EntrepreneurBill West is not just a physician, but also an entrepreneur. He is the founder of the nationally known West Clinic, now West Cancer Center in Memphis, Tennessee and though he no longer participates in active practice, it continues to bear his name as one of the most admired brands in the city. The West Cancer Center has grown to over 700 associates in including 35 physicians specializing in diverse forms of cancer care.
In the 1990’s Bill formed a public company to network cancer physicians in over 50 U.S markets to refine the process of high-dose chemotherapy. That work reduced the cost of complex care and demonstrated the value of clinical collaboration between community cancer practices and pharmaceutical companies. The West Cancer Center itself has received national recognition for its contribution to cancer clinical trials.
In retirement from oncology, Bill has focused on preventive care through ownership of The Prevention Group, doing business as the highly successful physical exam center Lifesigns and as mobile prevention clinics under the name HealthyHere. He has also launched a meal program, MealMD to help individual patients fight insulin resistance, the precursor of diabetes that ranks second only to cancer as a national health problem.
Bill has served as chairman of the campaign for an Alzheimer’s day care service known as “Dorothy’s Place and has served on the Church Health Center Board. He is active at Christ United Methodist Church where he has taught well received course on the compatibility between science and faith.
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“‘The United States has a great healthcare system but faces continued escalation of cost and inequities of access. Entrepreneurial healthcare leaders and systems will continue to face overwhelming challenges and opportunities.”
