WellSpan Health Partners for Integrated Cancer Care

- This partnership reflects a broader trend of hospital systems acquiring independent oncology practices, driven by factors like advantageous drug pricing under the 340B program and the ability to command higher reimbursement rates than private practices. - Cancer Care Associates of York, the largest independent medical oncology practice in the county, brings a team of nine physicians and seven advanced practice providers to the partnership. The practice has been in operation since 1979 and features a clinic with 33 chemotherapy infusion chairs. - The integration will bring all providers onto a single electronic health record system, aiming to streamline patient care and data sharing between the formerly separate entities. - This move is part of WellSpan Health's ongoing expansion, which recently included the acquisition of Evangelical Community Hospital, its ninth hospital, and a partnership to build three new micro-hospitals. - The shift of cancer care from physician offices to hospital outpatient departments is a national trend; by 2016, nearly half of all Medicare chemotherapy administration claims occurred in hospital outpatient settings, up from less than 25% in 2008. - WellSpan has been actively investing in technology, including a recent expansion of its partnership with Aidoc to scale an AI-powered care platform across all its hospitals and care locations to accelerate diagnosis. - This type of consolidation is occurring in a market where the demand for oncologists is projected to outstrip supply, with an expected shortage of over 2,200 oncologists by 2025. - The outpatient imaging market, a key component of integrated cancer care, is experiencing significant growth, with diagnostic imaging centers projected to be the fastest-growing setting as reimbursement models incentivize shifting care out of hospitals.