In the world of cancer care, the only constant is change. Every year, novel therapies emerge and research generates new discoveries that help to redefine cancer care. Healthcare policy and reimbursement also shift perennially, rewriting the rules by which providers manage the business of oncology. And each year, broader industry restructuring and democratization of high-end capabilities reshape the traditional roles of academic and community providers.
Where can chemotherapy infusions be delivered safely? Many are re-examining the answer to that question in light of the evolving need for care delivery innovation that expands access to care while safeguarding the health of immunocompromised patients.
Inova Health System saw a growing need for cancer care in their communities of Northern Virginia. They also saw a need to make that care truly patient-centric — meeting patients’ holistic health needs and delivering care that is coordinated, convenient, and close to home.
Cancer programs face a confluence of dynamics that impact their ability to meet growing patient need and provide timely access to care. These include increasing numbers of new cancers, an exponential volume of cancer survivors requiring follow-up care and a looming oncology physician shortage. Most recently, longstanding patient access challenges have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis.
With a growing acknowledgement of the longevity of COVID-19, the workforce will need ongoing support as they try to cope with the anticipated peaks and valleys of the curve, which will continue until there is an effective treatment or vaccine.
The new St. Elizabeth Cancer Center is taking an intelligent approach to transform care in a community with some of the nation’s worst rates for cancer diagnoses and deaths. The facility and programs are designed to find and treat cancer in its earliest and faintest footsteps — through efforts inside the building and out in the community.
This provider planning guide outlines ways to optimize access and enhance communication to encourage patients to seek urgent and elective screening.
A robust plan to safely serve oncology demand is necessary to support timely patient access and avoid lasting financial repercussions.
COVID-19 has opened a two-front war for cancer patients and providers. Hear our insight from the front lines and three practical considerations for the future as cancer care emerges reshaped by the pandemic.
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