Opportunities, Challenges in Expanding Community Oncology Service Lines: Kathy Oubre, MS

In this clip, Kathy Oubre, MS, CEO of Pontchartrain Cancer Center, highlights the biggest opportunities for expanding cancer service lines in community settings without compromising the quality of care. She also discusses operational challenges commonly encountered when launching new service lines and strategies to overcome them.

Oubre expanded on these points during the panel discussion, "Multiplying Cancer Service Lines in the Community Setting," held earlier today at the Patient-Centered Oncology Care conference in Nashville, Tennessee, where she was joined by fellow panelists Jeff Hunnicutt, CEO of Highlands Oncology, and Jennifer Pichoske, MS, EMBA, AOCNP, CEO of Hematology Oncology Associates of CNY.

This transcript has been lightly edited; captions were auto-generated.

Transcript

What are the biggest opportunities for expanding cancer service lines in community settings without compromising the quality of care?

The biggest opportunities for expanding cancer service lines in community settings come from bringing care closer to patients while holding fast to the same high-quality standards that you would find in an academic setting. That means investing in multidisciplinary teams, expanding access to cutting-edge therapies, like immunotherapy and bispecific cellular therapy, and leveraging technologies, such as telehealth and remote patient monitoring, to reach patients where they are.

Community settings also have a real advantage in building trust and reducing barriers by providing these comprehensive services under 1 roof: infusion, pharmacy, supportive care, survivorship care, and bispecifics.

The key to all of this is aligning with value-based care principles so that expansion is sustainable, whether that's ensuring you have the right reimbursement models, data systems, and quality metrics in place. When done right, community oncology can expand access, improve quality, and deliver high-quality care that's both patient-centered and cost-effective.

What operational challenges are commonly encountered when launching new cancer service lines? How can they be overcome?

Launching any new cancer service line in community settings can come with its own set of operational challenges, whether that's workforce shortages, especially among oncology nurses and specialized staff; those things can be major hurdles. It's also securing the necessary infrastructure, such as infusion space, diagnostic capabilities, and technology platforms. All of those things require upfront investment.

On top of that, each practice, when you're bringing on a new service line, has to navigate the myriad of payer coverages that we have, prior authorizations for each one of those payers, and reimbursement models; all of those things can slow implementation and create financial uncertainty for practices.

The way I think about it is, the way to overcome most of these challenges is through careful planning and collaboration with everyone involved in the delivery of the particular service line. Also, reaching out to your other colleagues in the community setting across the nation; I learn a lot from my peers. At the end of the day, practices need to invest in training and retaining staff, often by creating supportive work environments and career development opportunities. Those things are really impactful at retention, even at Pontchartrain Cancer [Center].

Also, partnering with payers early can help align expectations on coverage and payment models. Leveraging data and technology to track outcomes and efficiencies helps ensure services remain sustainable. Importantly, collaborating with other community practices and the larger networks, depending on what service line you're wanting to bring on, really can help align best practices and reduce the duplication of effort. With the right strategies, these hurdles can really become opportunities to build stronger, more resilient cancer care deliveries.