Oncology, and medicine generally, is on an unsustainable course characterized by inexorably rising costs, rampant variation, uneven and generally unmeasured quality, and a major value deficit (value defined as outcomes divided by costs). The traditional medical oncology business model of “buy and bill” for chemotherapy is viewed as a contributing factor to these problems and is under tremendous pressure. Clinical pathways have attracted increasing interest as a potential solution to these issues. Pathways have the potential to decrease unexplained variation and improve quality and value in a way that is focused on patients and consistent with provider values. To fully realize the clinical and business benefits of pathways, however, will take a collaborative effort involving both providers and payers. Join Bruce Cutter, M. D., MMM, for a discussion of the business model challenges facing medical oncology and a “proof of concept” initiative that illustrates how oncology practices can implement a quality/clinical pathways program in collaboration with a health plan and be rewarded for the value the providers bring to the table.

The 2010 mid-term election results have been described by many as historic in nature due to the large shift in seats in the House of Representatives. For many Americans and cancer care patients, this change in government may implicate changes in their healthcare plans. For oncologists across the country, this shift in government begs the question: How will this impact my community-based oncology practice over the next few years and what can I expect in 2011? Join Matt Brow, Vice President of Government Relations and Public Policy at US Oncology, for a discussion of the recent mid-term elections, the 2011 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and an update on Congressional efforts to avert the pending Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) cuts to Medicare physician payments with a focus on the impact to community oncology practices.

After several years of relative quiet on the brown-bagging front since the attempt of Medicare with the Competitive Acquisition Program (CAP), some organizations are now diligently working to push arrangements in which physicians would no longer be permitted to acquire, store, or manage the drugs they provide to their patients. Whether referred to as brown-bagging or Mandatory Vendor Imposition (MVI), this renewed attempt to remove oncologists from the management of cancer care is symptomatic of the intensifying pressures between physicians and payers over the increasing cost of helping patients fight cancer. The time is now for physicians to act to secure the viability and sustainability of community oncology through the creation of win-win reimbursement structures with payers. Join Roy Beveridge, MD, Michael Kolodziej, MD, and Matt Brow as they provide an overview of the risks associated with brown bagging in the oncology practice and explore proactive approaches for oncologists to align incentives with payers through a physician-directed and physician-centric model.

• Joint venture strategies for the community oncology practice
• Creating valuable connections with referring physicians
• Marketing your practice within the community
• Working with payers on pay-for-performance initiatives

Community-based oncology practices are facing fundamental changes, fueled by economic constraints, increased competition, and uncertainties around healthcare legislation. These shifts are creating a need for a practice business model that supports the delivery of both cost-efficient and high-quality cancer care. In order to achieve long-term business and clinical success, oncologists are exploring new approaches focused on aligning with the right resources and expertise to effectively position their practices for the future. Join Glenn Balasky, Executive Director of The Mark H. Zangmeister Center, a physician owned and operated cancer center in Columbus, OH, as he shares valuable pragmatic approaches to value-based strategic planning for the oncology practice. He will provide an overview of proven tactics to help you proactively plan for your oncology practice success and share insight on how to prepare for emerging cancer care delivery models in 2011 and beyond.

Now that the healthcare reform bill has been signed into law, the concept of accountable care has been placed on the agenda. It’s now up to providers across the country to decide how they will participate in Medicare’s Shared Savings Program. The question now is how will community-based oncologists be impacted by this emerging model? Join Matt Brow as he shares the latest about the Medicare Shared Savings Program, Accountable Care Organizations (ACO), and the opportunities and challenges facing community oncology under this Medicare pilot program. Topics include discussions of how and why to create an ACO, and the latest on how ACOs will be structured and payments will be distributed.

This interactive webinar will feature an update on:

• Overview of the final regulations associated with meaningful-use
• EHR certification requirements for oncology-specific EHRs

Now that Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (CMS) and Health and Human Services (HHS) have issued the final, meaningful-use regulations, one of the hot topics among healthcare providers continues to be, “how does one achieve meaningful-use requirements in the coming years”. In addition to improving quality of care, physicians hope to earn up to $44,000 in incentives over the next five years as part of the approximately $20 billion allocated toward Electronic Health Record (EHR) adoption in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA, aka the stimulus package). As community-based oncologists, it is vitally important to understand how the stimulus can affect the healthcare information technology (HIT) plans for your practice. Join Matt Brow, Cindy Chavez and Peter Harrison, MD for an informative webinar on the recent, final rulings affecting the Medicare HIT incentives. Drawing from their experience with iKnowMedTM, an oncology-specific EHR, they will discuss what impact these standards will have on the community-based oncology practice.

Human Capital. Personnel. Human Resources. Whatever you may call it, it’s the department that is responsible for the people who work in your practice. From solo physician practices to Fortune 500 companies to everything in between, good personnel policies and practices are critical for good employee morale, a productive work environment, and minimal staffing headaches.

Join Randy Farber, MSHA, as he provides basic rules of the road that help make your workplace more productive. Using real world examples, this informative webinar will help you minimize personnel-related issues, improve morale, and free your time to focus on patient care.

Are you capturing all drug and drug administration services provided to the patient?
Do you have a review process in place to ensure comprehensive charge capture occurs?

Join Carolyn Hutt as she provides an in-depth look at drug administration from the time of the order until services are captured. Emphasis will be placed on guidelines governing drug administration, improving the charge capture review process, and how to easily identify missing charges.

With the passage of this year’s landmark legislation that overhauls the nation's healthcare system and will guarantee access to medical insurance for millions of Americans, many cancer care providers continue to wonder how healthcare reform could impact their practices in 2010 and beyond. Join Matt Brow as he provides an overview of the latest updates from Washington DC on the recently enacted healthcare reform and coverage expansion legislation and what this means for community oncology practices.

Randy Farber reviews best practices in billing, addresses ways to monitor your billing performance, and suggests methods for identifying and correcting procedures that don't add value to your bottom line. This interactive webinar will address key billing concerns facing cancer care providers and their staff, including:

• Is your billing system working as hard as you do?
• How can you tell when things are going well?
• How can you tell when things aren't going well?

In an era when every penny counts, where razor thin margins mean you can't afford to be delayed or denied on any claims payment, it has become critical for oncology physicians and administrators to understand every aspect of their billing system.

With Medicare HIT incentives beginning in 2011, many oncology practices are starting the selection process for an Electronic Health Record (EHR) system. However, the process can become overwhelming, considering the many EHR solutions available to choose from. So where do you start and how do you know which system is right for your practice?

Cindy Chavez, Vice President of iKnowMed, US Oncology, presents an informative webinar discussing What to Look for When Selecting an EHR for the community oncology practice, which features:

• Guidance in the planning process and how to set priorities across multiple roles
• How to select between a specialty specific EHR versus a general EHR
• Evaluating the vendor as a long-term partner

One of the hot topics among healthcare providers this year has been the potential for physicians to earn up to $44,000 in incentives over five years when they demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHRs, as part of the approximately $20 billion allocated toward Electronic Health Record (EHR) adoption in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA, aka the stimulus package).

For community-based oncologists, it is vitally important to understand how the stimulus can affect the health care IT plans for your practice, considering that the EHR certification requirements are expected to be clearly defined in early 2010 following the release of meaningful use rules. Join Matt Brow and Cindy Chavez for an informative webinar as they discuss recent updates affecting these Medicare Health Information Technology (HIT) incentives and their perspective on how these standards should be set and applied to the community-based oncology practice based on their experience with iKnowMed™, an oncology-specific EHR.

As we start the new year, cancer care professionals continue to wonder how health care reform is turning out and how it may impact their practices in 2010 and beyond. Join Matt Brow as he provides an overview of the latest updates from Washington, DC on Congressional efforts to enact health care reform and coverage expansion legislation, and what this means for community oncology practices.