Thyme Care Strengthens Value-Based Oncology Care With Dr Lalan Wilfong

Today, Thyme Care announced the appointment of Lalan Wilfong, MD, as senior vice president of value-based care in its efforts to revolutionize oncology practices, payers, and risk-bearing entities to improve the patient experience and reduce the cost of cancer care.¹

With cancer care costs rising from $57 billion in 2001 to over $200 billion today, in conjunction with a broken health care system and financial toxicity, it has become increasingly difficult for patients to navigate their health care journey. | Image credit: momius - stock.adobe.com

"Value-based care models have been launched in many chronic conditions over the last 10 years, but nothing has come into the oncology space that has made a strong and positive impact on patient experience and outcomes or reduced the cost of care. The results are that health plans have continued to internally build and institute models that cost the system more money but don't deliver value to their members or provider partners,” Wilfong said in a statement. “Thyme Care has built a value-based care model that will make a lasting difference in the oncology industry and the lives of the cancer patients it serves, and I am excited to join the company facilitating this critical industry shift.”

Wilfong has been a practicing medical oncologist and hematologist at Texas Oncology for more than 20 years, and previously served as senior vice president of payer and care transformation at McKesson/The US Oncology Network. He chairs the Community Oncology Alliance Payer Reform Committee; serves on the American Society of Clinical Oncology drug shortages committee; and will also be chairing the Patient-Centered Oncology Care^® meeting, a free in-person event hosted by The American Journal of Managed Care^® (AJMC^®), on September 12-13, 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee.

With cancer care costs rising from $57 billion in 2001 to over $200 billion today, in conjunction with a broken health care system and financial toxicity, it has become increasingly difficult for patients to navigate their health care journey. Thyme Care works to address these issues with initiatives like CMS’ Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM) and its decision to reimburse practices for patient navigation services.

Wilfong joins Thyme Care shortly after the company secured $95 million in fresh finding to fuel its growth into new markets and accelerate partnerships with oncology and primary care practices and health plans.² Thyme Care actively manages more than a half-billion dollars in medical spend across its risk-based contracts and is on its way to more than triple that number within the next year.¹ Additionally, the company has expanded its oncology partnerships to 800 oncologists nationwide within the last 6 months and has plans for additional contracts with health plans, employers, and risk-bearing primary care groups.

“I want to champion oncology providers as true agents of change in the shift to value-based care,” Wilfong said. “By giving providers the resources and incentives they need to focus on patient outcomes, optimal treatment plans, care coordination, and preventative efforts over volume, they can ultimately lower costs in a value-based care program, and we will be with them every step of the way.”

Thyme Care, the leading value-based care enabler, is excited to welcome Wilfong in its approach to collaborating with payers and providers to transform the patient experience and outcomes for individuals living with cancer.

“As a longtime leader in value-based care with extensive clinical oncology experience, Dr. Wilfong is positioned to help us reach a broader segment of the oncology community and patients,” Bobby Green, MD, co-founder, president, and chief medical officer of Thyme Care, said. "His passion for patient-centered care and community oncology will help catapult us to the next phase in helping as many people with a cancer diagnosis as possible.”

References

1. Thyme Care welcomes Dr Lalan Wilfong to energize oncology’s shift to value-based care. News release. Thyme Care. August 27, 2024. Accessed August 27. 2024.

2. Landi H. Thyme Care secures $95M to expand cancer care navigation to new markets, accelerate partnerships. Fierce Healthcare. July 17, 2024. Accessed August 27, 2024. https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/health-tech/thyme-care-secures-95m-expand-cancer-care-navigation-new-markets-accelerate