In The News

D CEO Healthcare had the chance to sit down with Dallas-based Texas Oncology President and Chairman Dr. Steve Paulson, who has been with the company for more than 40 years. We discussed the increasing cost of care and how Medicare is incentivizing providers to provide more efficient treatment through the Oncology Care Model.

According to Debra Patt, M.D., Ph.D., MBA, Executive Vice President, Public Policy, Payer Relations, and Strategic Initiatives at Texas Oncology, the value in cancer care should also include the protection of community oncology, which allows patients to receive care where they live. The future of cancer therapy means not only people living with cancer as a chronic disease, but people living at home and being with their families because they are able to get care in their own community.

The great resignation, spurred by the COVIC-19 pandemic, has taken an enormous toll on the nursing field. Although there is no single solution to address the staffing crisis, institutions can start with the onboarding process to better engage and retain employees.

Debra Patt, M.D., Ph.D., MBA, Executive Vice President, Public Policy, Payer Relations, and Strategic Initiatives at Texas Oncology, discussed the impact of delayed cancer screenings in potential patients and how the COVID-19 pandemic has increased existing inequities in cancer care.

Texas is ranked third in the nation for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, and with all the sunshine we’ve seen this summer, protecting your skin is important. Dr. Jeff Yorio, Texas Oncology–Austin Central joins KVUE-TV (ABC, Austin) to share prevention tips and the ABCDE’s of melanoma as well as the importance of clinical trials. Dr. Yorio relays if patients find they have advanced melanoma, which is considered Stage 3 or Stage 4, there are clinical trial options that can possibly help extend one’s life span. Clinical trials have seen success with many patients so far and are a good option for people looking for treatment for advanced cancers.

Debra Patt, M.D., Ph.D., MBA, Executive Vice President, Public Policy, Payer Relations, and Strategic Initiatives at Texas Oncology, discussed the rapid approval of Enhertu in HER2-low metastatic breast cancer by the FDA – underscoring the urgency to bring the transformational medicine to patients as quickly as possible.

Texas Oncology is on track to open a new, innovative Northeast Texas Cancer and Research Institute in Tyler, Texas this October. Mark Saunders, M.D., Texas Oncology–Tyler, East Texas regional director, shares with KLTV-TV (ABC, Tyler) how this center, in partnership with CHRISTUS Health, makes it possible for East Texans to stay local when getting cancer care, have access to new imaging equipment and technologies and focus on treating patients from when they are first diagnosed, to their survivorship years to come.

Since the pandemic, the emotional value of pets has grown. Whether it be companionship, motivation, or encouragement during challenging times, this special bond, known as the “pet effect,” can improve overall human health, especially for people with cancer. Ashwani Agarwal, M.D., Texas Oncology–Corsicana, Sabarina K. Ramanathan, M.D., Texas Oncology–Sugar Land, Shail Dalal, M.D., Texas Oncology–Palestine Cancer Center and Travis Cox, M.D., Texas Oncology–Harker Heights, Marble Falls, and Round Rock North share how pets offer companionship, motivation to stay physically active, and positive encouragement during challenging times, especially for people with cancer.

Texas Oncology unveiled a new art installation at Texas Oncology–Wichita Falls Cancer Center. Local artist and chief radiation therapist for the center, Nell Nations, painted the statue of a large horse named Hope.

There’s a new addition to the beautiful painted fiberglass horses around Wichita Falls at the Texas Oncology Center, and it has a very meaningful message for its patients. A chief radiation therapist at Texas Oncology showcased her art through a painted horse named Hope to represent brightness in tough times for cancer patients.