Memorial Sloan Kettering partners with employers to streamline care

One of New York City’s top cancer care providers this week announced a partnership with employers to simplify the care process.

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center will partner with major employers such as CBS Corp. on MSK Direct, an initiative that streamlines access to its services, according to Hospitals & Health Networks. The broadcasting giant already counted Kettering among its in-network providers, but CBS employees and family members often go directly to primary care providers or specialists within their referral network when they worry about the possibility of cancer, according to the article.

Employers participating in the program give employees a number to connect directly to a Kettering care adviser, who schedules an initial appointment, collects the patient’s medical records and is available to connect with throughout the diagnostic and treatment process. The program’s developers hope it will kill two birds with one stone, improving patient experience while simplifying the cancer treatment process, according to the article.

“The advantage of a place like MSK is starting out with the right diagnostics, which sets the stage for the best possible outcomes,” Wendy Perchick, senior vice president of strategy and innovation for the cancer center, told H&HN. “And for conditions like early prostate cancer, when you come to MSK, you are more likely to get on the right path, even when that path means no treatment.”

The cancer center has been at the forefront of numerous patient experience-focused initiatives recently, including “short-stay” beds for outpatients and a surgery center aimed at using information technology to improve the outpatient experience.