Information technology is an integral part of the agreement between Commonwealth Hematology-Oncology (CHO), the largest community-based private cancer practice in New England, and Boston-based Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), which seeks to provide cancer patients with greater resources, closer to home.
Under the agreement, patients from CHO will have access to the entire Cancer Center at BIDMC: hematology/oncology, radiation oncology, surgical and research programs in Boston.
The CHO-BIDMC cancer program will involve more than 75 physicians in 15 locations, say officials, offering a vast array of cancer-fighting resources including advanced imaging systems, infusion centers with 150 chemotherapy chairs, radiation oncology suites, innovative technology, cutting-edge clinical trials and novel treatments.
Our goal is to enhance the ability for patients to be seen at community level so that patients come into Boston for treatment, less frequently, says Stan Lewis, MD, senior vice president of network integration at Beth Israel Deaconess.
As affiliated organizations, CHO and BIDMC will share a common EHR system allowing seamless access to information and sparing patients from duplicative tests and imaging. Physicians will share educational opportunities as well as contracting services provided by the Beth Israel Deaconess Physician Organization, said officials.
CHO recently completed the planning phase of rolling out an EHR system that will be integrated with BIDMC’s larger network, says Lewis. It is implementing an EHR system from Waltham, Mass.-based eClinicalWorks that will be hosted by BIDMC and stored using private cloud technology, says John Halamka, MD, CIO of BIDMC.
CHO physicians will also have access to best practice evidence on chemotherapy protocols, he said. In May eCW partnered with IntrinsiQ, a provider of medical oncology clinical information systems, to integrate its chemotherapy management solution called IntelliDose. The solution transforms the manual process of chemotherapy regimen calculations into electronically verified orders, and allows oncology practices to standardize cancer treatment pathways.
“This affiliation delivers the best of both worlds, and delivers it immediately,” said Michael J. Anderson, MD, CHO’s president and chief executive officer. “Patients – especially cancer patients – want to receive top-quality care near their home where it is comfortable, convenient and delivered by familiar faces. When advanced care is needed, they have seamless access to leading-edge treatment from a world class Harvard teaching hospital in Boston.”
The affiliation model is unusual in that CHO will retain its independence, autonomy and extensive network of physician offices, said officials.
“This is a smart use of resources,” Anderson said. “We are putting all our efforts into delivering top quality, compassionate and efficient care, without the need for new infrastructure.”
“All over the country, healthcare advocates are seeking new ways of delivering the highest quality care in the most efficient way,” said Paul Levy, BIDMC’s president and CEO. “In this rapidly changing healthcare environment, we need to be working together to make smart use of existing facilities and other scarce resources. Our affiliation with CHO accomplishes this.”
