Business Highlights From Partners in Community Oncology

Here is a roundup of business news from our strategic alliance partners in community oncology.

AON Completes Business Combination. The American Oncology Network, LLC, (AON) and special-purpose acquisition company Digital Transformation Opportunities Corp (DTOC) have announced the completion of their business combination, the renamed American Oncology Network, Inc, with common stock that will trade on the Nasdaq Stock Market. The business combination was approved at a special meeting of DTOC stockholders on September 19, 2023.

AON, which reached its 5-year milestone on September 5, 2023, has 1500 employees, including nearly 200 providers, and more than 75 clinics in 19 states. The network partners with health care and oncology services such as RxLightning and Thyme Care, which allows participating practices to serve more than 450,000 patients in the US.

According to an AON news release, AON practices have access to fully integrated services that include specialty pharmacy, lab and pathology, radiation therapy, and imaging. The network offers shared resources and expertise along with access to leading clinical trials and advocacy for patients and community oncology professionals.

“Today is an important milestone for AON and celebrates our team’s hard work and dedication, which have been the keys to our growth and success,” Todd Schonherz, CEO of AON, said in the news release. “AON is committed more than ever to expanding our reach and advancing cancer care in communities across the nation where too often patients experience accessibility barriers.”

Kevin Nazemi, CEO of DTOC, said, “We are proud of our successful partnership with AON and look forward to seeing the company’s profound impact enable advanced treatment options, clinical research, and comprehensive care options nationwide.”

The combined company is led by Schonherz as CEO. David Gould, CPA, is the chief financial officer, and Stephen “Fred” Divers, MD, is the chief medical officer. 

Reference
American Oncology Network and Digital Transformation Opportunities Corp. announce completion of business combination. News release. AON Oncology. September 20, 2023. Accessed September 20, 2023. https://bit.ly/3Pr7N8X

OneOncology Marks 5-Year Milestone. On September 12, 2023, OneOncology and its practice partners celebrated the partnership’s 5th anniversary. It was launched with 3 practices and has grown to 18 practices in 16 states. The partnership has expanded from 225 providers to 1000, from 60 to 320 cancer care sites, and from 158,000 to 606,000 patients treated each year.

“OneOncology was started by physicians and for physicians,” Jeff Patton, MD, OneOncology CEO, said in a statement marking the milestone. “As we’ve grown and enhanced world-class cancer care in communities across the country, strengthening practice independence and empowering their decision-making has always been our north star. Partnering with physicians and practices allows us to collaboratively enhance strong cancer programs and fulfill our mission to improve the lives of everyone with cancer.”

In the past 5 years, OneOncology services have expanded to include laboratory, pharmacy, radiation, surgery, imaging, nuclear medicine, nurse navigators, palliative care, nutrition, physical therapy, patient financial services, social services, and genetic counseling. Nearly 90% of the partners have in-house laboratory services and all offer, or will soon offer, in-house pharmacy services to patients. Half of the partners offer in-house radiation therapy services.

Since OneOncology’s inception, more than 800 patients have enrolled in interventional and observational clinical trials. OneOncology has established and published 25 clinical care pathways, created its own pharmacy and therapeutics committee, and held 60 tumor boards. The partnership also has started 4 precision medicine support services. 

Reference
OneOncology and its practice partners celebrate five years of cancer care excellence. News release. OneOncology. September 12, 2023. Accessed September 20, 2023. https://bit.ly/460t0gM

NYCBS Forms Partnership With Canopy. On September 7, 2023, New York Cancer & Blood Specialists (NYCBS) announced a partnership with Canopy, an intelligent care platform designed to improve patient outcomes in oncology through continuous care management.

According to a news release from NYCBS,¹ the practice officially launched the Canopy platform after a rapid implementation.

NYCBS has enrolled more than 10,000 patients in CMS programs such as Principal Care Management and Chronic Care Management (PCM/CCM), which aim to improve patient care and outcomes while lowering overall health care costs. Canopy’s platform is designed to help practices rapidly identify patients who need help from PCM/CCM.

To further maximize the impact of these programs and other continuous care initiatives, NYCBS will deploy the complete Canopy platform.

After allowing practices to identify and prioritize patients who need extra attention, Canopy remotely resolves issues with decision-support software and generates new reimbursement streams by offering high-quality care, including care between oncology visits.

According to the news release, “NYCBS will first deploy the Canopy Program Management module to intelligently streamline enrollment and workflow processes for PCM and CCM, along with Canopy’s triage support tools, enabling triage teams to deliver more efficient and standardized care at scale.” Remote symptom monitoring is enhanced with Canopy ePROs (electronic patient-reported outcomes), which have demonstrated high rates of patient engagement, resulting in a 22% reduction in visits to the emergency department and/or admissions.^2,3

“Patients undergo a multitude of experiences beyond the walls of the clinic, and it is crucial to offer continuous care to optimize their outcomes,” said Jeff Vacirca, MD, CEO of New York Cancer & Blood Specialists. “Through Canopy, we are revolutionizing our operations to ensure seamless delivery of care and equip patients with digitally inclusive tools. This empowers them to effectively communicate their symptoms and concerns anytime and anywhere, further enhancing their health care experience.” 

References
1. New York Cancer & Blood Specialists partners with Canopy. News release. NYCBS. September 7, 2023. Accessed September 20, 2023. https://nycancer.com/news/nycbs_partners_with_canopy
2. Cherny NI, Parrinello CM, Kwiatknowsky L, et al. Feasibility of large-scale implementation of an electronic patient-reported outcome remote monitoring system for patients on active treatment at a community cancer center. JCO Oncol Pract. 2022;18(12):e1918-e1926. doi:10.1200/OP.22.00180
3. Kolodziej MA, Kwiatkowsky L, Parrinello C, et al. ePRO-based digital symptom monitoring in a community oncology practice to reduce emergency room and inpatient utilization. J Clin Oncol. 2022;40:(suppl 16):1508. doi:10.1200/JCO.2022.40.16_suppl.1508

Central Florida Practice Joins FCS. Central Florida Cancer Care/Radiation Oncology Consultants, PA, has joined Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute (FCS), according to a news release. Nathan H. Walcker, CEO of FCS, said, “Across Florida, we continue to add and enhance services so that patients can easily access world-class cancer treatment close to home. This partnership will provide many benefits for the central Florida community, our patients, and our clinic teams.”

FCS noted that board-certified radiation oncologists Maneesh Gossain, MD; Richard Lee, MD; and Steven G. Lester, MD, FACRO, will continue to provide care to patients at 2 locations, which have been renamed FCS Orlando Radiation Oncology Clinic and FCS Sanford Radiation Oncology.

“The size and scope of FCS will enable us to expand the range of sophisticated treatment therapies that are improving survival rates for many forms of cancer,” Gossain said. “In-house capabilities, such as extensive next-generation testing and access to cutting-edge clinical trials, will enhance our ability to develop personalized treatment plans that target each patient’s unique cancer.”

FCS president and managing physician Lucio N. Gordan, MD, said, “These physicians have an extraordinary depth and breadth of experience in delivering evidence-based radiation oncology treatments and are equally well-regarded for their compassion and concern for patients and their families. We are delighted to welcome them to FCS.”

Teams from the practices have been working collaboratively to ensure a smooth transition with no disruption in patient care. “Treatment and care plans will remain consistent and uninterrupted,” Lester said. 

Reference
Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute expands radiation oncology services in central Florida. News release. FCS website. September 1, 2023. Accessed September 21, 2023. https://flcancer.com/articles/newfcsradoncs/

City of Hope Receives $100M to Create Integrative Oncology Program Uniting Eastern, Western Medicine. City of Hope, a National Comprehensive Cancer Center based in Duarte, California, has received a $100 million gift from Andrew and Peggy Cherng, the founders and CEOs of the Panda Express restaurant chain, to create a national integrative oncology program that will unite Eastern and Western medicine to improve outcomes and quality of life for patients with cancer and survivors.¹

The gift will establish the Cherng Family Center for Integrative Oncology at City of Hope. This first-of-its-kind center will take a whole-person approach to cancer care, integrating traditional Chinese medicine and other Eastern healing arts with Western medical approaches. According to a statement from City of Hope, “Rigorous research on Eastern therapies could result in evidence-based insights that fuel the development of more effective cancer medicines and care.”¹

A joint guideline from the Society of Integrative Oncology and the American Society of Clinical Oncology estimated that 40% of patients with cancer rely on integrative therapies each year to address their disease or manage pain.² These therapies can improve quality of life and offer the best possible clinical outcomes, but a lack of evidence often means that health care organizations and cancer centers do not offer access to them under physician supervision.

City of Hope’s new center “will make integrative oncology an evidence-based, interwoven standard of care that supports optimal cancer treatment and survivorship,” according to the statement.¹

“We are grateful for this gift, which will allow us to lead the way in integrative oncology and continue to pioneer compassionate medical innovation as we have done at City of Hope for more than 100 years,” said Robert Stone, City of Hope’s CEO and the Helen and Morgan Chu Chief Executive Officer Distinguished Chair.¹ “Innovative and holistic care is part of our culture and mission; we are committed to supporting and treating the whole patient—not just the cancer. I am honored that our cancer expertise, world-class research environment, national patient population, robust clinical trials program, and compassionate ethos have prepared City of Hope to lead this work.”

Richard T. Lee, MD, Cherng Family Director’s Chair at City of Hope’s Center for Integrative Oncology and an expert in integrative oncology, will lead development of the center. At the center, clinicians and investigators will accelerate research, drug development, and clinical trials to create evidence-based practices in integrative oncology; develop education programs to train more clinicians in the field (eg, create an integrative oncology fellowship); and pilot programs at campuses in Los Angeles and Orange County to build platforms and track data to advance research on improving patient outcomes.¹

The Cherngs’ gift is the largest single philanthropic gift for cancer care to City of Hope and the largest by the Panda Charitable Family Foundation. The gift comes on the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Panda Restaurant Group.¹

References
1. City of Hope receives $100 million gift to create first-of-its-kind national integrative oncology program. News release. PRNewswire. September 12, 2023. Accessed September 21, 2023. https://prn.to/3PuO3kR
2. Mao JJ, Ismaila N, Bao T, et al. Integrative medicine for pain management in oncology: Society for Integrative Oncology–ASCO Guideline. J Clin Oncol. 2022;40(34):3998-4024. doi:10.1200/JCO.22.01357