Two days of panel discussions delving into the challenges facing transplant and cellular and gene therapy program administrators and innovative solutions will make up the Administrative Director Track at the 2025 Tandem Meetings | Transplantation & Cellular Therapy Meetings of ASTCT® and CIBMTR®.

“Attendees can expect a mix of foundational topics and cutting-edge discussions on best practices, coding and reimbursement, quality and regulatory updates, and overall best practices on program development,” explained Track Co-Chair Mark Duckworth, BS, senior director of cell and gene therapy operations in the Division of Pathology at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

“The sessions, featuring experts from various institutions and partners, are meant to foster meaningful discussions and make the experience more engaging and interactive,” he continued. “Speakers will address specific challenges that audience members are facing and provide thoughtfully tailored insight.”

The content is most applicable to individuals involved in the operational, strategic, and compliance aspects of cellular and gene therapy and transplant programs, including program administrators, operational directors, finance staff, quality managers, clinicians, and executive leaders.

“Whether it’s standardization of practices or improving patient access, all of the topics are something that’s crucial to this field as it continues to evolve very, very fast,” Duckworth said. “We always have to keep the patients and families in mind who can really benefit from this treatment and these therapies.”

A new topic in this year’s track lineup is tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy and how institutions are incorporating this innovative cancer treatment. Experts from three different institutions will share their experiences at 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 14 in TIL Early Experiences, Best Practices, Operational Challenges.

“This is a relatively new cell therapy option for a new patient population, which is solid tumors, so there’s a lot of education and new workflows,” said Track Co-Chair Julie Porter, MS, vice president of stem cell transplant and cellular therapies at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. “We’ll be highlighting some real-world experience with those therapies as a starting point for the audience.”

Another new offering, at 2 p.m. on Feb. 15, was developed in collaboration with the ASTCT Social Work Special Interest Group (SIG). In Social Work SIG – Reimagining Caregiving Together, presenters will explore the psychosocial considerations for patients undergoing cellular or gene therapy.

Sessions reviewing financial updates and insights are popular with attendees year after year, Duckworth noted. On Feb. 14, these sessions include Major Medicare Coding and Reimbursement Updates: SCT, CAR-T and other Cell and Gene Therapies at 9:20 a.m. and HSC Gene Therapies – Early Insights into Payer Coverage, Networks, Reimbursement, and Contracting Strategies at 3:45 p.m. Sessions related to financial issues on Feb. 15 include ASTCT Payer Relations- Ask a Peer: Discussing Approaches to the Outliers at 8:05 a.m. and Obtain Complete and Compliant Medicare Cost Reimbursement for Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant at 3:45 p.m.

“Gene therapy is a really exciting field right now with a lot of new developments. One of the major themes of the Administrative Director Track is making sure that centers and payers are prepared for the wave of demand that we’re expecting,” Porter said. “You’ll see a lot of information around capacity modeling and management about payer and government relations and thinking about how we make sure that this is a sustainable option for hospitals and centers to provide these therapies.”

Capacity planning is a key component of that equation. At 1 p.m. on Feb. 14, speakers will outline System Capacity Opportunities in Cell Therapies: Past, Present and Future.

Speakers from the University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center, Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children, and Cell Therapy Transplant Canada will share their real-world experiences with the evolution of transplant and cell and gene therapies at 1 p.m. on Feb. 15 in Hawaii Transplant/Cell Therapy Program Presentation.

“We’re excited to have them give some insight on their program development, what some challenges are, some innovative processes they have developed, to hear about how cellular and gene therapy and transplant continues to evolve in their area, whether in Canada or in Hawaii,” Duckworth said. “We know it presents some challenges not being connected to the mainland in Hawaii, so we’ll hear what opportunities exist there.”

Patient access is another high-interest topic and will be the focus of the Feb. 15 session ACT To Sustain: Adoptive Cell Therapy to Sustain Access to Non-Commercialized Genetically Modified Cell Therapies at 2:30 p.m.

Administrative Director Track Agenda

The most up-to-date Administrative Director Track agenda and the full 2025 Tandem Meetings program are available on the online meeting platform. All Administrative Director Track sessions take place in Room 323 ABC of the Hawaiʻi Convention Center, unless noted otherwise.

Friday, Feb. 14

• 8-8:05 a.m. – Welcome Session Day 1
• 8:05-8:50 a.m. – CIBMTR Updates
• 8:50-9:20 a.m. – ASTCT Committee on Government Relations
• 9:20-10:05 a.m. – Major Medicare Coding and Reimbursement Updates: SCT, CAR-T and Other Cell and Gene Therapies
• 10:05-10:20 – Morning Break, Exhibit Hall 2
• 10:20-11:20 a.m. – Bridging the Gap: Enhancing Long-Term Outcomes through Comprehensive Follow-Up in Transplant and Cellular Therapy Patients
• 11:20 a.m.-12:05 p.m. – Quality Subcommittee – Creating IEC Benchmarks and GVH Benchmarking
• 12:05-1 p.m. – Lunch, Exhibit Hall 2
• 1 -2:30 p.m. – System Capacity Opportunities in Cell Therapies: Past, Present and Future
• 2:30-3:30 p.m. – TIL Early Experiences, Best Practices, Operational Challenges, 
• 3:30-3:45 – Afternoon Break, Level 3 Concourse
• 3:45-4:45 p.m. – HSC Gene Therapies – Early Insights into Payer Coverage, Networks, Reimbursement, and Contracting Strategies
• 4:45-5 p.m. – Staffing Survey Update
• 6:30 –-8 p.m. – Administrative Director Track Reception, Main Lobby

Saturday, Feb. 15

• 8-8:05 a.m. – Welcome Session Day 2
• 8:05-9:05 a.m. – ASTCT Payer Relations- Ask a Peer: Discussing Approaches to the Outliers
• 9:05-9:35 a.m. – 80/20 Subcommittee
• 9:35- 10:05 – Best Abstracts
• 10:05-10:20 a.m. – Morning Break, Exhibit Hall 2
• 10:20-11:20 a.m. – The Top Questions We Hear from Providers and Stem Cell Transplant, CAR-T and Cell and Gene Therapies
• 11:20 a.m.-noon – Capacity Modeling
• Noon-1 p.m. – Lunch, Level 3 Concourse
• 1-2 p.m. – Hawaii Transplant/Cell Therapy Program Presentation
• 2-2:30 p.m. – Social Work SIG – Reimagining Caregiving Together
• 2:30- 3:30 p.m. – ACT to Sustain: Adoptive Cell Therapy to Sustain Access to Non- Commercialized Genetically Modified Cell Therapies
• 3:30-3:45 p.m. – Afternoon Break, Level 3 Concourse
• 3:45-4:45 p.m. – Obtain Complete and Compliant Medicare Cost Reimbursement for Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant