Exigent's New Architect: Chavez to Scale Community Cancer Research

WASHINGTON – June 05, 2026 – In the complex and often consolidated world of healthcare, strategic personnel changes can signal far more than corporate ambition; they can illuminate the shifting tectonic plates of an entire industry. The announcement that Exigent Research Network has brought veteran strategist Nina Chavez aboard as its new Senior Vice President of Growth is precisely such a moment. While on the surface it is a significant executive hire for a rapidly expanding company, a deeper look reveals a calculated move to solidify a resilient, network-based model poised to redefine how and where cancer research is conducted in the United States.

Exigent’s stated mission is to bring high-quality clinical research to independent oncology practices. With the appointment of Chavez, the company is not just hiring a growth executive; it is onboarding an architect with a proven blueprint for building collaborative, high-performance systems within the community oncology ecosystem. This move is a powerful statement about the permanence of independent practice and the performance that can be unlocked when collaboration is prioritized over consolidation.

The Proven Leader

To understand the significance of this hire, one must first appreciate the career trajectory of Nina Chavez. With over two decades of experience, she is a well-known figure whose work has consistently focused on empowering community oncology. Her resume is a tour of key institutions that have shaped the modern cancer care landscape. As Chief Operating Officer of the New Mexico Cancer Center, she spent 16 years on the front lines, providing the operational leadership that transformed the practice into a Level III oncology medical home and a successful participant in the value-based Oncology Care Model.

Her more recent tenure as Vice President of Strategic Partnerships & Alliances at Flatiron Health placed her at the nexus of technology, data, and clinical practice. There, she was instrumental in launching foundational initiatives like the Strategic Advisory Committee and the Trusted Partner Program. The latter, in particular, showcases her expertise in building ecosystems. The program was designed to vet and curate technology and service providers, helping community practices access the tools they needed to thrive. It’s a model built on creating value through trusted connections, a skill set that aligns perfectly with Exigent's mission. As Dr. Sibel Blau, President and CEO of Exigent Research Network, noted, "Nina's unwavering commitment to empowering independent oncology practices... makes her the ideal leader to help guide Exigent through its next chapter of expansion and impact."

Chavez’s move to Exigent represents a transfer of invaluable institutional knowledge at a pivotal time. Her experience is not just in forging partnerships, but in creating the very frameworks that make those partnerships durable and effective.

A Blueprint for Decentralization

Exigent Research Network is itself a product of strategic partnership. Formed in 2022 by the Quality Cancer Care Alliance (QCCA) and the National Cancer Care Alliance (NCCA)—which have since merged to form the formidable ONCare Alliance—the company was purpose-built to solve a critical industry problem. For decades, cutting-edge clinical trials have been concentrated in major academic medical centers, creating significant geographic and logistical barriers for the majority of cancer patients treated in community settings.

Exigent's model is designed to dismantle these barriers. By creating a unified network of independent practices—now numbering over 185 sites with more than 660 providers—it offers a centralized infrastructure for research. Services like contracting, budgeting, and a central Institutional Review Board (IRB) process are handled by Exigent, drastically reducing the administrative burden on individual practices and accelerating trial start-up times. This isn't just about efficiency; it's about viability. It allows independent practices to offer the same innovative treatments as their larger, institutional counterparts, thereby strengthening their ability to compete and serve their communities.

"Throughout my career, I've been inspired by the dedication of community oncology and the resilience of the patients we serve," Chavez said in the announcement. Her words cut to the heart of the matter. The resilience of the patient is intertwined with the resilience of the practice that treats them. By bringing trials to where patients live, Exigent’s model not only improves access and equity but also reinforces the essential role of the community oncologist.

Building a Resilient Network in a Competitive Field

The landscape for oncology research is fiercely competitive and undergoing rapid change. The National Cancer Institute’s venerable National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN) remains a dominant force. Meanwhile, major corporate players like OneOncology and The US Oncology Network are aggressively expanding their footprints. Just last year, the field was reshuffled when Paradigm Health acquired Flatiron Health's clinical research business, creating a new giant with a network reaching nearly 100 community practices.

In this environment, Exigent's competitive advantage is its structure. It is not a top-down aggregator but a bottom-up coalition. Born from the ONCare Alliance, its strength lies in the collective will of its independent members. This creates a different kind of business model—one based on mutual support and shared knowledge rather than acquisition. The launch of an outpatient bispecifics program, which is already influencing the design of next-generation studies, is a testament to the innovative power of this collaborative approach.

This is where Chavez’s role becomes so critical. Her task is to be the master weaver, strengthening the threads that connect the network's 185+ sites. Her background in building partnership ecosystems at Flatiron is the ideal preparation for scaling Exigent’s unique, alliance-based model. She is not just selling a service; she is nurturing a community of practice, ensuring that the collective strength of the network translates into sustainable growth and superior research capabilities.

Ultimately, this strategic hire is a clear signal of intent. In a world of increasing consolidation, Exigent Research Network is betting that the most resilient and permanent value is created not by building a bigger fortress, but by reinforcing a powerful, interconnected web. By bringing in Nina Chavez, they have found the perfect architect to draw the blueprint and oversee its construction, and the industry's, construction.