The past year challenged cancer care professionals in ways that were seemingly unimaginable. With the spread of SARS-CoV-2 across the United States, cancer programs and practices were forced to dramatically change the ways in which screenings, treatment, and supportive care were provided. Patient and provider safety, staffing considerations, revenue cycle management, reimbursement for virtual services—every facet of oncology program management and operations—were forced to pivot within weeks.
But with disruption to the status quo comes the opportunity for positive innovation, and at the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) 47th Annual Meeting & Cancer Center Business Summit (AMCCBS), health care professionals from across America will discover the power and promise of positive change in the face of adversity.
Created to better understand the needs of cancer programs and guide the creation of the meeting’s agenda, the Cancer Center Business Summit Advisory Board and ACCC Annual Meeting Task Force comprise a group of industry experts and cancer care professionals from diverse backgrounds, locations, and organizations. “The Task Force has worked collaboratively over the past several months to prioritize issue areas most relevant to the current and ever-changing landscape in oncology,” said Task Force member Mark Liu, director of Strategic Initiatives, Oncology Service Line at Mount Sinai Health System. “By identifying what is ‘top of mind’ among the Task Force and Cancer Center Business Summit Advisory Board members, we are able to identify thought leaders to share their expertise with the wider ACCC community.”
From March 1-5, 2021, AMCCBS Virtual (accc-cancer.org/amccbs) will provide critical guidance on the hot-button issues impacting cancer care delivery. At a time of unprecedented change and uncertainty, attendees will discover the strategies they need to implement telehealth and virtual care in a sustainable way that benefits patients, providers, and payers; optimize their revenue cycle management and protect their bottom line during a time of financial hardship; improve health equity and patient access to cutting-edge treatments, like clinical trials; and prepare for reimbursement and policy changes.
On Monday, March 1, the opening keynote, Dr. Kavita Patel, Brookings Institution, will outline the future of health policy surrounding value-based care under the Biden Administration, including the MFN Model, the OCM, alternative payment models, drug pricing, and more. An additional panel on “Cancer Care in the COVID-19 Era” brings together diverse oncology experts to share real-world data and guidance on strategies for optimal care and operations during the pandemic.
Of particular interest to Journal of Clinical Pathways readers is the Thursday session “Clinical Pathways as a Means to an End: Driving Value Across Your Cancer Center,” featuring Geisinger Cancer Institute’s Mark Wojtowicz, MS, MBA. Attendees will learn how they can apply pathways into their operations to standardize care, make better use of data, incorporate palliative services into the care continuum appropriately, and more.
New to this year’s conference are the “Issue of the Day” format and networking events. Each day of AMCCBS focuses on a key issue in today’s oncology environment, such as navigating COVID-19 as a cancer practice, adopting and expanding telehealth, revenue optimization, managing for success, business consolidation, and clinical research. At the end of each day, health care executives, industry leaders, and cancer care professionals will come together and share their experience, perspective, and best practices on those issues, providing attendees with a unique bidirectional learning opportunity. Visit accc-cancer.org/amccbs-agenda for the latest agenda details.
