Northwest Medical Quality Scorecard
Northwest Medical Specialties is proud to present our quality scoreboard. Our awards, recognition’s and affiliations show our mission of providing the most comprehensive, highest quality cancer care in the Puget Sound.
QOPI CERTIFIED
The QOPI Certification Program provides a three-year certification for outpatient hematology-oncology practices. QCP validates processes that demonstrate to patients, payors, and the medical community, a practice’s commitment to quality. Every QOPI Certified practice is evaluated on both measures and standards. ASCO’s Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI®) demonstrates the ability to satisfy the quality measures that were developed by world-renowned practicing oncologists and quality experts, using clinical guidelines and published standards, such as the National Initiative on Cancer Care Quality (NICCQ), ASCO/NCCN Quality Measures, and ASTRO/ASCO/AMA PCPI Oncology Measures. Standards and measures are continually re-assessed to maintain rigor.
THE ONCOLOGY CARE MODEL
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI or the Innovation Center) formally launched the Oncology Care Model (OCM), a 5-year voluntary pilot project intended to improve the quality of cancer treatment and lower Medicare spending, by coordinating care. The OCM was a multi-payer initiative, with 17 private payers participating along with Medicare. In total, 196 physician practices in 31 states participated in the OCM. HHS projected that the OCM included more than 3,200 oncologists and covered approximately 155,000 Medicare beneficiaries.
Northwest Medical Specialties was the only participant in the greater Seattle area, demonstrating its commitment to innovation and to improving the overall patient experience in our practice.
BLUE DISTINCTION AWARD
Premera Blue Cross has a three-year agreement with Northwest Medical Specialties that gives Premera members in-network access to oncology programs that place an emphasis on improving the patient experience while delivering better value.
The agreement provides for a new kind of healthcare partnership that seeks to tie payments to better outcomes, while providing supportive care for patients and their families.
“We’re committed to improving our customers’ lives by making healthcare work better,” said John Espinola, MD and Executive Vice President for Premera. “Crucial to that is working with partners like Northwest Medical Specialties who share our commitment to ensuring patients receive the care they need and the customer experience they deserve, while working to make healthcare more affordable.”
“We are very excited about this opportunity, to develop a new cancer care model with Premera. This is an initiative that we think will help change the healthcare model, bringing real value to our patients and healthcare partners,” said Jorge Chaves, M.D., with Northwest Medical Specialties.
The deal continues a partnership that allows Premera members access to health care services at all six Northwest Medical Specialties locations, including Tacoma, Puyallup, Federal Way, Gig Harbor, and Bonney Lake.
NATIONAL COMMITTEE FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE CERTIFIED
The NCQA Recognition program outlines essential components of oncology care. The patient-centered medical home is a model of care that puts patients at the forefront of care. PCMHs build better relationships between patients and their clinical care teams. Research shows that PCMHs improve quality and the patient experience, and increase staff satisfaction while reducing health care costs. Practices that earn recognition have made a commitment to continuous quality improvement and a patient-centered approach to care.
2017 ACCC INNOVATION AWARD
Northwest Medical Specialties won the 2017 ACCC Innovation award for its forward-thinking cancer program and creative innovative strategies for the effective delivery of cancer care. The Innovator Award recipients presented their creative, replicable programs at the ACCC 34th National Oncology Conference, October 18–20, 2017, in Nashville, TN.
ONCare
With a robust foundation built upon years of collaborative experience between two founding entities; QCCA and NCCA, ONCare Alliance emerges as a disrupter, uniquely positioned to revolutionize the status quo. ONCare Alliance is spearheaded by leaders in innovation, growth, and strategy, Dr. Sibel Blau, formerly President and CEO of QCCA, and Dr. Barbara McAneny, formerly the founder and board chair of NCCA.
Central to its mission is the harnessing of data-driven insights, underpinned by an independent, entrepreneurial spirit and visionary resource network. Cancer care is best delivered locally, in the patient’s own community, by independent practitioners who provide personal, yet technologically advanced care. By prioritizing agility and true independence, ONCare Alliance is unencumbered by third-party interests, allowing for unparalleled flexibility in shaping the future of cancer care.
SOUTH SOUND CARE FOUNDATION
In 2008, a group of community leaders came together with a vision: to bring groundbreaking clinical trials and cancer research to the South Sound Region, and to provide residents with cancer treatment options otherwise unavailable. And so, out of such a dream, the South Sound CARE Foundation was born. NWMS and Dr. Frank Senecal are the founders of the South Sound CARE Foundation.
WASHINGTON CPAN CHAPTER
CPAN was created in recognition of the vital role patients should play in advocating for access to local affordable care for all cancer patients. Truly inclusive on all levels, CPAN is a noncancer type specific national network representing all members of the cancer community. CPAN members include patients in active treatment, cancer survivors, professional caregivers, family members, medical and oncology professionals, and members of the general community.
THE JOURNEY FUND
NWMS is one of the founding members of The Journey Fund, a community based, non-profit organization that was created to assist cancer patients facing social, financial, or emotional obstacles.
ACCREDITATION COMMISION FOR HEALTH CARE
Accreditation Commission for Health Care (ACHC) is a nationally recognized program that embodies excellence, integrity, and unparalleled service. The ACHC accreditation measures the quality of care delivered, highlights our commitment to compliance and helps us drive further improvements.
ENHANCING ONCOLOGY MODEL (EOM)
Northwest Medical Specialists is honored to be a participant in the Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM). EOM aims to drive transformation and improve care coordination in oncology care by preserving and enhancing the quality of care furnished to beneficiaries undergoing treatment for cancer while reducing program spending under Medicare fee-for-service. The five-year model strives to improve quality and reduce costs through payment incentives and required participant redesign activities.