Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/170070
Service Line Leaders' Roundtable 24 Andrew Pecora, MD Ms. Springer: Engaging physician extenders as well as extending the reach of physicians through telehealth are two strategies that will help address the changing physician pool. With neurodiagnostics, "growing our own" quality technicians will help. As for changed reimbursement models, I believe that strong interdisciplinary teams, led by engaged physicians, will help us identify waste and operationalize smarter medical models focused on defined patient populations. Q: What advice do you have for service line leaders for the coming year? Ms. Spielman: Every organization is different with regard to where they are at on the journey, but I think we all have to focus on standardization in the acute-care setting as well as how we expand the continuum of care in the outpatient setting. We will ultimately be held accountable for patient outcomes, so we must begin to design care models that extend beyond the acute care walls. Dr. Houghton: I think, at the end of the day, they should remember that exemplary patient care is the best model for success. It will drive patient volumes and lead to the best outcomes. And they should think creatively, particularly when fee structures and margins are shifting. We can think creatively, consolidate expertise, use technology like teleneurology and increase both efficiency and patient satisfaction. Oncology Q: What are some of the biggest developments or opportunities for growth in the oncology service line in the coming year? Andrew Pecora, MD, Chief Innovations Officer and Vice President of Cancer Services, Hackensack (N.J.) University Medical Center: One of the biggest things is the development of at-risk contracting. That has the potential to be transformative. At-risk contracting is where the providers create a product rather than offer services that the payors pay for in a lump sum. Sonya Greck, RN, Senior Vice President of Operations, Asheville, N.C.-based Mission Health: Here at Mission Health, our Sonya Greck, RN focus is always on the patient. The organization and service lines continue to take care of our patients and make decisions by something we call the BIG(GER) Aim. That means we strive to achieve the desired patient outcome first without harm, also without waste and with an exceptional experience for the patient and the family. In the cancer service line, one of the major opportunities will be to continue to provide the best possible care with decreased reimbursement. Currently, we are participating in a variety of value stream mapping processes to determine how we can add value to the patient experience. This involves process improvement and eliminating waste so that our caregivers have more time to spend with the patients. Our cancer program continues to grow with inclusive services from genetics to end-of-life care. We are truly multidisciplinary and are constantly seeking ways to provide patients with access to care. This is demonstrated in our multidisciplinary clinics where patients can come to one place, and our physicians and caregivers are in the clinic to provide care. That means that a patient does not have to go from one office to another seeking care. A comprehensive approach is so important to our patients. Another opportunity is the development of our electronic medical records in the ambulatory setting. The ability to document care and communicate effectively to all caregivers is vital in the patient care setting. Q: What are some of the newest technologies or applications that are being used in the oncology service line? Ms. Greck: The continuous development of multidisciplinary clinics is one of the best options to address a comprehensive treatment modality for patients. We continue to see the benefits for our patients and continue to see great opportunity in developing these clinics. For example, partnerships between disciplines like nutrition, pulmonology, thoracic surgery, medical oncology, psychosocial support and the radiation oncology team ensures that the patients have an extensive multidisciplinary treatment Jack Khashou plan and access to caregivers. Electromagnetic Navigation Bronchoscopy is a technology that we have adapted to facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of our patients for lung treatment. Mission Hospital is the only hospital in western North Carolina that provides this new minimally invasive procedure. The process combines GPS-like technology with a catheter-based system — threaded through the patient's natural airways — to access hard-to-reach regions deep in the lungs. The procedure can locate, test and diagnose disease thus helping physicians plan treatment and eliminating the need for invasive surgical procedures, such as needle biopsy. Mission Cancer also offers a wealth of complementary and holistic services to enhance recovery and help patients through healing with less pain, fewer medications, lower stress and better sleep. For example, Mission Cancer pairs each patient with a registered nurse who can help with both the medical and non-medical concerns they face after diagnosis. These nurse navigators support patients from the time of diagnosis, through treatment and into survivorship or end-of-life care. Q: What are some of the challenges currently facing the oncology service line? Jack Khashou, Vice President, Ochsner Cancer Institute (New Orleans): We are really facing two main challenges. Primarily, how do we expand the focus on the patient and provide them a more holistic approach to their care during treatment and continue to support them after treatment. The second is staying ahead of the cost pressures and changing reimbursement models. We are attacking this through our pursuit of value initiatives, which aims to provide the best treatment options at the best value. In our opinion, this will be accomplished by carefully assessing best practices and reducing treatment variation. Deb Hood, Vice President, National Oncology Service Line, Catholic Health Initiatives (Englewood, Colo.): Our biggest struggle in the past three years has been to obtain data — apples-to-apples comparisons instead of apples-to-pencils. In oncology, there are so many different systems and locations where information