National Oncology Program Enhancement and Expansion Support

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Client:

Veterans Health Administration (VHA), National Oncology Program (NOP)

 

Challenge:

Cancer is the second leading cause of death among Veterans. Approximately 50,000 new cases of invasive cancer occur in VHA patients each year with 200 new diagnoses each day. Nearly 3% of the newly diagnosed cancers in the United States are among Veterans who seek care through VHA. The most frequently diagnosed cancers are prostate, lung and bronchus, colorectal, urinary bladder, and melanoma of the skin. Our team is working with NOP leaders to manage a portfolio of complementary and interdependent projects, partner with other Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and VHA programs to provide oncology-related services, and develop strategic partnerships with other government agencies, associations, and industry to implement programs and services that improve the lives of Veterans with cancer.

 

Approach:

Our team of experts and practitioners in oncology and cancer care, clinical trials, VA/VHA operations, project management, clinical program planning, data analysis, and change management is supporting NOP in sustaining, enhancing, and expanding its cancer care, research, and education services. The team has partnered with NOP leaders to develop and design strategies for expanding its Precision Oncology programs. Key support elements include developing and implementing clinical pathways, aligning the NOP and Durham TeleOncology National Hub/Spoke infrastructures, and creating a virtual Cancer Center to support VHA Oncologists with patient consultations for diagnosis and treatment, tele-registry, survivorship clinic, virtual tumor board, clinical trials, and remote provider supervision and care coordination.

 

Results:

The team is supporting VHA’s NOP to improve the lives of Veterans with cancer through precision medicine by:

  • Establishing and supporting a Multidisciplinary Virtual Tumor Board Series.
  • Establishing and implementing strategies and processes for decentralized Clinical Trials.
  • Developing and implementing an Integrated Program Management Function across NOP’s portfolio of projects and initiatives.
  • Providing Data Analysis and dashboarding support.
  • Developing and implementing a national Communications Campaign targeting VHA’s oncology community.
  • Developing and implementing a plan to further expand Pharmacogenomics services.
  • Providing change management support to expand the Lung Precision Oncology Program’s presence and establish a national System of Excellence for Lung Cancer.
  • Providing change management support to establish a Women’s Cancer System of Excellence.
  • Identifying and analyzing best practices and cutting-edge methodologies for Infusion Services nationwide.
  • Providing Certified Tumor Registrar to support VHA’s National Cancer Registry Initiative.