Board Member

Robert H. Houlihan, DHA, MBA, FACHE, CCRP, CRA, COA has more than twenty-four years of experience in academic healthcare facilities, of which eighteen years have been in senior administration and executive leadership positions for cancer centers. Over his career he has been afforded rewarding opportunities to develop the skills, knowledge, and expertise necessary to successfully meet challenges and identify opportunities to affect positive changes that aid the organization in fulfilling its mission and strategic vision.

Dr. Houlihan currently serves as the Senior Administrator and Chief Administrative Official for the Department of Pathology at the University of Massachusetts, comprised of 48 faculty members in the divisions of Basic Sciences, Anatomical Pathology, and Clinical Pathology. He received his B.S. in Community Health Services from Worcester State University, his M.B.A. in Health Services from Clark University, and his D.H.A. (Doctor of Health Administration) from Central Michigan University.

In 2009, as part of his dissertation he worked with the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) executive leadership and was granted access to the Massachusetts-level and site-specific data for nine healthcare organizations that participated in the Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene (STAR) national prevention study to investigate the reasons why women eligible to participate in the national prevention trial decided not to enroll onto it. This multi-site clinical research project instilled a desire to uncover barriers to accrual onto oncology clinical trials for underserved and underrepresented patients. He continues to stay active in academic and research pursuits, participating in several research projects focusing on barriers to recruitment into oncology clinical trials for underserved populations, with an emphasis on identifying and removing rural and minority accrual barriers. He has been awarded more than $11 million in grants he has written, has published and presented nationally and is a reviewer for Cancer, the European Journal of Cancer Care, and the Journal of Healthcare Management.

Areas of expertise developed over the eighteen years of administrative leadership for cancer centers include Cross-Functional and Mult-Disciplinary Team Leadership; Key Performance Indicator Analysis; Strategic Planning and Problem Solving; Executive Leadership; Project Management; and Multi-Level Stakeholder Communication. He has extensive experience in areas of responsibility that include leadership and direction for clinical research initiatives; research administration; patient and administrative services; financial management; personnel management; strategic planning and analysis; community and caregiver engagement; philanthropic activities; communications and marketing; and facilities and operations.

Dr. Houlihan has been directly responsible and accountable for four Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) competitive submissions and subsequent site visits at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center and the University of Florida Health Cancer Center in 2011, 2016, 2019, and 2022. Capitalizing on his professional experience he has had the opportunity to consult extensively with two aspiring cancer centers on their inaugural CCSG competitive submissions.

Dr. Houlihan became board certified in Healthcare Management in 2004 and a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) in 2007. He became certified in clinical research as a Certified Clinical Research Professional (CCRP) in 2007, as well as earning a certification in Research Administration as a Certified Research Administrator (CRA) in 2009 from the Research Administrators Certification Council (RACC), and in 2020 through the Association of Cancer Executives (ACE), earned his certification as a Certified Oncology Administrator (COA). He has been an active member of the Cancer Centers Administrators Forum (CCAF)/Association of Cancer Center Administrators (ACCA), and the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI), including active participation in the organization’s Clinical Research Innovation (CRI) activities.