San Francisco, Calif., Duarte, Calif., and Hudson, Ohio — The Employers Centers of Excellence Network (ECEN), a partnership between the Pacific Business Group on Health and Health Design Plus (HDP), announced today that it is expanding to include cancer care. The ECEN oncology program is designed to create enhanced partnerships between cancer centers of excellence and local care teams. The ECEN will ensure patients have the “best of both” – access to specialized center of excellence-based care and optimal home-based cancer care, providing value across the cancer care continuum, from diagnosis to treatment though palliative care and survivorship resources.
Since launching in 2014, the ECEN has expanded from joint replacements to include spine procedures and bariatric surgeries. To date, the ECEN has generated over $30 million in savings through competitive, bundled pricing, avoided unnecessary care and improved quality while providing the highest level of service with over 98 percent of patients recommending the program.
The ECEN oncology program will go live on Jan. 1, 2019, with City of Hope, a world-renowned independent cancer research and treatment center, as the ECEN’s initial oncology center of excellence.
“Given the societal impact of cancer and input from our employer members about significant gaps in cancer care, we recognized an opportunity to expand the ECEN to provide much needed services for employees living through a cancer diagnosis,” said David Lansky, president and CEO of the Pacific Business Group on Health. “City of Hope exemplifies the holistic, value-oriented approach to care that employers are seeking.”
In addition to ensuring correct diagnosis and staging, as well as working with patients to create a treatment plan, City of Hope will provide dedicated navigation support, seamless integration with a multidisciplinary team of specialists, one-year post-evaluation care coordination and follow-up with the patient’s local care team.
“We are excited to join the ECEN as the first oncology center of excellence,” said Harlan Levine, M.D., president of strategy and business ventures for City of Hope. “City of Hope has a proud legacy of providing innovative, value-based and compassionate care and we are energized that, as the first center, we have been given the opportunity to help design the ECEN oncology program. As cancer treatment decisions become more complex, patients want an assurance that they are in the hands of oncologists practicing leading-edge cancer care, with the added convenience of receiving much of that care near their homes. This partnership with PBGH and HDP enables us to provide a novel solution that meets these growing demands.”
The Pacific Business Group on Health (PBGH) is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) membership organization leading efforts to transform US health care using the combined influence of some of the largest purchasers of health care services in the United States, private employers and public agencies. For more information on PBGH, please visit us at www.pbgh.org or follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter.
Health Design Plus is an innovative third-party administrator and care management company based in Hudson, Ohio. Utilizing a member-focused model powered by cutting-edge technology, HDP has become a national leader in the administration of value-based Centers of Excellence programs. For more information on Health Design Plus, please visit us at www.hdplus.com.
About City of Hope
City of Hope is an independent research and treatment center for cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening diseases. Designated as one of only 49 comprehensive cancer centers, the highest recognition bestowed by the National Cancer Institute, City of Hope is also a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, with research and treatment protocols that advance care throughout the world. City of Hope is located in Duarte, California, just northeast of Los Angeles, with locations throughout Southern California. It is ranked as one of "America's Best Hospitals" in cancer by U.S. News & World Report. Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a pioneer in the fields of bone marrow transplantation, diabetes and numerous breakthrough cancer drugs based on technology developed at the institution. City of Hope also includes AccessHope, a wholly owned subsidiary dedicated to serving employers and their health care partners by providing access to City of Hope’s exceptional cancer expertise. For more information about City of Hope, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.