Cancer Program Selected as 1 of 7 National Testing Sites to Address Disparities Faced by Medicaid Patients with Lung Cancer

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., July 25, 2017 Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center has been designated as one of seven national testing sites for the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) project to improve care for Medicaid patients with lung cancer.

The CDC reports that American adults who are uninsured or on Medicaid smoke at rates more than double those of adults with private health insurance or Medicare, said Dr. Johnny Bernard, Jr., radiation oncologist and chair of this initiative at Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center. With this in mind, it is critical we improve the access and quality of lung cancer services across the nation to the Medicaid population, given the inherent risks of smoking.

In 2017, the ACCC launched a three-phase initiative focused on developing an optimal care coordination model for lung cancer patients with Medicaid. The project is currently in its second phase.

The first phase focused on research and was conducted throughout 2017. The ACCC performed a literature review and environmental scan, as well as gathered extensive information on-site at five cancer programs that served as development sites. Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center in Daytona Beach was included as one of these five development sites in the nation.

With the insight and guidance of the projects advisory committee and technical expert panel, the ACCC used this research to develop a beta version of the care coordination model.

The model, which is designed to be used at cancer programs of all resource levels, focuses on 13 areas of care for patients with lung cancer, including:

1. Patient access to care
2. Prospective multidisciplinary case planning
3. Financial, transportation, and housing
4. Management of comorbid conditions
5. Care coordination
6. Treatment team integration
7. Electronic health records (EHR) and patient access to information
8. Survivorship care
9. Supportive care
10. Tobacco cessation
11. Clinical trials
12. Physician engagement
13. Quality measurement and improvement

During the second phase, which ends September 2017, the ACCC prepares to test the beta version of the care coordination model. As part of this process, the ACCC conducted a comprehensive, competitive application process to select seven national testing sites.

The following cancer programs conducted quality improvement initiatives in one or more of the 13 OCCM assessment areas (listed above) and were chosen to test the model:

• Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center - Daytona Beach, FL
• Advocate Lutheran General Hospital Cancer Care Program - Park Ridge, IL
• Ascension Wheaton Franciscan Cancer Care - Milwaukee, WI
• Cowell Family Cancer Center (Munson Healthcare) - Traverse City, MI
• Genesis Cancer Care Center - Zanesville, OH
• Northwest Medical Specialties - Tacoma, WA
• Southern Ohio Medical Center - Portsmouth, OH

This was a very competitive application process and we are so proud of our entire team for their dedication to advancing the care available to lung cancer patients on Medicaid, said Bernard. As one of the seven testing sites in the country, we've been awarded nearly $70,000 to launch a multidisciplinary lung care program, as well as a survivorship program. The selection committee felt that our projects were feasible, well thought-out, and will truly help address issues for our Medicaid patients who are fighting lung cancer.

We thank those ACCC member programs serving as project development sites and as testing sites, said Dr. Randall Oyer, Lancaster General Hospital oncology program medical director and co-chair of the ACCC optimal care coordination model for lung cancer patients on Medicaid project. Their participation is critical, ensuring first that real-world experience was incorporated in developing the model, and now in testing the optimal care coordination model through targeted quality improvement initiatives that have potential to improve patient care.

The third and final phase will test the model from October 2017 to September 2018. The results from this phase will help further refine and modify the optimal care coordination model to ensure that it is a practical, easy-to-use guide for cancer programs.

Funding and support for this project is provided by a grant from the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation. Under the terms of the grant, programs in the following states were excluded from participation in this project: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, and West Virginia.

To learn more about development of the optimal care coordination model, visit: http://resources.accc-cancer.org/carecoordination/project-overview/

About the Association of Community Cancer Centers

The Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) is the leading advocacy and education organization for the multidisciplinary cancer care team. More than 23,000 cancer care professionals from over 2,000 hospitals and practices nationwide are affiliated with ACCC. It is estimated that 65 percent of the nation's cancer patients are treated by a member of ACCC. Providing a national forum for addressing issues that affect community cancer programs, ACCC is recognized as the premier provider of resources for the entire oncology care team. Our members include medical and radiation oncologists, surgeons, cancer program administrators and medical directors, senior hospital executives, practice managers, pharmacists, oncology nurses, radiation therapists, social workers, and cancer program data managers. For more information, visit ACCC's website at www.accc-cancer.org. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and read our blog, ACCCBuzz.

About Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center

Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center is a member of Adventist Health System, a faith-based health care organization with 46 hospital campuses and nearly 8,200 licensed beds in 10 states. Our locations include Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center in Daytona Beach and Florida Hospital Oceanside in Ormond Beach, as well as outpatient facilities in Port Orange, Daytona Beach Shores and New Smyrna Beach. With 293-beds, Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center is one of the six Florida Hospitals in Volusia and Flagler counties that composes the Florida Hospital East Florida Region. As the largest hospital system in the area, the Florida Hospital East Florida Region has 923 beds and more than 6,000 employees. With a mission to extend the healing ministry of Christ, the Florida Hospital East Florida Region collectively contributed nearly $120 million in benefits in 2015 to the underprivileged, the community's overall health and wellness and spiritual needs, and capital improvements.