Cancer is grossly under served in India. The country has an estimated incidence of 1 million cases of cancer and 700,000 cancer deaths according to a 2012 GLOBOCAN report. The problem is compounded by the fact that it does not have any organized national cancer screening programs. Further, there is an unequal distribution of care providers across India’s different states. AOI is part of the solution to the complex cancer care puzzle in the country. At AOI, the provision of world-class care goes hand-in-hand with maintaining an unmatched level of transparency through treatment experiences. AOI accepts nothing less than the best possible outcome for every patient.
American Oncology Institute (AOI) has raised the bar for cancer care in India, using a unique approach to bring high quality care to its facilities worldwide. Mr. Joseph Nicholas, President and CEO, of Cancer Treatment Services International, Inc., the parent company of AOI, talked to us about AOI’s current work and future plans.
Please find below, the excerpt of our discussion with Mr. Joseph Nicholas.
Tell us a little about American Oncology Institute
Located in Hyderabad, American Oncology Institute (AOI) provides comprehensive cancer care matching standards from top U.S. hospitals. Several years ago, a group of physicians with extensive experience in all aspects of cancer care, ranging from clinical expertise to streamlined operations to clinical research, joined together to bring the same level of care, resources, and facilities found at U.S. university hospitals to people in India living with cancer. The team has a distinguished track record in both university and private cancer practices. In launching AOI, we created a cancer center in India with clinical and technological offerings that mirror those at centers found in the U.S.
The idea for AOI was born in 2006. Our team embarked on a journey to cancer centers and healthcare facilities across the world. At the end of the trip, we realized high demands for quality cancer care in countries like China, India and Malaysia.
Why did AOI settle on India?
We chose India due to the many opportunities that we saw in the country. There was not only a great need, but there was an educated and savvy patient base that wanted treatment options like those that could be offered at a center like AOI.
American Oncology Institute (AOI) has raised the bar for cancer care in India, using a unique approach to bring high quality care to its facilities worldwide. Mr. Joseph Nicholas, President and CEO, of Cancer Treatment Services International, Inc., the parent company of AOI, talked to us about AOI’s current work and future plans.
Please find below, the excerpt of our discussion with Mr. Joseph Nicholas.
Tell us a little about American Oncology Institute
Located in Hyderabad, American Oncology Institute (AOI) provides comprehensive cancer care matching standards from top U.S. hospitals. Several years ago, a group of physicians with extensive experience in all aspects of cancer care, ranging from clinical expertise to streamlined operations to clinical research, joined together to bring the same level of care, resources, and facilities found at U.S. university hospitals to people in India living with cancer. The team has a distinguished track record in both university and private cancer practices. In launching AOI, we created a cancer center in India with clinical and technological offerings that mirror those at centers found in the U.S.
The idea for AOI was born in 2006. Our team embarked on a journey to cancer centers and healthcare facilities across the world. At the end of the trip, we realized high demands for quality cancer care in countries like China, India and Malaysia.
Why did AOI settle on India?
We chose India due to the many opportunities that we saw in the country. There was not only a great need, but there was an educated and savvy patient base that wanted treatment options like those that could be offered at a center like AOI.
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What makes AOI different from the other existing players?
Operated by parent company Cancer Treatment Services International, Inc.(CTSI), AOI is the only cancer hospital in India managed by American medical experts. CTSI is owned and managed by world-class physicians. As a result, we are able to bring university-level care to any region in the world and provide unmatched service in each market we enter. This unique combination of advanced clinical and operational abilities is what allows us to accomplish AOI’s mission – providing world-class, evidence-based cancer care while putting the needs of its patients first.
AOI has managed to offer world class oncology care but at the same price point as those offered by others in the field .What is the secret to achieving this feat?
AOI operates in a paperless environment with sophisticated EMR software for anytime-anywhere access. This system provides physicians with patient information at their fingertips, streamlines care, minimizes errors, and allows for seamless, transparent communication with both patients and referring physicians. We value efficiency in our clinical and operational processes, and we strictly adhere to policies, procedures, and protocols that manage our resources effectively while delivering an American standard of care. These efficiencies help us keep costs down and keep quality high.
Patient care is a highlight for the AOI experience. Please elaborate.
At AOI, we focus on all aspects of the patient experience, which is more than just the provision of high quality treatment. We realize that a cancer diagnosis can be frightening for the patient and their families, and we do all that we can to provide comfort and peace of mind during what is often a stressful and confusing time. Our staff is highly trained in customer service and understands that the patients’ needs must come first at all times. We focus on clinical standards and operational efficiency to ensure minimal wait times, accurate and rapid diagnosis, and a clear treatment plan. We use a paperless environment which means that our doctors and clinical staff always have access to the patients’ complete medical record. This allows them to make the best decisions and to provide patients with true transparency regarding their medical histories, prognoses, and plans of care. AOI also has managed to keep the pricing at par with other cancer care centers, which enables us to extend our reach to many types of patients – not just the elite. Our goal is to provide the AOI brand of patient care to as many patients as possible.
How does AOI rank on the technology front?
In addition to providing the same level of care as top U.S. hospitals, AOI locations feature state-of-the-art technology not widely available in India such as the TrueBeam linear accelerator, the Calypso System for radiation localization, fully-integrated Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and 4-D PET/CT. For patients requiring surgery, AOI partners with eminent hospitals to provide world-class, multidisciplinary cancer care.
AOI uses the latest grade of cancer care technology and places high emphasis on service delivery. AOI maintains high quality and efficient services with modern IT infrastructure, electronic access to medical records, care protocols, and expert U.S. support for treatment planning.
AOI boasts of clinicians with the highest level of training in oncology. How does the institute engage its physicians in training?
First, AOI utilizes a selective hiring process, which involves extensive vetting of our physician candidates, including interviews with our U.S.-based doctors. Many clinicians at AOI come to us with training and/or experience in the U.S. or U.K.
Once physicians join AOI, they have the opportunity to train and collaborate with our physician owners or affiliates from the U.S. and Europe. In addition to weekly international tumor boards, AOI physicians have open lines of communication to specialists in the U.S. for second opinions, open discussion, and advice. AOI physicians have access to the latest cancer protocols and clinical research and are looked upon by their peers as leaders in the field. Further, physicians and other clinical staff are encouraged to conduct research, to present findings at industry meetings, and to publish in medical journals as ways to deepen their own knowledge and to push the oncology field forward.
Please throw some light on the Medical Tourism cases received at the center.
Inflow of patient asking for services is just beginning to take flight. Patients have come from several places, including Sri Lanka, Africa, Russia, Israel, and other regions of India. These patients are looking for comprehensive cancer care treatments offered to them as a total package that might not otherwise be accessible in their home regions.
What plans are in the pipeline for AOI's future?
In March 2014, CTSI announced plans to partner with GE Healthcare to build a network of 25 cancer centers throughout India over the next five years. The network will be arranged in a hub-and-spoke fashion and will help AOI bring access to top-quality cancer care for thousands of Indians for whom it is not currently available. Each AOI location offers care based not only on the latest clinically proven medical evidence but on the ideal of maintaining the highest possible standards for trust, transparency and technology.
Any Comments on AOI’s relationship with GE over the Years.
GE is a trusted brand in healthcare, and I have worked with them for over 20 years in the United States. We share more than a vendor -customer relationship and have forged an alliance in our mission to bring world-class cancer care to developing countries. In India, AOI is working with GE to craft the vision for oncology care not only in terms of technology but also in our Go To Market strategy . GE has been instrumental in identifying meaningful partnerships for AOI, and we expect to continue to collaborate with them well into the future.
Operated by parent company Cancer Treatment Services International, Inc.(CTSI), AOI is the only cancer hospital in India managed by American medical experts. CTSI is owned and managed by world-class physicians. As a result, we are able to bring university-level care to any region in the world and provide unmatched service in each market we enter. This unique combination of advanced clinical and operational abilities is what allows us to accomplish AOI’s mission – providing world-class, evidence-based cancer care while putting the needs of its patients first.
AOI has managed to offer world class oncology care but at the same price point as those offered by others in the field .What is the secret to achieving this feat?
AOI operates in a paperless environment with sophisticated EMR software for anytime-anywhere access. This system provides physicians with patient information at their fingertips, streamlines care, minimizes errors, and allows for seamless, transparent communication with both patients and referring physicians. We value efficiency in our clinical and operational processes, and we strictly adhere to policies, procedures, and protocols that manage our resources effectively while delivering an American standard of care. These efficiencies help us keep costs down and keep quality high.
Patient care is a highlight for the AOI experience. Please elaborate.
At AOI, we focus on all aspects of the patient experience, which is more than just the provision of high quality treatment. We realize that a cancer diagnosis can be frightening for the patient and their families, and we do all that we can to provide comfort and peace of mind during what is often a stressful and confusing time. Our staff is highly trained in customer service and understands that the patients’ needs must come first at all times. We focus on clinical standards and operational efficiency to ensure minimal wait times, accurate and rapid diagnosis, and a clear treatment plan. We use a paperless environment which means that our doctors and clinical staff always have access to the patients’ complete medical record. This allows them to make the best decisions and to provide patients with true transparency regarding their medical histories, prognoses, and plans of care. AOI also has managed to keep the pricing at par with other cancer care centers, which enables us to extend our reach to many types of patients – not just the elite. Our goal is to provide the AOI brand of patient care to as many patients as possible.
How does AOI rank on the technology front?
In addition to providing the same level of care as top U.S. hospitals, AOI locations feature state-of-the-art technology not widely available in India such as the TrueBeam linear accelerator, the Calypso System for radiation localization, fully-integrated Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and 4-D PET/CT. For patients requiring surgery, AOI partners with eminent hospitals to provide world-class, multidisciplinary cancer care.
AOI uses the latest grade of cancer care technology and places high emphasis on service delivery. AOI maintains high quality and efficient services with modern IT infrastructure, electronic access to medical records, care protocols, and expert U.S. support for treatment planning.
AOI boasts of clinicians with the highest level of training in oncology. How does the institute engage its physicians in training?
First, AOI utilizes a selective hiring process, which involves extensive vetting of our physician candidates, including interviews with our U.S.-based doctors. Many clinicians at AOI come to us with training and/or experience in the U.S. or U.K.
Once physicians join AOI, they have the opportunity to train and collaborate with our physician owners or affiliates from the U.S. and Europe. In addition to weekly international tumor boards, AOI physicians have open lines of communication to specialists in the U.S. for second opinions, open discussion, and advice. AOI physicians have access to the latest cancer protocols and clinical research and are looked upon by their peers as leaders in the field. Further, physicians and other clinical staff are encouraged to conduct research, to present findings at industry meetings, and to publish in medical journals as ways to deepen their own knowledge and to push the oncology field forward.
Please throw some light on the Medical Tourism cases received at the center.
Inflow of patient asking for services is just beginning to take flight. Patients have come from several places, including Sri Lanka, Africa, Russia, Israel, and other regions of India. These patients are looking for comprehensive cancer care treatments offered to them as a total package that might not otherwise be accessible in their home regions.
What plans are in the pipeline for AOI's future?
In March 2014, CTSI announced plans to partner with GE Healthcare to build a network of 25 cancer centers throughout India over the next five years. The network will be arranged in a hub-and-spoke fashion and will help AOI bring access to top-quality cancer care for thousands of Indians for whom it is not currently available. Each AOI location offers care based not only on the latest clinically proven medical evidence but on the ideal of maintaining the highest possible standards for trust, transparency and technology.
Any Comments on AOI’s relationship with GE over the Years.
GE is a trusted brand in healthcare, and I have worked with them for over 20 years in the United States. We share more than a vendor -customer relationship and have forged an alliance in our mission to bring world-class cancer care to developing countries. In India, AOI is working with GE to craft the vision for oncology care not only in terms of technology but also in our Go To Market strategy . GE has been instrumental in identifying meaningful partnerships for AOI, and we expect to continue to collaborate with them well into the future.
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