COVID-19

The Association for Value-Based Cancer Care (AVBCC) webcast was introduced by Dr Zweigenhaft, Founder of AVBCC, who assembled an exceptional group of experts from across the country to discuss the COVID-19 outbreak and its impact on the healthcare industry.

Mr McDaniel and Dr Consuelos discussed the likely long-term impact of and lessons for the healthcare industry from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr Slotnik opened the session with an inside look at Washington, addressing some of the changes to oncology care policies and operations from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Up to 65% of cancer care is delivered via community cancer centers that are not part of a hospital or academic center. These centers are feeling the impact of COVID-19 as the pandemic reshapes the way these facilities provide care to patients.

According to the NCCN, an alliance of 30 leading academic cancer centers in the United States, the data suggest that although patients with cancer are not more susceptible to infection from the new coronavirus than other people, they do have much worse outcomes.

Oncology nurses and nurse navigators are positioned on the front lines of cancer care, playing an integral role in patients’ battles against cancer.

Patient advocacy organizations regularly field and fulfill requests for assistance from patients with a serious illness, such as cancer. In the face of COVID-19, such requests have increased exponentially.

The healthcare supply channel is dependent on drug manufacturers and their innovation and production. Representing 3 of the major biopharmaceutical companies, Dr Gerberding, Mr Morrissey, and Mr Dozier discussed the drug manufacturers’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic, announcing a recent collaboration in the fight against the novel coronavirus.

Turning from the provision of care to the provision of therapies and essential personal protective equipment (PPE), Mr Pourmahram and Dr Fortner focused on the wholesale supply chain and the challenges of ensuring an uninterrupted flow of crucial materials to areas with the greatest demand.

Less than a month after California issued a stay-at-home order in response to the COVID-19 crisis, oncology practices are seeing declines in their revenue cycles. Mr Gockerman and Mr Shah analyzed the strategies needed to mitigate the downturn.