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Douglas Flora

Jun 6, 2025, 15:43

Douglas Flora: Fueling the Fight, Quality Woven In – Reflections After ASCO25

Douglas Flora, Executive Medical Director of Oncology Services at St. Elizabeth Healthcare, shared a post on LinkedIn:

“Fueling the Fight: Quality Woven In

“Quality is the result of a carefully constructed cultural environment. It has to be the fabric of the organization, not part of the fabric.”
-Philip Crosby

Back from the incredible energy of ASCO, surrounded by relentless dedication. Walking into our routine Oncology Quality meeting this morning feels anything but ordinary after those powerful days in Chicago. It has me thinking deeply about what quality truly means in our work.

For those of us caring for cancer patients, Quality isn’t just a task, a checklist, or an initiative. It’s not a patch we sew onto our work. It must be woven into the very essence of who we are and what we do. This “cultural environment” isn’t built by one person—it’s carefully constructed by all of us, with every single action we take.

And who is this fabric for? Every complication we prevent (send DPD testing?!), every cancer we intercept, every ER trip or admission we avoid – each one helps a real person, like this lady. Our patients—someone’s parent, spouse, or child—rely completely on the strength and integrity of this quality culture we commit to building.

Making quality our fabric shows up in how we communicate – with clarity, respect, and compassion. It’s in our unwavering attention to detail in every chart, treatment, and care plan. It’s our courage to speak up to prevent harm and our shared commitment to accountability.

Why is this so critical? Because every thread of this fabric touches a life. A strong fabric means fewer errors, safer care, and better outcomes for people navigating the most challenging times.

This fight isn’t abstract for me. The woman in the picture below was my mom. She needed better, and we lost her to breast cancer at just 43. Her journey ignited a fire in me and my brother, Daniel Flora to try and make a difference, to save the world from cancer, even if just a little bit, each day.

And yes, that’s what I looked like at 17.”