ROCKVILLE, Md. – The Association of Cancer Care Centers (ACCC) is pleased to announce that six cancer programs have been selected as 2014 Innovator Award recipients for their pioneering solutions in the effective delivery of cancer care. Among the innovations from these award winning programs are novel tools for creating system-wide distress screening and comprehensive survivorship care plans for cancer patients; a process for tracking quality measures and outcomes to optimize palliative care; development of a nurse practitioner-led symptom management clinic that provides rapid coordination of care; and a highly successful oncology medical home model that is being piloted in seven independent community oncology practices.
Established in 2011, ACCC's Innovator Awards honor excellence in cancer programs that are raising the bar in quality cancer care delivery, and have implemented forward-thinking, replicable programs.
"ACCC is proud of our 2014 Innovator Award winners, and their exceptional commitment to enhancing quality cancer care in their communities," said ACCC President, Becky L. DeKay, MBA. "On behalf of ACCC, I would like to congratulate this year's winners for their roles in developing outstanding, patient-focused programs that will inspire others working in cancer care."
ACCC’s 2014 Innovator Award winners are:
- Anne Arundel Medical Center, DeCesaris Cancer Institute, Annapolis, Maryland A Value-Driven Symptom Management Clinic AAMC participated in an innovative, three-year pilot project that focused on three prospective oncology nursing interventions, examining quality measures for fatigue, distress, and sleep-wake disturbance. Result: Development of an advanced NP-led Symptom Management Clinic (SMC) that provides rapid access and coordination of care with the oncologists and infusion team.
- Beaumont Health System, Beaumont Cancer Institute, Royal Oak, Michigan Closing the Gap: An Outpatient Nutrition Clinic Recognizing a gap in nutritional care for its head and neck cancer patients, the Beaumont Cancer Institute took action by developing and launching an outpatient Nutrition Clinic that is improving patients’ overall quality of life by decreasing ER visits, re-admissions, and treatment breaks.
- Duke Oncology Network, Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, North Carolina Capturing Quality Data to Improve Palliative Care The Carolinas Palliative Care Database Consortium, a community and academic partnership based at Duke University, partnered to collect quality improvement data to understand patients’ needs and inform practice change. Their highly successful web-based quality data collection tool is used at the point-of-care by clinicians to track quality and outcomes in palliative care by offering immediate feedback and highlighting areas of concern.
- New Mexico Oncology Hematology Consultants, Ltd., Albuquerque, New Mexico COME HOME: A Model Oncology Medical Home This medical home model, now being piloted in seven independent community oncology practices, is expected to deliver a cost-savings of more than $33 million in just three years and is ensuring safe, efficient, and high quality care.
- Oncology Specialists, SC, Park Ridge, Illinois An EMR-Driven Approach to Survivorship Care Plans Oncology Specialists, SC, developed a process for leveraging electronic medical records (EMRs) to create comprehensive survivorship care plans for patients, providing an expansive summary of treatment received, including side effects, health maintenance issues, impact of the cancer diagnosis on the well-being of family members, and other vital information.
- University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro, Plainsboro, New Jersey From Distress Screening to Solutions: Patient-Centered Support A best practice process for implementing a system-wide distress screening program that provides patients with comprehensive support services across the continuum of care. UMCPP developed a distress tool that triggers referrals to support staff for follow-up care, making it easier for patients to talk to their doctors about the emotional effects caused by the diagnosis, symptoms, and treatment of cancer.
The award recipients will present the details and outcomes of their programs at the ACCC 31st National Oncology Conference, October 8–10, 2014, in San Diego, CA. For more details, visit www.accc-cancer.org/innovator.
