Foley Recognizes Aurora Health Care and Oncology Physician Resource With Cancer Center Innovator Award
13 October 2011
Foley is pleased to announce that Aurora Health Care and Oncology Physician Resource, PLLC have been selected as recipients of the firm’s 2011 Cancer Center Innovator Award. This award was presented today at the fifth annual Cancer Center Business Summit held October 13 – 14, 2011, and honors organizations that have best distinguished themselves as innovators in the business of cancer care.
Both of the award winners this year have demonstrated through research and actions that their organizations are making a significant impact in the business and delivery of cancer care.
Aurora Health Care (AHC) received its Innovator Award for its abstract titled, “A Large Integrated Health Care System’s Development of an Objective Methodology for Evaluation of Medical Oncology Sites of Service.” With the addition of 13 medical oncology infusion clinics through an affiliation of an 18-physician medical oncology group, AHC developed financial, clinical and strategic tools in order to evaluate and manage its 25 outpatient sites of service. With the direct involvement of key stakeholders, AHC created objective metrics for evaluation based on strategic, operational, financial and patient experience criteria.
The Innovator Award Winner from the 2011 Research Survey category is Oncology Physician Resource, PLLC (OPR), based in Novi, Michigan. OPR was selected from 36 organizations interviewed as an example of an innovative oncology payment reform initiative. OPR developed and facilitated an innovative clinical pathways program with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan with community oncology, healthcare system and academic oncology participation.
“Foley is proud to honor Aurora Health Care and Oncology Physician Resource on their quality of work, which exemplifies innovation in the field of community oncology,” said Michael L. Blau, chair of the firm’s Health Care Venture Practice and founder of the Cancer Center Business Summit. “The creative initiatives of these two organizations demonstrate the leadership needed to improve patient care in a rapidly changing economic environment, and are therefore deserving of the Cancer Center Innovator Award.”
The national Advisory Board of the Cancer Center Business Summit selected Aurora Health Care and Oncology Physician Resource, PLLC as the recipients of this year’s Foley & Lardner LLP Cancer Center Innovator Award based on business abstracts and survey responses submitted by non-profit and for-profit health systems, community hospitals, medical group practices, academic medical centers, and other cancer care institutions across the nation.
“We are honored to receive this prestigious award in acknowledgement of our work,” said Dr. Jacob Frick, medical oncology leader with Aurora Health Care. “As the leader of an 18-member medical oncology group that joined a very large health care system, Aurora Health Care, in 2010, we felt it critical that we collaborate quickly to evaluate in an objective manner our combined medical oncology sites of service. We applied select benchmarks from the Oncology Circle and other nationally recognized sources to formulate a plan to recommend consolidation of select market sites in order to enhance services at the remaining sites. Through this work as well as simultaneously developing a plan for becoming a 340b program, we feel we are positioning ourselves well strategically for the future.”
“We are proud to be recognized for our unique and collaborative model pathway program between a statewide physician owned group and a major payor, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan,” said Dr. Kurt H. Neumann with Oncology Physician Resource, PLLC. “This program moves away from the concept of drug reimbursement to increased reimbursement for cognitive services in case management. It is an innovative approach that removes any adverse financial incentives for chemotherapy drug decisions and would not have been successful without the efforts of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and its dedication to the development of a quality initiative for chemotherapy pathways.”
The Cancer Center Business Summit is the premiere forum for best business models and practices in community-based oncology. The fifth annual Summit, held in Chicago, explores the impact of health care reform on oncology, including effective strategies for achieving accountable cancer care. It offers attendees the opportunity to learn from industry leaders and peers about the most important issues facing cancer care providers today. Included on the Summit faculty and national Advisory Board are experienced cancer care executives, physician leaders, practice managers, suppliers, vendors and leaders from the financial, business, payor and legal communities.
About Aurora Health Care
Aurora Health Care is a not-for-profit Wisconsin health care provider and a national leader in efforts to improve health care quality. Aurora offers services at sites in more than 90 communities throughout eastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.
About Oncology Physician Resource, PLLC
OPR is an innovative physician-owned GPO/MSO created to assist independent oncology practices in providing optimal care to their patients while surviving and thriving in a challenging healthcare environment. OPR currently consists of 60 practices and over 140 oncologists in five states: Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Nebraska and South Dakota.
About Foley & Lardner LLP
The Health Care Industry Team of Foley is consistently ranked a top health care practice by Chambers USA. Foley’s Health Care attorneys assist a broad range of clients, including national provider associations, national health care systems, and regional and local providers with creative legal thinking and practical industry experience. Many of our attorneys are former health care practitioners or have served in key government agencies, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and other federal and state agencies.
With approximately 900 attorneys in 21 offices, Foley & Lardner LLP provides award-winning business and legal insight to clients across the country and around the world. Our team-based approach, innovative technology, and focus on value and client service are continually recognized by our clients and the legal industry. In a recent survey* of Fortune 1000 corporate counsel, Foley received a top 10 ranking out of more than 500 firms for our strong client focus, breadth of service, innovation, and value for the dollar. In addition, Foley was a Top 10 firm on the U.S. News – Best Lawyers® 2010 “Best Law Firms” list, based on the total number of first-tier metropolitan rankings, and CIO magazine recognized Foley for technological innovation that enhances business value by naming the firm to its prestigious CIO-100 list.
*The BTI Consulting Group (Wellesley, Massachusetts)
Both of the award winners this year have demonstrated through research and actions that their organizations are making a significant impact in the business and delivery of cancer care.
Aurora Health Care (AHC) received its Innovator Award for its abstract titled, “A Large Integrated Health Care System’s Development of an Objective Methodology for Evaluation of Medical Oncology Sites of Service.” With the addition of 13 medical oncology infusion clinics through an affiliation of an 18-physician medical oncology group, AHC developed financial, clinical and strategic tools in order to evaluate and manage its 25 outpatient sites of service. With the direct involvement of key stakeholders, AHC created objective metrics for evaluation based on strategic, operational, financial and patient experience criteria.
The Innovator Award Winner from the 2011 Research Survey category is Oncology Physician Resource, PLLC (OPR), based in Novi, Michigan. OPR was selected from 36 organizations interviewed as an example of an innovative oncology payment reform initiative. OPR developed and facilitated an innovative clinical pathways program with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan with community oncology, healthcare system and academic oncology participation.
“Foley is proud to honor Aurora Health Care and Oncology Physician Resource on their quality of work, which exemplifies innovation in the field of community oncology,” said Michael L. Blau, chair of the firm’s Health Care Venture Practice and founder of the Cancer Center Business Summit. “The creative initiatives of these two organizations demonstrate the leadership needed to improve patient care in a rapidly changing economic environment, and are therefore deserving of the Cancer Center Innovator Award.”
The national Advisory Board of the Cancer Center Business Summit selected Aurora Health Care and Oncology Physician Resource, PLLC as the recipients of this year’s Foley & Lardner LLP Cancer Center Innovator Award based on business abstracts and survey responses submitted by non-profit and for-profit health systems, community hospitals, medical group practices, academic medical centers, and other cancer care institutions across the nation.
“We are honored to receive this prestigious award in acknowledgement of our work,” said Dr. Jacob Frick, medical oncology leader with Aurora Health Care. “As the leader of an 18-member medical oncology group that joined a very large health care system, Aurora Health Care, in 2010, we felt it critical that we collaborate quickly to evaluate in an objective manner our combined medical oncology sites of service. We applied select benchmarks from the Oncology Circle and other nationally recognized sources to formulate a plan to recommend consolidation of select market sites in order to enhance services at the remaining sites. Through this work as well as simultaneously developing a plan for becoming a 340b program, we feel we are positioning ourselves well strategically for the future.”
“We are proud to be recognized for our unique and collaborative model pathway program between a statewide physician owned group and a major payor, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan,” said Dr. Kurt H. Neumann with Oncology Physician Resource, PLLC. “This program moves away from the concept of drug reimbursement to increased reimbursement for cognitive services in case management. It is an innovative approach that removes any adverse financial incentives for chemotherapy drug decisions and would not have been successful without the efforts of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and its dedication to the development of a quality initiative for chemotherapy pathways.”
The Cancer Center Business Summit is the premiere forum for best business models and practices in community-based oncology. The fifth annual Summit, held in Chicago, explores the impact of health care reform on oncology, including effective strategies for achieving accountable cancer care. It offers attendees the opportunity to learn from industry leaders and peers about the most important issues facing cancer care providers today. Included on the Summit faculty and national Advisory Board are experienced cancer care executives, physician leaders, practice managers, suppliers, vendors and leaders from the financial, business, payor and legal communities.
About Aurora Health Care
Aurora Health Care is a not-for-profit Wisconsin health care provider and a national leader in efforts to improve health care quality. Aurora offers services at sites in more than 90 communities throughout eastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.
About Oncology Physician Resource, PLLC
OPR is an innovative physician-owned GPO/MSO created to assist independent oncology practices in providing optimal care to their patients while surviving and thriving in a challenging healthcare environment. OPR currently consists of 60 practices and over 140 oncologists in five states: Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Nebraska and South Dakota.
About Foley & Lardner LLP
The Health Care Industry Team of Foley is consistently ranked a top health care practice by Chambers USA. Foley’s Health Care attorneys assist a broad range of clients, including national provider associations, national health care systems, and regional and local providers with creative legal thinking and practical industry experience. Many of our attorneys are former health care practitioners or have served in key government agencies, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, and other federal and state agencies.
With approximately 900 attorneys in 21 offices, Foley & Lardner LLP provides award-winning business and legal insight to clients across the country and around the world. Our team-based approach, innovative technology, and focus on value and client service are continually recognized by our clients and the legal industry. In a recent survey* of Fortune 1000 corporate counsel, Foley received a top 10 ranking out of more than 500 firms for our strong client focus, breadth of service, innovation, and value for the dollar. In addition, Foley was a Top 10 firm on the U.S. News – Best Lawyers® 2010 “Best Law Firms” list, based on the total number of first-tier metropolitan rankings, and CIO magazine recognized Foley for technological innovation that enhances business value by naming the firm to its prestigious CIO-100 list.
*The BTI Consulting Group (Wellesley, Massachusetts)
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