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Longnecker named Siteman Cancer Center vice president of oncology services

Responsible for strategic planning, clinical quality related to cancer-care delivery

by James GoodwinJune 9, 2017

Tim Mudrovic, BJC Media Services

Christina Longnecker, a medical administrator with degrees in law, business administration and nursing, has been named vice president of oncology services for Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine. She had been serving in that role on an interim basis for the past nine months.

Longnecker is responsible for strategic planning, budgeting, and operational and clinical quality related to the delivery of cancer care services at Siteman’s main location, which is on the Washington University Medical Campus, and at three satellite locations in the St. Louis region. She also will oversee the Siteman Cancer Network, an affiliation with regional medical centers that is aimed at improving the health of individuals and communities through cancer research, treatment and prevention. Longnecker was selected after a national search.

“Christi brings to her role not only prerequisite skills in health and business administration, she also brings the experiences and heart of a nurse,” said Robert Cannon, president of Barnes-Jewish Hospital. “She started her career caring directly for people, a focus that will continue to serve the patients of Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine.”

In her role, Longnecker works with the leadership teams at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and across clinical departments to establish processes and infrastructure to achieve the highest standards of patient care. She reports to Cannon and Timothy J. Eberlein, MD, Siteman’s director and the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Distinguished Professor at the School of Medicine.

“For nearly 20 years, Siteman Cancer Center has provided exceptional care for patients of this region and beyond,” Eberlein said. “Christi, with her broad experience and deep dedication to providing the highest level of care, is the right person for this pivotal leadership role.”

Longnecker succeeds Trish Lollo, who was named president of Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital last year.

At the outset of Longnecker’s career, from 1995 to 2005, she served as a staff and supervisory nurse at hospitals in Quincy, Ill., and the St. Louis area. She then moved into clinical operations and was responsible for workflow, staffing and budgets at a company that advises and assists intensive care units around the country. In 2007, Longnecker joined Barnes-Jewish Hospital as manager of the liver, kidney and pancreas transplant program, later becoming an inpatient clinical nurse manager and patient-care services director for oncology. She served in the latter role from 2012 to August 2016, when she was named interim vice president of oncology services.

“Siteman Cancer Center and Barnes-Jewish Hospital, with the help of our Washington University partners, have experienced great growth in our capacity to deliver world-class cancer care to patients across the region,” Longnecker said. “I’ve been given a very strong foundation on which to serve, and we will continue to be guided by our dedication to patients and the trust they place in us.”

Washington University School of Medicine‘s 2,100 employed and volunteer faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient-care institutions in the nation, currently ranked seventh in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.

Siteman Cancer Center, ranked among the top cancer treatment centers by U.S. News & World Report, also is one of only a few cancer centers to receive the highest rating of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) – “exceptional.” Comprising the cancer research, prevention and treatment programs of Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Siteman treats adults at five locations and partners with St. Louis Children’s Hospital in the treatment of pediatric patients. Siteman is Missouri’s only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and the state’s only member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. Through the Siteman Cancer Network, Siteman Cancer Center works with regional medical centers to improve the health and well-being of people and communities by expanding access to cancer prevention and control strategies, clinical studies and genomic and genetic testing, all aimed at reducing the burden of cancer.

Jim is associate director of strategic communication at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He develops and executes external and internal communications strategies to build awareness of cancer treatment, research, prevention, education and community outreach. He has a bachelor's degree in journalism and a master of science degree in data marketing communications.