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Comprehensive
Strategic Alliance
"Because our intense focus is exclusively on cancer, we can offer invaluable resources to physicians in the business of oncology."
Our
focus is on cancer
Since 1993, US Oncology has grown to become an extensive health-care services
network that is devoted exclusively to cancer treatment and research.
From coast to coast, we help over 1,000 independent physicians operate
more than 440 practice sites in 39 states, including more than 90 comprehensive cancer
centers and radiation facilities(US Oncology Network Map). These progressive, thought-leading physicians treat more than
550,000 patients each year. We work hard to ensure that they have unprecedented
access to the latest in technological and therapeutic advantages for their
patients, as well as the financial tools and management expertise they
need to build their practices in their local communities.
Because of our intense focus on cancer, we can offer invaluable resources
to physicians in the business of oncology. Through our many years of experience,
we have developed an extensive understanding of how practices operate
and can provide physicians with strategic services and support to enhance
their control of their practice, from electronic medical records to managed
care contracting, and from strategic data reports regarding practice performance
to the ability to offer the full continuum of oncology care.
We also provide capital for growth and deliver critical support in recruiting
new physicians for their practices. Our track record of success in US
Oncology affiliated practices for over a decade validates these methods
work.
Cancer
Center Services
As a Comprehensive Strategic Alliance partner, you have access to capital
for practice expansion and diversification. This provides you with the
support you need to expand your cancer treatment technologies, and your
practice, without giving up the ability to control the care delivery process.
Providing fully comprehensive, integrated cancer care to patients in their
communities is attainable with US Oncology. We’ll help construct
a state-of-the-art cancer center right in your community. Our turnkey
development services include site selection, property acquisition, design,
construction management and equipment procurement. The new center houses
all facets of patient care in one convenient and central location, such
as:
• Medical oncology
• Radiation oncology
• Diagnostic imaging
• Clinical research
• Pharmacy, and
• Lab
In addition, we also provide radiation and diagnostic staff training and
counsel helping ensure a smooth transition for your staff and your patients
into your new facilities.
We can also help you add leading radiation therapy and diagnostic imaging
technology to your practice. This helps your patients realize the immediate
benefits of PET scans, CT scans and linear accelerators, all under one
roof. The addition of radiation to your practice creates more
revenue opportunities while providing easier access to better care for
your patients.
For more on Cancer Center Services, click here.
Public
Policy
On behalf of the physicians and practices affiliated with our network,
we act as their advocate on a national, state and local level to foster
high-quality cancer care in America.
US Oncology fully supports cancer
patient advocacy groups to drive public-policy efforts and works with
critical legislators to help ensure that the best interests of the physicians
and patients in our practice are protected and to promote better understanding
of community-based oncology practice issues.
We’ve also found that working collaboratively with physicians is
the real key to success. US Oncology’s collaborative approach emphasizes
the highest levels of oncologist involvement through our physician-led
National Policy Board (NPB) and its many specialized subcommittees. Each
practice appoints one representative to serve on the NPB, which works
closely with our senior management to guide overall company strategic
and operating policies.
For more information on Public Policy and Patient
Advocacy, click here
Clinical Research Services
Another essential way that our Comprehensive Strategic Alliance benefits
patients is that it allows physicians the opportunity to become involved
in the development and research of future drug therapies. The research
projects include access to national clinical trials, investigational molecules,
and other research involving chemotherapy, stem cell transplantation and
gene therapy.
We help physicians remain focused on delivering patient care, while also
remaining current on trial information for new therapies. Our staff of
research professionals is dedicated to the participating physicians
locations throughout the country. Our research
services include:
Study initiation and education
Project and data management
Training
Quality assurance and compliance program
Investigational pharmacy and drug management
Research newsletters and publications
Regular investigator and research coordinator meetings, and
Regional research operations consultants
Our centralized regulatory process also enables practices to minimize
risks associated with required data collection and audits. We have a standardized
Institutional Review Board approval process to ensure high research standards.
Using affiliated network practices, more than 32,000 cancer patients have
been accrued to clinical trials. US Oncology has
played a pivotal role in the FDA approval of 24 anticancer and supportive-care
drugs. Together, we accelerate the testing of new cancer therapies, enabling
cancer-fighting drugs to get to your patients faster.
For more information on Cancer Research, click here
Drug
Management Programs
You may also gain significant value from our proprietary drug management
programs. These programs help increase clinical quality, improve efficiency,
eliminate waste, and facilitate charge capture.
A cornerstone of the value we provide is the significant savings you can
achieve through preferred drug pricing. Drugs costs are a practice’s
single largest expense, and we bring the advantage of network size and
economies of scale directly to your practice.
Additionally, our Therapeutic Interchange program is set up to share network
physician evaluations of competitive drugs to determine if there’s
a comparable or better-performing drug with lower costs to you and your
patient. Our proprietary Regimen Insight program enables your practice
to model the impact of alternative regimens on patient convenience, patient
and payor cost, as well as practice economics. Physicians can use this
valuable data to optimize patient treatment while minimizing costs.
Another component of our drug-management program is the collaborative
evaluation of a practice’s admixture services to ensure a convenient,
cost effective, and high quality system. Together, we determine refinements
and make recommendations in areas, such as staffing, equipment, supplies,
IT systems, and operations. We also provide access to a web-based training
program designed to measure, assess and enhance clinical admixture processes.
Chemotherapy stability guidelines are also available, including an easy-to-use
reference guide that includes extended stability and compatibility data
at various concentrations. Our Waste Tracking program helps identify opportunities
to reduce waste, monitor costs, and implement more efficient procedures
to reduce waste.
Charge capture is also critical to a practice’s economic success.
Missed charges for expensive pharmaceuticals can significantly impact
collections. US Oncology’s Charge Capture program provides both
a quantitative and a retrospective analysis of drug usage, leading to
an increase in captured charges and overall drug-management efficiency.
As a part of the US Oncology network, you’ll have access to customized
drug management strategies that empower you to take your practice to a
new level of care and save money.
More on Pharmaceutical Services, click here
Clinical
& Administrative Support
US Oncology provides ongoing clinical and administrative support services
for your practice, such as:
• Facility management
• Technical support services
• Radiation and diagnostic imaging support services
• Drug procurement and management
• Human resources
• Billing and collection
• Marketing and public relations support, and
• Continuing education and training programs
US Oncology’s commitment to your practice includes sharing our vast
experience in reimbursement, billing and collections. We evaluate current
processes and help you improve key metrics to world-class standards. For
example, we help ensure administered drugs are authorized by the third-party
payors and that all charges are captured and coded accurately.
We
also understand the importance of critical managed care contracts and
how complicated they can be. Our managed care experts keep you up-to-date
on industry trends, clarify data and review contracts on your behalf.
Finally, we provide strategic development and support services, so affiliated
physicians can make the best financial decisions for their practice. Physicians
within our network retain their independence and continue to have complete
control over all clinical care decisions for their patients.
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