COA: Community Oncology Alliance

In this preview interview for this year’s virtual 2020 Community Oncology Conference, The American Journal of Managed Care® speaks with Kathy Oubre, MS, chief operating officer of Pontchartrain Cancer Center in Louisiana, on why it is her privilege to work with patients who have cancer, as well as her thoughts on telehealth after the pandemic and why being in a hurricane-prone area necessitates healthcare that is flexible.

In the second part of a 2-part preview interview in advance of this year’s virtual 2020 Community Oncology Conference, The American Journal of Managed Care® speaks with Cheryl Larson, president and chief executive officer of the Midwest Business Group on Health, about how she is helping employer organizations navigate their pharmacy benefits managers and manage employee expectations.

Individuals should register for Community Oncology Alliance's virtual meeting to hear "amazing" speakers present groundbreaking research, said Lalan Wilfong, MD, medical oncologist and vice president of value-based care and quality programs at Texas Oncology.

In the first part of a 2-part preview interview in advance of this year’s virtual 2020 Community Oncology Conference, The American Journal of Managed Care® speaks with Cheryl Larson, president and chief executive officer of the Midwest Business Group on Health, about how she is helping employer organizations navigate their pharmacy benefits managers and manage employee expectations.

At this year's Community Oncology Conference, Antonio Ciaccia, the chief strategy officer of 3 Axis Advisors, will present about pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and drug pricing issues. The conference, hosted by the Community Oncology Alliance, takes place virtually on April 23 and April 24, and The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) is previewing some of the speakers and topics.

The Community Oncology Alliance's annual conference is a space where industry experts and key opinion leaders can share ideas on improving patient care and advocate for community oncology, said Kathy Oubre, MS, chief operating officer at Pontchartrain Cancer Center.

The 2020 Community Oncology Conference, hosted by the Community Oncology Alliance (COA), will take place virtually on April 23 and April 24. The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) is bringing you a series of previews so you can learn more about what to expect when you attend this virtual meeting. In this interview we speak with Debra Patt, MD, MPH, MBA, executive vice president of policy and strategy at Texas Oncology, who is presenting on applied informatics in oncology at the virtual meeting.

The 2020 Community Oncology Conference, hosted by the Community Oncology Alliance (COA), takes place virtually on April 23 and April 24. The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) is bringing you a series of previews so you can learn more about what you'll hear when you attend this virtual meeting. In this interview we're speaking with Lee Schwartzberg, MD, FACP, the chief medical director of West Cancer Center and the chief medical officer of OneOncology, and who is moderating a stakeholder panel discussion on genomic profiling in cancer.

Payers have a crucial role in the future of community oncology, said Jeffery Patton, MD, of OneOncology, because it’s in their interest to help this lower-cost option thrive.

Proposed changes to the Stark Law that would make collaboration easier have purposely excluded pharmaceutical manufacturers, according to speakers at the Community Oncology Alliance Payer Exchange Summit.

The Oncology Care Model is a leading innovation in the move from fee-for-service to value-based reimbursement in large part because CMS has made adjustments based on physician feedback, according to an agency official who addressed the Community Oncology Alliance Payer Exchange Summit.

What would a successor to the Oncology Care Model (OCM) look like? Community oncologists discuss at the Payer Exchange Summit sponsored by the Community Oncology Alliance.

Heading into 2019, the idea that oncology practices would fully embrace financial responsibility for clinical decisions still seemed far-fetched for many. And yet, when it was time to make the call, moving to 2-sided risk proved a “simple” decision, said Travis Brewer of Texas Oncology, who took part in a panel offering an update on the Oncology Care Model (OCM) at the start of the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) Payer Exchange Summit, which opened Monday in Tyson’s Corner, Virginia.

Care coordination is crucial for mitigating challenges associated with aging and survivorship, explained Rose Gerber, director of patient advocacy and education for the Community Oncology Alliance.

Rose Gerber, director of patient advocacy and education for the Community Oncology Alliance, discusses how different structural barriers create access issues for patients looking to participate in clinical trials.

Through OneOncology, we will be able to identify best practices and support patients throughout the continuum of care, explained Jeff Patton, MD, chief executive officer of Tennessee Oncology.

While there are consequences of a 6-month episode of care under the Oncology Care Model (OCM), there will be trade-offs with any time window, explained Basit Chaudhry, MD, PhD, founder of Tuple Health.

Lee Schwartzberg, MD, FACP, executive director, West Cancer Center, explains how partnerships like OneOncology can help community practices adapt to the rapidly changing cancer care and diagnostic landscape.

Encouraging clinical trial participation is the only way we’ll get the answers to the questions we need for future generations, explained Howard A. "Skip" Burris, III, MD, FACP, FASCO, president, clinical operations, and chief medical officer of Sarah Cannon Research Institute.

Rose Gerber, director of patient advocacy and education for the Community Oncology Alliance, discusses the importance of patient education in encouraging clinical trial participation, as well as the importance of trials being patient centered.

Clinical trials should be a part of the conversation early and throughout the cancer journey, explained Katie Goodman, RN, BSN, CCRP, director of clinical research, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute.

Under the Oncology Care Model (OCM), there's a wide range of practice sizes, creating challenges for evaluation, said Basit Chaudhry, MD, PhD, founder of Tuple Health.

Jeff Patton, MD, chief executive officer of Tennessee Oncology, offers his reaction to CMS' proposal to ease restrictions on how Part D managed the 6 protected classes of drugs.

Lee Schwartzberg, MD, FACP, executive director, West Cancer Center, explains reimbursement challenges that community settings face with access to multigene testing.

Basit Chaudhry, MD, PhD, founder of Tuple Health, explains why it's important to evaluate the adequacy of the novel therapy adjustment under the Oncology Care Model (OCM).

As Howard A. "Skip" Burris, III, MD, FACP, FASCO, president, clinical operations, and chief medical officer of Sarah Cannon Research Institute, prepares to become the president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in June, he discusses what his focus will be.

In addition to helping make treatment decisions, COTA's real-world data platform can help oncologists understand and identify areas where there is treatment variability and help them work to contain cost in the long run, explained C.K. Wang, MD, senior medical director, COTA.

Clinical trial criteria is really about patient safety and making sure participating patients don't experience undue risks, explained Katie Goodman, RN, BSN, CCRP, director of clinical research, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute.

Early education and communication are needed for successful uptake of biosimilars, explained Sonia T. Oskouei, PharmD, director, Pharmacy Program Development for Biosimilars, Premier Inc.

Lee Schwartzberg, MD, FACP, executive director, West Cancer Center, discusses his thoughts on calls for every person diagnosed with breast cancer to receive a multigene panel.