The theme of the 2008 Summit is Community Oncology at the Crossroads. This is a critical juncture in the business life-cycle of community-based oncology practices and cancer centers. Community-based providers today are caught in a financial squeeze. They are experiencing declining chemo and supportive therapy reimbursement, reductions in reimbursement for drug administration fees, and reduced payment for imaging services, at the same time as practice/cancer center costs are increasing due to expensive new pharmaceutical, medical and information technologies, staffing costs and the rising cost of living generally. Regulatory changes, like the new Stark Phase III rules, anti-markup provisions and reassignment rules, narrow joint venture options. So, old ways of doing business may no longer be viable. However, promising new paradigms are being piloted that may emerge as models for future success. Some of the innovations involve:
- New approaches to payment by commercial insurers
- New models for clinical and financial integration to coordinate cancer care across multiple disciplines and institutions
- New models for provider consolidation, practice/cancer center management/leadership and physician succession
- Evidence-based medicine initiatives for quality and payment improvement
- New patient-centric and retail medicine arrangements
- New supply chain models for drug and supply purchasing
Will these arrangements be durable and sustainable, or just a flash in the pan? The Summit is convening a diverse faculty of experts to weigh the pros and cons. Original survey data and research will be presented, and real life case studies will be discussed—and you will be the judge.
For further information on this event, please visit CancerBusinessSummit.com.
If you have any questions concerning the 2008 Cancer Center Business Summit or you are interested in serving as a 2008 Summit Sponsor, please contact Melissa Roth, Marketing Project Manager, Foley & Lardner LLP, 312-832-5786 or [email protected].