What is Aptium Oncology and when was it created?
Aptium Oncology is the national leader in hospital-based outpatient cancer program development, with more than 25 years of experience in oncology consulting and management. Created in 1983, the company pioneered the concept of comprehensive outpatient cancer care, a model that integrates core cancer services in a single location.
What does Aptium Oncology offer hospitals and oncology practices?
Aptium works closely with hospitals to develop hospital-based, comprehensive outpatient cancer programs or enhance an existing one. It does this with performance and risk-reduction strategies to help providers navigate an increasingly complex healthcare environment. The company delivers expertise in the following areas:
- Multidisciplinary model of care
- Consulting and management expertise
- Highly experienced management team
- Physician alignment strategies
- Innovative technologies
- Oncology-specific EMR
- Clinical research network
- Satellite development
- Tumor site specialization
What consulting services does Aptium Oncology offer?
Aptium’s consulting services typically involve evaluating new cancer center or program development opportunities. A feasibility study might include some or all of the following elements:
- Market analysis to determine community need
- Clinical program development
- Financial analysis
- IT infrastructure, software and process design
- Staffing plan
- Equipment pricing and recommendations
- Facility design and development
- Physician alignment
- Operational start-up
How long does it take to complete a feasibility study? What is the process?
A standard feasibility study takes three to four months. The Aptium consulting team conducts a baseline assessment of the market and current programs through extensive data gathering and face-to-face interviews with key hospital or practice administrators and staff. Based on the findings, a program vision is developed that includes a clinical program definition and financial analysis. The end product is a detailed report and analysis that includes all of the components of the feasibility study as defined above.
Who are Aptium Oncology’s clients?
The first cancer center in the Aptium Oncology network at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles opened in 1985. Since then Aptium has served over 30 clients nationally, including some of the country’s premier academic medical centers and community hospitals.
What opportunities does Aptium Oncology offer physicians?
Physicians benefit from practicing at hospital-based centers in significant ways, including:
Access to research and clinical trial support
- Multidisciplinary collaboration
- Strategic planning participation
- Leading-edge technology and expertise
- Investment in program development
- Prestige of association with leading hospitals and physicians
- Insulation from declining reimbursement and rising costs
What is Aptium Oncology doing in the area of clinical research?
Aptium Oncology promotes and develops clinical research through active and successful research programs based at all Aptium-affiliated cancer centers. Each center has capabilities to perform clinical trials in breast, leukemia, lung, lymphoma, sarcoma and other cancers.
Trials are coordinated through the local cancer center staff.
What does Aptium Oncology do in the area of information systems?
Aptium invests significantly in customized information systems that aim to maximize productivity while providing an integrated system for outpatient cancer services. The company recently co-developed and launched an oncology-specific EMR that maps to the unique needs of cancer care, for the full suite of oncology programs.
What support services does Aptium offer?
Aptium Oncology offers the infrastructure, expertise and staff to support cancer center or program operations, including over 100 employees at the corporate office, over 1,200 center employees at the centers, information technology support, billing support, compliance and coding.
Does Aptium own the cancer centers or are they owned by the company’s hospital partners?
Each of Aptium’s hospital relationships is unique and tailored to meet the needs of the hospital and the community it serves. Aptium works with hospitals and oncology practices to achieve the right balance of capital contribution and risk sharing. Options range from a management fee for services to equity investment and full capitalization.
When you manage a cancer center, are the employees part of Aptium or are they part of the hospital’s staff?
Aptium is flexible in structuring its relationships with hospitals. Decisions related to employment of staff are influenced by the nature of the relationship between Aptium and the hospital as well as federal and state regulations.
How is cancer care going to change in the next few years, given changing demographics and healthcare reform?
The U.S. Census Bureau predicts that the 65+ population is doubling—from 36 million in 2003 to 72 million in 2030—and that this same population is expected to drive a 25 percent increase in cancer patient volume. At the same time, more people will continue to live longer after a cancer diagnosis, even as care becomes increasingly more complex, progressively more expensive, and primarily delivered in an outpatient environment.
At the same time, the new era of healthcare reform will expand health insurance coverage and impose new rules on the insurance markets. Tighter budgets and cost-cutting will persist in cancer care, demanding new metrics and higher levels of performance.
Aptium’s integrated care delivery model and market-leading expertise can protect hospitals and oncology practices from costly mistakes, with performance and risk-reduction strategies to navigate an increasingly complex environment.