Value in Cancer Care Initiative (VCCI)
Improving the Value and Efficiency of Cancer Care Delivery
HICOR’s Value in Cancer Care (VCC) Initiative engages oncology providers, patient partners, payers, health system representatives and researchers to improve the value and efficiency of cancer care delivery in Washington state. These community members contribute to HICOR’s research and oncology performance reporting initiatives through the VCC Research Working Group and the annual VCC Summit.
The VCC Research Working Group convenes regularly by teleconference to help guide HICOR’s work on developing and implementing interventions to address critical gaps in three areas of cancer care:
- End-of-life care / goals-of-care discussions
- Advanced imaging and testing in breast cancer surveillance and survivorship
- Hospitalization and emergency department use during cancer treatment
HICOR also holds an annual one-day conference — the Value in Cancer Care Summit — for patients, providers, clinic administrators and staff, health system representatives, nonprofit leaders, payers, researchers, academics and industry/pharmaceutical representatives to collaborate on ways to achieve value in cancer care by increasing quality and reducing costs.
If you are interested in joining the Research Working Group or having your health system participate in a regional pilot study, please contact us.
2020 Value in Cancer Care Summit
The 2020 Value in Cancer Care Summit was a virtual conference held on Monday, November 9, 2020. View the presentations and learn more through the link below.
Community Cancer Care Report 2019
In 2018, HICOR published the first publicly accessible statewide report showing clinic-level quality measures linked to cost in cancer care. The report promotes transparency and is intended to encourage the sharing of best practices among cancer care providers throughout Washington.
Dr. Eve Kerr
Drs. Nancy Davidson and Keith Eaton
VCC attendees chat during the afternoon break.
Bridgette Hempstead and Diane Mapes discussing patient perspectives
Marilyn Birchman, R.N.
Dr. Scott Ramsey
Drs. Sibel Blau, Jennie Crews and Ted Conklin
Carla Tardif, Ted Conklin, Barry Straube and Jeffery Ward
Dr. Eve Kerr
Drs. Nancy Davidson and Keith Eaton
VCC attendees chat during the afternoon break.
Bridgette Hempstead and Diane Mapes discussing patient perspectives
Marilyn Birchman, R.N.
Dr. Scott Ramsey
Drs. Sibel Blau, Jennie Crews and Ted Conklin
Carla Tardif, Ted Conklin, Barry Straube and Jeffery Ward
Previous Summits
See below for a description of the most recent Value in Cancer Care Summits, along with selected presentations and materials.
2020 Value in Cancer Care Summit
The 7th Annual Value in Cancer Care Summit was held virtually on Monday, November 9, 2020. The 2020 Summit addressed the most important issues impacting the Cancer Care Community in 2020: COVID-19 and structural inequitites. HICOR shared preliminary analyses of the impact of COVID-19 on cancer care and reported on observations of disparities in care between commercial and Medicaid insured populations.
Presentations from the Summit are available below.
Scott Ramsey, M.D., Ph.D., Veena Shankaran, M.D., M.S., Christopher Chen, M.D.
"Perspectives on Cancer Care in Washington State: Structural Inequities in Care Delivery and Impact of COVID-19"
2019 Value in Cancer Care Summit
Over 200 stakeholders, including patients, providers, payers, researchers and policy officials attended HICOR's 6th annual Value in Cancer Care Summit on May 13, 2019. The day's discussions centered around the theme of integrating the patient’s voice into community cancer care with presentations from community panels and national thought leaders. HICOR Director, Scott Ramsey, presented new analyses on disparities in cancer care and survival in Washington State.
The Hutch News Services article New data on cancer disparities in Washington summarizes key concepts and findings discussed at the summit.
Presentations from the summit are available below.
Judge Karen A. Overstreet (Ret.)
"Financial Navigation for Cancer Patients: A Community Partnership"
Patricia Deverka, M.D.
"Patient Partners in Research - From Concept to Practice"
Joseph Unger, Ph.D., M.S.
"Structural, Clinical, and Physician/Patient Barriers to Clinical Trial Participation"
Christopher Flowers, M.D., M.Sc., FASCO
"Disparities in Cancer Survival"
Scott Ramsey, M.D., Ph.D.
"Mapping Cancer Care Disparities in Washington State"
Kemi M. Doll, M.D., MSCR
"A Patient-Centered Approach to Cancer Equity: Building a Bridge of Engagement"
2018 Value in Cancer Care Summit
More than 200 participants gathered at Bell Harbor International Conference Center on May 3, 2018, to discuss how to “make measurement matter” in oncology. Topics included national trends and opportunities in performance measurement as well as strategies to motivate practice change in the clinic setting. HICOR director Dr. Scott Ramsey highlighted key findings from HICOR’s newly published Community Cancer Care in Washington State report. Selected presentations and materials from the summit are available below.
Scott Ramsey, M.D., Ph.D.
"Key Findings from HICOR’s Community Cancer Care in Washington State: Quality and Cost Report 2018"
Eve Kerr, M.D., M.P.H.
“Using Performance Measurement to Motivate Practice Change: Opportunities and Pitfalls”
Bryan Weiner, Ph.D.
“Advancing Cancer Care Delivery Through Implementation Science”
Ronald Walters, M.D., M.B.A., M.H.A.
“Value Based Reimbursement”
Bryan Weiner, Ph.D., and Sibel Blau, M.D.
“Culture Change in the Clinic Setting”