City of Hope CEO Robert Stone Honored with Inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award, Outlines Vision for AI-Driven Cancer Care and National Expansion
Key Insights
Robert Stone, CEO of City of Hope (search) since 2013, received the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award at the LA Executive Forum & Leadership Awards on June 8, 2026.
Under Stone's leadership, City of Hope (search) expanded from a single Duarte campus into a national system across four states, reaching 86 million Americans with five specialized hospitals.
Stone emphasized that AI will accelerate drug discovery, reduce care delays, and improve precision medicine, while noting that "cancer (search) is the competition," not other health systems.
Robert Stone, chief executive of City of Hope (search), was honored with the organization's first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award at the Los Angeles Times Studios Business LA Executive Forum & Leadership Awards, held at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows on June 8, 2026. The event drew hundreds of executives representing Los Angeles' diverse industries, with LA Times Studios and Nant Games President Anna Magzanyan describing Stone as a visionary "whose vision has helped shape not only City of Hope but the broader healthcare landscape."
"I'm deeply humbled by this award," said Stone as he accepted the honor. "The award is a thank you to our patients, doctors, nurses and our staff. There's more work to do." Stone, a trained attorney who originally joined City of Hope (search) in the general counsel's office, is the only leader among the nation's 57 NCI-designated comprehensive cancer (search) centers who is not a trained medical doctor.
A National Footprint Built on Access
Under Stone's leadership since 2013, the 234-bed City of Hope (search) Helford Clinical Research Hospital in Duarte has grown into the second largest hospital in Southern California ranked by net patient revenue, reaching $3.4 billion in 2025, according to data from the California Department of Health Care Access and Information. Overall, the organization reported $5.9 billion in revenue for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2025, encompassing net patient revenue systemwide plus research grants, contributions, and other sources.
The institution's transformation accelerated in 2022 with the acquisition of Cancer Treatment Centers of America, a major M&A transaction that instantly expanded City of Hope (search) from a single-campus operation into a multi-state national network. The expansion continued with the opening of a $1.5 billion, 73-bed sister hospital in Orange County on December 1, 2025. The Orange County campus now hosts more than 100 surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, and hematologists with specialized expertise in thoracic, gastrointestinal, urologic, women's, and blood cancers.
"The data is clear that cancer (search) outcomes improve when you're at an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center. Yet four out of five patients in the country don't get their care there," Stone stated during a fireside chat with Magzanyan. "Survival equals access." To address this gap, City of Hope (search)'s intentional expansion now ensures 86 million Americans live within a short drive of one of its five specialized hospitals across four states, including facilities in the Atlanta, Chicago, and Phoenix areas.
Redefining Competition and Harnessing AI
In his conversation with Magzanyan, Stone articulated a philosophy that reframes how healthcare institutions should view their role. "Other health systems are not the competition," Stone emphasized. "Remember, cancer (search) is the competition."
To combat this adversary, Stone pointed toward the disruptive potential of artificial intelligence. City of Hope (search) is heavily utilizing AI for cybersecurity and accelerated drug discovery, but Stone stressed its power to eliminate care delays. Sharing an anecdote from an Arizona colleague, he remarked that "for a cancer (search) patient, wait is a four-letter word. AI is going to make fewer patients wait."
The institution is developing AI agents capable of extracting insights from large clinical and genomic datasets, which Stone believes will accelerate breakthroughs in precision medicine. AI technology is also being deployed to identify key markers that better match patients to appropriate clinical trial groups, while AI-guided robotic systems are enhancing complex cancer (search) surgery to improve accuracy, reduce complications, and shorten recovery periods.
Research Legacy and Clinical Impact
City of Hope (search)'s research department supports nearly 1,000 clinical trials per year for cancer (search), diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and other diseases. Dozens of investigational therapy applications are submitted to the FDA annually, and the institution holds hundreds of patents. Notably, City of Hope has contributed to the creation of four of the most commonly used cancer-fighting drugs: Herceptin, Erbitux, Rituxan, and Avastin.
Stone plans to expand clinical trials nationwide as part of a push to support treatment for a broad segment of the U.S. population. Access to facilities is particularly essential for patients enrolled in Phase 1 clinical trials, who require close supervision in a hospital setting.
Philanthropy Fueling Innovation
Philanthropy has been central to City of Hope (search)'s growth trajectory. In 2023, a $100 million gift from Panda Express co-founders Andrew and Peggy Cherng helped establish the Cherng Family Center for Integrative Oncology. World-renowned geneticist and diabetes expert Dr. Arthur Riggs also donated $100 million in 2021 before his passing. In 2024, entrepreneur Emmet Stephenson Jr. and his daughter Tessa committed $150 million following the death of his wife from pancreatic cancer (search), funding a $1 million annual prize for innovation in pancreatic cancer treatment.
The 2026 Music, Film and Entertainment Industry Spirit of Life Gala, scheduled for October 27 at the Pacific Design Center, will honor music executive Larry Mestel and feature performances by Melissa Etheridge, Stevie Nicks, and Jackson Browne. The campaign will support City of Hope (search)'s pioneering work in CAR T cell therapy and other cellular immunotherapies, with a portion of funds advancing breast cancer (search) research. "As a breast cancer survivor, this cause is deeply personal to me," said Etheridge. "I know how critical research, compassionate care and breakthrough treatments are for patients and families facing cancer (search)."
The Road Ahead
Stone also highlighted Access Hope (search), a spinout company partnering with Fortune 500 employers that currently connects nearly 10 million people to expert-level cancer (search) care models without requiring them to travel. Looking forward two decades, Stone expressed profound optimism fueled by the exponential growth of medical knowledge. While he believes cancer will still be a reality, he predicted the prognosis will be radically different, with more patients benefiting from cell therapies such as CAR T, reduced hospital stays, and improved outcomes at lower overall costs.
"At a time of polarization, cancer (search) care brings people together," Stone observed, noting that the ultimate anchor of trust remains the individual relationship between a patient and their doctor.