CANCER BUZZ Association of Cancer Care Centers

Prior to 2020, patients newly diagnosed with breast cancer at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist’s Comprehensive Cancer Center experienced high variability in the number of days it took to see a breast cancer provider. Scheduling was decentralized across the departments and rarely could multiple visits be coordinated to occur on the same day, within the same location. Addressing this issue required a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach that involved engaging the cancer center leadership across 3 treatment departments—medical, radiation, and surgical oncology—administration, physicians, advanced practice providers (APPs), patient navigation, genetic counseling, scheduling, imaging, lab, and pathology. The primary goals of the initiative were to transform patient experience and improve timeliness to care for every newly diagnosed patient.
Guest:
Hunter Hayes, MBA
Associate Principal
The Chartis Group
 
“Being able to get patients seen quickly; being able to retain patients for their full cancer treatment is incredibly important…competition is growing and being able to keep those patients and keep their experience positive is critical.”
 
Read more in “Improving the Care of Patients Newly Diagnosed With Breast Cancer” coming in your Volume 38, Number 2, Oncology Issues.
 
Resources:
Improving Cancer Care Teamwork: Five Patient-Centered Strategies to Strengthen Care Coordination
Machine Learning and Predictive Analytics Solution Transforms Infusion Center Operations
Location Technology Improves Efficiency, Safety & the Patient Experience
Breast Care ACCESS Project

Improving timely identification and referral of patients who may be eligible for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is critical for improving outcomes for patients with hematologic malignancies. On February 7, 2024, ACCC hosted a virtual Working Summit: Advancing CAR T-Cell Therapy Care Continuity and Collaborative Patient Education to explore topics including patient and caregiver needs as well as care coordination between referring providers and certified CAR T-cell therapy centers.  
In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Amy D. Smith, FNP-BC, director of the Meredith and Jeannie Ray Cancer Center at Ivinson Memorial Hospital and co-chair of the Summit about the event’s key findings, which can guide cancer programs in building a framework for optimized CAR T-cell therapy care coordination. 
“The goal really was how do we get those patients [receiving CAR T-cell therapy] back here and get them back into some kind of normalcy in their life sooner? A lot of that is building relationships and having trust with those providers in the academic centers that are performing the CAR T, so that they know that we can provide safe care at home.” –Amy D. Smith, FNP-BC
“Keeping care close to home is near to my heart, living in a rural area. That was one takeaway... how do we collaborate better to make this happen for our patients and care teams? –Amy D. Smith, FNP-BC
Amy D. Smith, FNP-BC
Director, Meredith and Jeannie Ray Cancer Center
Ivinson Memorial Hospital
Laramie, WY
 
This episode was developed in connection with the ACCC education program Tips for Early Patient Identification for CAR T-Cell Therapy and Care Continuity with Community Providers and made possible with support by Kite Pharma, Johnson & Johnson, and Legend Biotech, and through partnerships with Cancer Support Community, the Association of American Cancer Institutes, and the Advanced Practitioner Society for Hematology and Oncology.
Resources:
ACCC CAR T-Cell Therapy Focus Group Highlights   Tips for Early Patient Identification for CAR T-Cell Therapy and Care Continuity with Community Providers  Community CAR T-Cell Patient Identification Framework – CANCER BUZZ [Mini Podcast] Ep 138  If They Recur, You Should Refer—A Community Oncologist Patient ID Roundtable Summary  – from Oncology Issues Vol. 38, No. 6 

The 4R Oncology® Model facilitates enhanced patient engagement and timely care provision by streamlining delivery of complex interdependent care. Implementation of the 4R Oncology® model in breast and lung cancer clinics has improved patients’ involvement in organizing their care, enabled the development of high-functioning multidisciplinary care teams, and helped to optimize the timing and coordination of sequence of care. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Raymond Liu, MD, director of research of Hematology-Oncology in Kaiser Permanente Northern California, director of cancer survivorship in Kaiser Permanente San Francisco, and assistant clinical professor at UCSF, who shares how successful implementation of the 4R Oncology® model empowers patients and clinicians and coheres care teams.
 
“When people could see that plan, and they could bring that home with them, and they saw that it was all guideline-based and mapped through in a very, very detailed way, they were empowered to answer their questions, especially for their loved ones, and to really reflect on what was said [in the doctor-patient consultation] at home.” –Raymond Liu, MD
 
“Care is so complex now; our innovations are really, really going fast but we have not been able to deliver the care in a way that’s understandable sometimes, and so by putting it in a single care plan, the patients really engage with it, and we found that the call volumes came down.” –Raymond Liu, MD
 
Raymond Liu, MD
Director of Research of Hematology-Oncology
Kaiser Permanente Northern California
Oakland, CA
 
Director of Cancer Survivorship
Kaiser Permanente San Franciso
San Francisco, CA
 
Assistant Clinical Professor
University of California San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
 
This episode was developed in connection with the ACCC program Care Action Plans for People with Cancer. ACCC, in partnership with the Center for Business Models in Healthcare, is making 4R Care Sequences® available at no cost to ACCC members. 4R Oncology® is the intellectual property of CBM-HC (Executive Frameworks, Ltd.), but is not a commercial product or service. 4R Care Sequence® templates were developed based on studies sponsored by Genentech, Inc.
 
Resources:
4R Oncology®
JCO Article Fostering High-Functioning Team 
JCO Impact of 4R Oncology® Model 

While advancements in oral medicine are improving the treatment landscape for head and neck cancer, routine dental care and preventative oral cancer screenings can help identify head and neck cancers early. In this episode, Alessandro Villa, DDS, PhD, MPH, chief of Oral Medicine, Oral Oncology, and Dentistry at Baptist Health South Florida’s Miami Cancer Institute, emphasizes the proactive role dentists can play in early identification of cancer—as well as the need for equitable access to dental care—and explores how a cross-disciplinary cancer care team and patient education work in tandem to better manage complications from head and neck treatment.
 
“It is widely known that any patient with a diagnosis of head and neck cancer who is scheduled to receive treatment with chemo and radiation therapy should see a dentist prior to starting cancer therapy. We should make sure that access is available for this patient.” —Alessandro Villa, DDS, PhD, MPH
  
Alessandro Villa, DDS, PhD, MPH
Chief of Oral Medicine, Oral Oncology, and Dentistry
Miami Cancer Institute, Baptist Health South Florida
Miami, FL
 
This episode was made in connection with the ACCC education program Multidisciplinary Approaches to Head & Neck Cancer Care in partnership with Head and Neck Cancer Alliance and the American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) and with support provided by EMD Serono. 
   
Resources:   
Multidisciplinary Approaches to Head & Neck Cancer Care 
 
Head and Neck Patient and Caregiver Resources 
 
Making the Case for Head & Neck Cancer Patient Care Navigators 
 

Advancements in clinical data and research have shown the immunotherapeutic potential of bispecific antibodies as treatment for hematologic cancers and solid tumors. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Aaron Cumpston, PharmD, pharmacy clinical specialist for bone marrow transplant and Christine Barrett, PharmD, BCOP, medical oncology clinical pharmacy specialist who discuss the challenges of care coordination and therapy and share operational best practices for the delivery of bispecific antibodies in the community setting.  
 
“I think we’re finding these drugs to be highly effective and having high response rates and also very durable response rates in very refractory patients.”—Aaron Cumpston, PharmD, BCOP
“I know that in community practice it can be really difficult, but there is a network of institutions out there that have taken on administering these BiTE therapies and have a lot of experience that can be very helpful for those in community practice.” —Christine Barrett, PharmD, BCOP
 
Aaron Cumpston, PharmD, BCOP 
Pharmacy Clinical Specialist – Hematologic Malignancy, Transplant, and Cellular Therapy
WVU Medicine 
WVU Cancer Institute - Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center 
Morgantown, WV 
 
Christine Barrett, PharmD, BCOP 
Medical Oncology Clinical Pharmacy Specialist 
WVU Medicine 
WVU Cancer Institute - Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center 
Morgantown, WV 
 
This episode was developed in connection with the ACCC education program Sharing Operational Insights for the Delivery of Bispecific Antibodies in Solid Tumor and is supported by Amgen.
Resources:
Expanding Access to Cellular and Bispecific Therapies – Considerations and Recommendations by ACCC and SITC 
Sharing Operational Insights for the Delivery of Bispecific Antibodies in Solid Tumor 
Best Practices in Expanding Access to Bispecific Antibodies and Adverse Event Management 

As the need for access to guideline-concordant biomarker testing for underserved populations continues to grow, hear what care teams need to know about coverage for Medicaid beneficiaries and the legislative outlook for 2024. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Hilary Gee Goeckner, MSW, director of State and Local Campaigns for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ASC CAN), who shares policy perspectives and the latest on state legislation to expand coverage for biomarker testing for Medicaid beneficiaries. 
 
“There are a lot of challenges around implementation—getting the legislation passed is just the first step…It is also important for providers to be aware of the new rules that affect many plans and their states so they are able to order testing that may not have been covered or rejected previously.” –Hilary Gee Goeckner, MSW
 
Hilary Gee Goeckner, MSW
Director, State and Local Campaigns, Access to Care
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
Washington, D.C.
This episode was developed in connection with the ACCC education program Improving Access to Biomarker Testing in Medicaid Populations and is made possible with support by Foundation Medicine and Exact Sciences.
Resources:
The Cost of Biomarker Testing: Moving from Support-Based to Sustainable Solutions 
Comprehensive Cancer Care: The Role of Biomarker Testing 
Biomarker Testing for Medicaid Beneficiaries (Podcast) 
Access to Biomarker Testing - American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network  
The Road to Comprehensive Biomarker Testing for All – ACCC Buzz Blog 
Improving Access to Biomarker Testing in Medicaid Populations 
Precision Medicine in Rural and Underserved Areas – ACCC Buzz Blog 
Patient Perceptions of Biomarker Testing – Oncology Issues 
Cancer Diagnostics - Biomarkers 
Eliminating Precision Medicine Disparities