals. Moreover, he has extensive research experience in oncology. Dr. Patel has extensive legislative experience both at the local and national level. He has testified in state senate as well as has carried out capitol hill briefing on precision medicine. He has been honored by the US Congress for his exceptional contribution to the healthcare. Multiple journals have written about his life. He is now working with multiple national entities on cancer health disparities and has started his own foundation www.nooneleftalone.org to address disparities. In addition, he is an author and his book Between Life and Death is published by the Penguin Random House www.betweenlifeanddeath.org. He is a nominee for the Ellis Island Medal of Honor for 2024.
Angella Charnot-Katsikas, MD
Chief Medical Officer, Palmetto GBA
Dr. Angella Charnot-Katsikas is a physician expert in molecular diagnostics. She is board-certified in Clinical Pathology, Medical Microbiology, and Molecular Genetic Pathology. She served as an Associate Professor of Pathology and director of various clinical laboratories at the University of Chicago.
In 2020, Dr. Charnot-Katsikas joined the MolDx program as a Chief Medical Officer for Palmetto GBA, where she writes policy that helps move the field of precision medicine. She is also a past president of the Academy of Clinical Laboratory Physicians and Scientists. She maintains an academic position as an Associate Professor of Pathology at Loyola University Chicago.
Her passion is education around the appropriate use of genomic testing. And as a breast cancer survivor, her hope is that more patients will benefit from the revolutionary tools that exist in the world of precision medicine today and in the future.