Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/862068
Shown here are members of Summa Health Cancer Institute's OCM team. Standing (L to R) are Sameer Mahesh, MD, Oncologist and Principal Investigator OCM; Joseph Koenig, MD, Oncologist and Medical Director, Cooper Cancer Center at Summa Health System – Akron Campus; Elise Longfellow, RN, OCM Program Manager; Patrice Peters, MA, Summa Health Breast Center; and Kelly Sapola, Medical Office Coordinator, Summa Health Breast Center. Seated (L to R) are Mindi Reinbolt, Practice Manager, Medical Oncology; Ashley Wyatt, CNP, Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner; Leslie Pfaff, Oncology Patient Financial Advocate; and Jenna Massoli , RN, BSN, Medical Oncology Nurse Navigator. Dr. Mahesh. "And because advanced care planning is a requirement, patients get a chance to plan ahead. In addition, access to financial counselors, behavioral health, social work and palliative care is critical. This doesn't diŠer from the way our team practices in principle, but it has diŠered in the aspect of implementation. We are more pro-active than re-active and, as a result, patients are benefiting." Summa Hea lth Ca ncer Institute's OCM team includes medical oncologists, surgeons, psychologists, palliative care, advanced nurses and a specialized sup- port staŠ. All members of the team work together to support patients and their families and caregivers. "We have staŠ that has been delegated to this program, and we have made all the practice transformations, so that indi- vidualized patient care is more systematic. It's more thorough," says Dr. Mahesh. "CMS gives us quarterly feedback reports, so now we are actually measuring and seeing our results. And if there are any deficits, we're addressing the need to improve that." MEASURED RESULTS CMS uti lizes clinica l data a nd qua l- it y mea sures a s a key mecha nism to verif y clinica l improvements, a ssess patient hea lth outcomes a nd appropri- ate coordination of ca re, a nd ensure continued qua lity of ca re for Medica re b e n e f i c i a r i e s . P a r t i c ip a nt p e r for - ma nce is tracked by CMS on multiple qua l it y doma i n s usi n g pat ient- a nd practice-repor ted measures as well as cla ims-based measures. OCM qua lity measures were selected by CMS a cross fou r of t he Nat iona l Qua lit y Strateg y Doma ins, including communication and care coordination, person a nd ca regiver-centered experi- ence a nd outcomes, clinica l qua lit y of ca re, a nd patient sa fet y. In addition, the model utilizes 12 qua lity measures i n t he c a lc u l a t ion of pa r t ic ipa nt s ' performa nce-based payments. To date, Summa Hea lth's OCM tea m has received two quarterly reports. The data, from cancer care provided in 2016, indicates that Summa's ca ncer ca re is equa l in outcomes to other large tertiary ca re centers in the countr y – a nd at a lower cost to Medica re. "And equa lly importantly, what we are seeing is that a large number of our patients, as compared to other practices' patients, are spending less time in the hospital in the last 30-90 days of life," says Dr. Mahesh. "They are getting less chemotherapy and fewer ICU stays in their last 30 days of life. And they are spending more time in hospice at home, where they want to be. That's what the CMS report shows." He points out that these practice trans- formation activities are not limited to Medicare beneficiaries. The benefit is for all patients regardless of payer. "The goa l is to provide high qua lity comprehensive care with equal or better outcomes and potentially lower costs to everyone," Dr. Mahesh explains. "And that 's what Summa's Oncolog y Ca re Model does." F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t Summa Health Cancer Institute, visit summahealth .org/cancer. To refer a patient, call 234-312-5615. ■ PHOTOS COURTESY OF SUMMA HEALTH,•AKRON,•OH 1 1 M D N E W S .C O M /// M D N E W S C L E V E L A N D /A K R O N / C A N T O N ■ J U LY/A U G U S T 2 017