eBulletin Newsletter
NCCN Foundation Welcomes New Board Members
The NCCN Foundation Board of Directors is charged to provide guidance, oversight, and support to the business and affairs of the Foundation. Our high-impact board members are mission-oriented and fundraising-focused to improve and facilitate quality, effective, equitable, and accessible cancer care so patients can live better lives.
This fall the NCCN Foundation Board of Directors elected three new members.
Denise Portner
Denise is principal and owner, with Jill Wacker, of SteegeThomson Communications, a Philadelphia-based marketing and development communications firm focused on promoting mission-driven organizations in health care, education, human services, and the arts.
Denise directs client programs to build brands, raise profiles, and drive constituent engagement and financial support. Clients in the health care space have included the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Penn Medicine and its Office of Inclusion & Diversity, Penn’s Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, the American Neurological Association, the Brandywine Health Foundation, Newman’s Own Foundation, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, Drexel University’s School of Public Health, and Independence Blue Cross.
Denise is active in the nonprofit community, serving currently on the board of JEVS Human Services, and recently on the Board of Living Beyond Breast Cancer, as well as the Community Advisory Board of WHYY.
A former journalist, Denise earned a B.A. in history from Brown University, and studied at the Facultad de Filosofía y Letras in Córdoba, Spain. She holds a certificate in nonprofit management from the LaSalle University School of Business.
Denise is a breast cancer survivor and advocate for genetic testing. She is married to her high school sweetheart, a family physician, and the mother of two adult children. In her spare time she enjoys rowing, tennis, choral music, drawing and painting.
Chris Price
Over the past 21 years, Chris has invested at every level of the capital structure, across all stages and through multiple market cycles. As an executive, he has led businesses ranging from venture backed start-ups to multi-billion dollar revenue, private equity backed companies. Chris has deep expertise in pharma services, pharmacy benefit management, biopharma distribution and dispensing, payer services, risk-bearing care management and delivery, and digital health.
Currently serves as Chairman of WithMe Health and is on the board of CareMetx. Served as Chairman of ReCept until its sale to Omnicell (NASDAQ: OMCL). Prior to starting Epilog Partners, Chris was a Partner at Oak HC/FT, a venture growth fund with $5.3 billion in AUM. Founded WithMe Health, a personalized medication guidance company, backed by Oak HC/FT, OMERS Ventures and Cox Enterprises. Led Oak’s investment in LDI Integrated Pharmacy Services, a PBM focused on mid-market employers, that was acquired by Diplomat Pharmacy (formerly NYSE: DPLO). Served as SVP of Product and Strategy for EnvisionRx, a diversified healthcare services company, that was acquired by Rite Aid (NYSE: RAD). Architected and led carve-out of and value maximization plan for RegenceRx, a pioneer in pharmacy transparency, that was acquired by Catalyst Health (formerly NASDAQ:
CHSI) BS in Economics with Financial Applications from Southern Methodist University.
Tamar Thompson
Tamar is an agile business executive who is comfortable and grounded in fluid and rapidly changing business environments. She is a resilient risk taker with a diverse background across managed care, the provider segment, life sciences, biotechnology, devices, and diagnostics. She is recognized for her ability to take a 360-degree view of the business strategy, political environment, and technical aspects of global healthcare systems.
As Vice President and Head of Corporate Affairs for Alexion, Mrs. Thompson oversees global communications, corporate social responsibility, diversity and inclusion, health equity, and public affairs activities, including executive level relations with global governments, patient advocacy and policy stakeholders. She directly leads a team of more than 70 employees who are responsible for external communications, internal communications, corporate social responsibility and sustainability, patient advocacy, policy, and government affairs. She advances the Company’s reputation with employees, patients, healthcare professionals, payers, government, and investors by designing and delivering strategies that effectively engage these stakeholders in the company’s mission. Tamar also serves as a key opinion leader on behalf of Alexion as well as Chairwoman of the Board for the Company’s charitable foundation.
Prior to joining Alexion/AstraZeneca Rare Disease, Tamar lead Federal Executive Branch Strategy and State Government Affairs for Bristol-Myers Squibb Company. Mrs. Thompson also served as a policy advisor and consultant for three premiere Washington DC based firms, ADVI, Kimbell & Associates and Avalere Health, where she managed a diverse portfolio of clients, including medical device, biotech, pharmaceutical, diagnostics, and specialty drug companies.
Preceding her time in Washington DC, Mrs. Thompson worked for Molecular Insight Pharmaceuticals (now Lantheus) where she was charged with developing and launching reimbursement and market access strategy for cutting-edge oncology therapeutic treatments options. Additionally, she’s held leadership roles at GE Healthcare and Bracco Diagnostics. Tamar’s experience extends beyond the life sciences community as she has also held several senior leadership roles within the managed care sector for Humana and ValueOptions (now Beacon Health Options).
Tamar serves on the board of directors for Avidity Bioscience, a clinical stage rare disease company. Concurrently, she sits on the executive committee and serves as a director for MassBio, a state level trade association for the life science community, and Healthy Women, a patient empowerment organization. She also sits on the Schwartz Center (Mass General Hospital) Leadership Council.
Tamar holds a M.S. in Health Sciences with a concentration in Public Health from Trident University in Cypress California, she has also received executive leadership certifications from Harvard University/ School of Business, Columbia University Business School and UC Berkeley.