City of Hope’s CEO Robert Stone Honored with Inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award
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Robert Stone, chief executive of City of Hope, was honored with a lifetime achievement award, the first of its kind for the Business by LA Times Studios LA Executive Forum & Leadership Awards. The awards ceremony was held at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows on June 8, 2026 and attended by hundreds of executives that embody Los Angeles’ diverse industries.
Stone has served as chief executive of the national recognized cancer center since 2013. He spoke about the growth of the organization from its Duarte campus into a national system that includes a network of clinical care locations across Southern California, a new cancer center in Orange County, and cancer treatment centers and outpatient facilities in the Atlanta, Chicago and Phoenix areas. He also noted that the award was not a sign that he plans to retire or slow down.
“Survival equals access.” Learn how City of Hope’s Robert Stone is dismantling healthcare barriers to deliver expert oncology care across four states.
“I’m deeply humbled by this award,” said Stone as he accepted the award at the event. “The award is a thank you to our patients, doctors, nurses and our staff. There’s more work to do.”
City of Hope is one of only 57 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the United States. Stone, who is a trained attorney and originally joined City of Hope in the general counsel’s office, is the only leader of this group of institutions who is not a trained medical doctor.
However, Stone’s educational background isn’t the only thing that makes City of Hope unique. Despite the plethora of major universities in Southern California, it is one of the only comprehensive cancer centers that’s not affiliated with a university. Nevertheless, it conducts a robust research program that has contributed to the creation of four of the most commonly used cancer-fighting drugs: Herceptin, Erbitux, Rituxan and Avastin.
In fact, the institution’s research department supports nearly 1,000 clinical trials per year for cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and other diseases. Stone plans to expand clinical trials nationwide as a push to support treatment for a wide swath of the U.S. population. Dozens of investigational therapy applications are submitted to the FDA annually and City of Hope holds hundreds of patents.
Nearly 40% of Americans will receive a cancer diagnosis in their lifetimes. Treatments have improved and even a Stage-4 cancer diagnosis is increasingly viewed as a treatable chronic condition.
Under Stone’s leadership, the 234-bed City of Hope Helford Clinical Research Hospital in Duarte has grown into the second largest hospital in Southern California ranked by net patient revenue with $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 Sept. 30, 2025, including net patient revenue systemwide plus research grants, contributions and other sources.
Rapid Post-Pandemic Growth
City of Hope has grown into a national organization following a deal made in 2022 to acquire Cancer Treatment Centers of America, which instantly expanded its reach from a single-campus operation in Duarte to a multi-state national network. It was a major M&A transaction, especially for a non-profit organization that was navigating a post-pandemic health care landscape.
Health care consolidation has reshaped the way that patients receive care as health systems, insurers, pharmaceutical companies and technology integrate vertically. City of Hope’s acquisition is recognized as an example of how a nonprofit institution can execute a for-profitstyle growth strategy without compromising its clinical or research identity, especially without a traditional investor base.
The hospital’s expansion continued last year with the opening of a $1.5 billion, 73-bed sister hospital in Orange County. The campus is now home to more than 100 world-renowned surgical oncologists, medical oncologists and hematologists with specialized expertise in treating thoracic, gastrointestinal and urologic cancers, women’s cancers, blood cancers, and others. Access to facilities is essential for patients enrolled in Phase 1 clinical trials because they require close supervision in a hospital setting.
“This hospital was built with and for the community. Thank you to our generous philanthropic partners, our staff and physicians, and the Orange County community for sharing our vision and bringing Orange County’s hospital to life,” said Annette Walker, president, City of Hope Orange County, in a statement upon the opening of the facility on Dec. 1.
A Philanthropic Funding Focus
Philanthropy has been key to the growth of the institution. In 2023, a $100 million gift from Panda Express co-founders and co-CEOs Andrew and Peggy Cherng, through their Panda Charitable Family Foundation, helped establish the Cherng Family Center for Integrative Oncology. At the time, it matched the largest individual gift in the history of the organization, which was originally founded in 1913.
World-renowned geneticist and diabetes expert Dr. Arthur Riggs also donated $100 million in 2021 to his longtime employer City of Hope before he passed away from blood cancer.
In 2024, entrepreneur and philanthropist Emmet Stephenson Jr., along with his daughter Tessa, committed $150 million to City of Hope following the death of his wife from pancreatic cancer. That donation helped fund a $1 million prize to be awarded annually to a scientist or team that’s leading innovation in the development of treatment and cures for pancreatic cancer.
One major fundraiser hosted by the organization annually is its Music, Film and Entertainment Industry Spirit of Life Gala. The 2026 event will honor music executive and entrepreneur Larry Mestel, founder and chief executive of Primary Wave. This year’s campaign, led by Mestel as the 2026 Spirit of Life honoree, will support City of Hope’s pioneering work in CAR T cell therapy and other cellular immunotherapies. A portion of the funds raised will also advance breast cancer research and care initiatives at City of Hope.
It will be held on Oct. 27, 2026 at Pacific Design Center and will feature performances by stars Melissa Etheridge, Stevie Nicks and Jackson Browne, among others. Taking place during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the evening carries added personal significance for many involved in the campaign, including Mestel and Etheridge, both longtime advocates for cancer awareness and research.
“As a breast cancer survivor, this cause is deeply personal to me,” said Etheridge, in a statement. “I know how critical research, compassionate care and breakthrough treatments are for patients and families facing cancer.”
A Growth Blueprint for the Future
Creating a network of treatment centers is important to advance care for cancer patients, but advances in technology support decentralized care that can be delivered at outpatient clinics and even at home with remote monitoring and digital health. More patients will benefit from cell therapies such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T, while hospital stays will be reduced by 60%, with improved outcomes and lower overall costs.
Advances in AI are also key to developing treatments that can more precisely target an individual’s unique cancer. City of Hope is developing AI agents capable of extracting insights from large clinical and genomic datasets, which will accelerate breakthroughs in precision medicine. More patients will be able to gain access to clinical trials by utilizing AI technology to identify key markers that better match patients to the right groups. Moreover, AI-guided robotic systems enhance complex cancer surgery to improve accuracy, reduce complications and shorten recovery periods.
“AI will move the field dramatically,” said Stone. “It’s going to be everything from drug discovery happening faster, cybersecurity, doctors’ knowledge will be supplemented, imaging and pathology will happen faster and the patient experience will be impacted.”
