Ronald S. Walters, M.D., MBA, MHA
Department of Breast Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Professor of Clinical Medicine, Non-Tenured, Department of Breast Medical Oncology, Division of Cancer Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Research Interests
Healthcare reform and system changes to improve quality
Cost accounting in healthcare, specifically the application of TDABC to hospitals.
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2000 | Houston Baptist University, Houston, TX, USA, MS, Management of Computing and Information Svcs |
| 1998 | Houston Baptist University, Houston, TX, USA, MHA, Healthcare Administration |
| 1996 | University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA, MBA, General Business Administration |
| 1976 | University of Nebraska College of Medicine, Omaha, NE, USA, MD, Medicine |
| 1973 | University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, USA, BS, Math |
Board Certifications
| 1987 | Medical Oncology |
| 1979 | Internal Medicine |
Experience & Service
Administrative Appointments/Responsibilities
Medical Director, Transfer Center, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2012 - 2019
Medical Director, CSE Course, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, 2004 - 2015
Other Appointments/Responsibilities
Member, Shared Decision Making Workgroup, National Quality Partnership, Washington, DC, 2017 - 2018
Member, NCCN Quality and Outcomes Committee, NCCN, Philadelphia, PA, 2016 - Present
Member, Board, Texas Medical Foundation Quality Improvement Organization, Austin, TX, 2016 - 2022
Member, NCCN Quality and Outcomes Steering Committee, Philadelphia, PA, 2016 - Present
Member, NCCN Executive Committee of the Board, Philadelphia, PA, 2016 - Present
Member, National Quality Partnership Leadership Consortium, Washington, DC, 2016 - Present
Member, National Quality Partners Measure Incubator Steering Committee, Washington, DC, 2016 - 2018
Member, Value Work Group, NCCN, Philadelphia, PA, 2015 - 2017
Member, Advance Illness Care Action Team, National Quality Partnership, Washington, DC, 2015 - 2017
Vice-Chair MAP Measures Application Partnership, National Quality Forum, Washington, DC, 2014 - 2016
Member, Guidelines Steering Committee, NCCN, Philadelphia, PA, 2014 - Present
MAP Affordability Task Force, National Quality Forum, Washington, DC, 2014 - 2015
Member/Invited Consultant, Texas Medical Association Quality Council, Houston, TX, 2012 - 2018
Member, Board of Directors, NCCN - National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Philadelphia, PA, 2012 - Present
Member, Medicare Carrier Advisory Committee, Texas Society of Clinical Oncology, Dallas, TX, 2012 - Present
Faculty Advisor - Advanced Medical Leadership Course, UT School Public Health, Houston, TX, 2011 - 2016
Fellow UT CSE Course, University of Texas System, Austin, TX, 2011 - 2018
Delegate, Texas Medical Association, Houston, TX, 2010 - Present
Vice Chair Quality Committee, Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers, Houston, TX, 2010 - 2014
Member, C4QI Comprehensive Cancer Center Committee for Quality Improvement, Houston, TX, 2010 - Present
Member, Measure Application Partnership, National Quality Forum, Washington, DC, 2010 - Present
Member, Best Practice Committee, NCCN, Philadelphia, PA, 2010 - Present
Board of Directors, Harris County Medical Society, Houston, 2010 - 2021
Chair, Board of Socioeconomics, Harris County Medical Society, Houston, TX, 2009 - 2011
Member, Board of Socioeconomics, Harris County Medical Society, Houston, TX, 2004 - 2006
Member, Board of Medical Legislation, Harris County Medical Society, Houston, TX, 2004 - 2009
Chair, Medicaid Forum, Harris County Medical Society, Houston, TX, 2004 - 2008
Institutional Committee Activities
Member, ECOT Finance Committee, 2016 - 2017
Member, Utilization Review Subcommittee, 2016 - Present
Associate Head, Institute of Cancer Care Innovation, 2016 - Present
Member, Medical Quality Planning Committee, 2015 - 2018
Member, Executive Research Billing Compliance Committee, 2012 - Present
Chair, PRS Clinical Revenue Cycle Committee, 2009 - Present
Member, Steering Committee, UT System Clinical Safety and Effectiveness Course, 2009 - 2017
Member, Managed Care A-Team, 2008 - Present
Member, Uncompensated Charity Care Committee, 2003 - Present
Deputy Chair, Revenue Cycle Advisory Committee, 2003 - 2008
Documentation and Coding Workgroup, USNWR Task Force, 2003 - 2017
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- National Quality Forum. 2016 Annual Report to Congress, 2017.
- National Quality Forum. 2017 Considerations for Implementing Measures Final Report - Hospitals, 2017.
- Fayanju OM, Mayo TL, Spinks TE, Lee S, Barcenas CH, Smith BD, Giordano SH, Hwang RF, Ehlers RA, Selber JC, Walters R, Tripathy D, Hunt K, Buchholz TA, Feeley TW, Kuerer HM. Value Based Breast Cancer Care: A Multidisciplinary Approach for Defining Patient Centered Outcomes. Annals of Surgical Oncology 23(8):2385-90, 2016.
- National Quality Forum. NQF 2016 Report to Congress, 2016.
- National Quality Forum. MAP 2016 Considerations for Implementing Measures in Federal Programs - Hospitals, 2016.
- Gonzalez CE, Johnson TN, Evans S, Kidin LM, George S, Haq S, DeJesus AY, Walters R, Rolston K. Assessing Compliance with Established Pneumonia Core Measures at a Comprehensive Cancer Center. Journal of Healthcare Quality 37(4):232-244, 2015.
- National Quality Forum. MAP Hospital Programmatic Deliverable: Final Report, 2015.
- Measure Applications Partnership National Quality Forum. Measuring Affordability from the Patient's Perspective, 2014.
- Measure Applications Partnership National Quality Forum. Finding Common Ground for Healthcare Priorities: Families of Measures for Assessing Affordability, Population Health, and Person-and Family-Centered Care, 2014.
- Middleton LP, Feeley TW, Albright HW, Walters R, Hamilton SH. Second-opinion pathologic review is a patient safety mechanism that helps reduce error and decrease waste. J Oncol Pract 10(4):275-80, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24695900.
- Measure Applications Partnership National Quality Forum. NQF Report of 2013 Activities to Congress and the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, 2014.
- Walters RS, Albright HW, Weber RS, Feeley TW, Hanna EY, Cantor SB, Lewis CM, Burke TW. Developing a system to track meaningful outcome measures in head and neck cancer treatment. Head Neck 36(2):226-30, 2014. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23729280.
- Abdayem P, Ghosn M, Valero V, Walters R, Arun B, Murray JL, Theriault R, Frye D, Ibrahim NK. Phase I and II Study of Gemcitabine and Vinorelbine in Heavily Pretreated Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer and Review of the Literature. J Cancer 5(5):351-9, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24723978.
- Measure Applications Partnership National Quality Forum. MAP 2014 Recommendations on Measures for More Than 20 Federal Programs, 2014.
- Measure Applications Partnership National Quality Forum. MAP Pre-rulemaking Report: 2013 Recommendations on Measures Under Consideration by HHS, 2013.
- Measure Applications Partnership National Quality Forum. NQF Report of Activities to Congress and the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, 2013.
- Measure Applications Partnership National Quality Forum. MAP Families of Measures: Safety, Care Coordination, Cardiovascular Conditions, Diabetes, 2012.
- Measure Applications Partnership National Quality Forum. Performance Measurement Coordination Strategy for PPS Exempt Cancer Hospitals, 2012.
- Kelly CM, Green MC, Broglio K, Thomas ES, Brewster AM, Valero V, Ibrahim NK, Gonzalez-Angulo AM, Booser DJ, Walters RS, Hunt KK, Hortobagyi GN, Buzdar AU. Phase III Trial Evaluating Weekly Paclitaxel Versus Docetaxel in Combination With Capecitabine in Operable Breast Cancer. J Clin Oncol 30(9):930-5, 2012. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 22331946.
- Measure Application Partnership National Quality Forum. Input on Measures Under Consideration by HHS for 2012 Rulemaking, 2012.
- Measure Applications Partnership National Quality Forum. Coordination Strategy for Healthcare-Acquired Conditions and Readmissions Across Public and Private Payers, 2011.
- Albright HW, Moreno M, Feeley TW, Walters R, Samuels M, Pereira A, Burke TW. The implications of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act on cancer care delivery. Cancer 117(8):1564-74, 2011. e-Pub 2010. PMID: 21472704.
- Spinks TE, Walters R, Feeley TW, Albright HW, Jordan VS, Bingham J, Bure TW. Improving Cancer Care Through Public Reporting of Meaningful Quality Measures. Health Affairs (Millwood) 30(4):664-672, 2011.
- Feeley TW, Fly HS, Albright H, Walters R, Burke TW. A method for defining value in healthcare using cancer care as a model. J Healthc Manag 55(6):399-411; discussion 411-2, 2010. PMID: 21166323.
- Rivera E, Mejia JA, Arun BK, Adinin RB, Walters RS, Brewster A, Broglio KR, Yin G, Esmaeli B, Hortobagyi GN, Valero V. Phase 3 study comparing the use of docetaxel on an every-3-week versus weekly schedule in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Cancer 112(7):1455-61, 2008. PMID: 18300256.
- Weingart SN, Brown E, Bach PB, Eng K, Johnson SA, Kuzel TM, Langbaum TS, Leedy RD, Muller RJ, Newcomer LN, O'Brien S, Reinke D, Rubino M, Saltz L, Walters RS. NCCN Task Force Report: Oral chemotherapy. J Natl Compr Canc Netw 6 Suppl 3:S1-14, 2008. PMID: 18377852.
- Walters RS, Holmes FA, Valero V, Esparza-Guerra L, Hortobagyi GN. Phase II study of ifosfamide and mesna in patients with metastatic breast cancer. Am J Clin Oncol 21(4):413-5, 1998. PMID: 9708645.
Invited Articles
- National Quality Forum. National Quality Partners Case Study Integrating Personal Preferences in Advanced Illness Care, 2017.
- Walters RS. Opportunities for Improvement: Experience at One Institution. Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network 12(Suppl 1):S36-39, 2014.
Book Chapters
- Raber MN, Walters RS. Delivering High-Quality Cancer Care in a Changing Health Care Environment. In: Holland-Frei Cancer Medicine, 7th Edition. B.C. Decker, Inc: Ontario, 1031-1034, 2006.
- Holmes, FA, Valero V, Walters R, Theriault R, Booser D, Buzdar A, Gibbs H, Frye D, Young K, Hortobagyi G. Taxol in metastatic breast cancer: the MD Anderson Cancer Center experience. In: Cancer Treatment: An Update. Springer-Verlag, 1994.
- Valero, V, Theriault R, Esparza L, Fraschini G, Holmes F, Walters R, Buzdar A, Raber M, Pazdur R, Bellet R, Bayssas M, Hortobagyi GN. Phase II study of taxotere in patients with anthracycline-resistant metastatic breast cancer. In: Recent Advances in Chemotherapy: Proceedings of the 18th International Congress of Chemotherapy, 844-845, 1994.
- Walters, RS, Johnston DA, Dixon DO, Stass SA, Keating MJ, Trujillo JM, McCredie KB, Barlogie B. Nucleic acid flow cytometry - an aid to diagnosis and prognosis in acute leukemia in adults. In: The Acute Leukemias: Biologic, Diagnostic, and Therapeutic Determinants. Marcel Dekker, Inc, 1987.
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified November 29, 2022