Inside MultiCare’s Oncology Access Playbook with CMO Dr. Yarrow McConnell

In oncology, performance is not just about getting patients in the door. It is about getting them to the right specialist, at the right time, with less friction across every handoff.

This episode features a presentation from the ROI-Centered Care Summit, a half-day virtual summit produced by Bright Spots Ventures in partnership with TytoCare and the American Telemedicine Association (ATA).

In this episode, Yarrow McConnell, MD, FACS, Chief Medical Officer at MultiCare Cancer Institute, shares how MultiCare redesigned oncology pathways to improve access, strengthen coordination, and deliver measurable ROI.

You’ll hear how MultiCare is:

• Using AI chart scrubbing to identify cancer diagnoses and concerning imaging findings earlier

• Deploying nurse navigators to accelerate intake and reduce barriers to care

• Building APP-staffed workup clinics to move patients more quickly from referral to consult

• Creating disease teams to improve handoffs and reduce siloed care

• Standardizing scheduling and authorization workflows, with virtual options built in

• Improving staging and comorbidity documentation to better reflect complexity and reimbursement

Key topics include referral lag, nurse navigation, specialty coordination, scheduling friction, and the connection between operational redesign and financial performance.

MultiCare reported a 9% year-over-year increase in operating margin, an increase in likelihood to recommend from 97.86 to 98.41, and a 17% year-over-year increase in teamwork scores.

If you are a health system leader, oncology executive, specialty operations leader, or care transformation leader working to improve specialty access and reduce friction across the patient journey, this episode offers a practical look at what it takes to build specialty pathways that perform.

Link to Dr. Yarrow McConnel’s Presentation: https://www.brightspotsinhealthcare.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/ROI-navigation-AIintake-McConnell-2026.pdf


Bio:
Yarrow McConnell, MD, MSc, FACS, FSSO, is a board-certified surgical oncologist, specializing in the treatment of breast cancer and benign breast disorders. Her expertise includes lumpectomy, mastectomy, sentinel node biopsy, and axillary dissection. She is also highly skilled in oncoplastic techniques to restore breast contour and symmetry following cancer surgery.

For patients pursuing reconstruction, Dr. McConnell performs skin and nipple sparing mastectomies in close collaboration with plastic surgeons to provide both immediate and delayed reconstruction options. She also offers flat aesthetic closure for those who choose not to undergo reconstruction. In complex cases involving inflammatory, recurrent, or locally advanced breast cancer, she is experienced in performing modified radical and radical mastectomies.

In addition to cancer care, Dr. McConnell treats a variety of benign breast conditions through both in-office and surgical procedures, including cyst aspiration, duct excision, abscess drainage, and steroid injections. She also provides comprehensive breast cancer risk assessments and guidance on genetic testing, enhanced screening, and prevention strategies.

Dr. McConnell leads the Breast Program at MultiCare Cancer Institute, overseeing the coordination and advancement of breast care services across the system.

Outside of work, Dr. McConnell enjoys gardening, baking, woodworking, and knitting. She can often be found hiking with her husband and dogs or spending time with family and friends.

Thank You to Our Episode Partner, TytoCare.

TytoCare enables health systems and plans to deliver high-quality remote exams anytime, anywhere. Their FDA-cleared devices and AI-powered diagnostic platform support virtual specialty care, school-based programs, and home health models, reducing unnecessary ED visits and improving patient experience.

To learn more, visit tytocare.com.

Schedule a Meeting with a Senior Leader at TytoCare:

To explore how TytoCare can help your organization expand virtual specialty access and improve care coordination, reach out to [email protected]  to schedule a meeting.

About Bright Spots Ventures:

Bright Spots Ventures exists to help healthcare organizations accelerate the adoption of what’s actually working.

 

Healthcare does not suffer from a lack of innovation. It suffers from slow adoption, fragmented learning, and limited trust between stakeholders. For example, one health plan or provider may solve a major operational or clinical challenge while others spend the next 5–10 years rediscovering the same answer.

 

We close that gap by creating trusted environments where health plans, providers, and innovators can share practical strategies, operational lessons, and scalable models that drive measurable improvement.

 

Through the Bright Spots in Healthcare podcast, leadership councils, executive roundtables, curated events, and strategic advisory work, we help organizations build credibility, strengthen strategic relationships, and accelerate the spread of proven ideas across healthcare.