title: Defining Value in Cancer Care: AVBCC 2012 Steering Committee Report.
abstract: Approximately 200 oncologists, payers, employers, managed care executives, pharmacy benefit managers, and other healthcare stakeholders convened in Houston, TX, on March 28-31, 2012, for the Second Annual Conference of the Association for Value-Based Cancer Care (AVBCC). The mission of the conference was to align the various perspectives around the growing need of defining value in cancer care and developing strategies to enhance patient outcomes. The AVBCC conference presented a forum for the various viewpoints from all the stakeholders across the cancer care continuum, featuring more than 20 sessions and symposia led by nearly 30 oncology leaders. The discussions focused on current trends and challenges in optimizing value in oncology by reducing or controlling cost while improving care quality and patient outcomes, introducing emerging approaches to management and tools that providers and payers are using to enhance cancer care collaboratively. The AVBCC Second Annual Conference was opened by a Steering Committee discussion of 11 panel members who attempted to define value in cancer care and articulated action steps that can help to implement value into cancer care delivery. The following summary represents highlights from the Steering Committee discussion, which was moderated by Gene Beed, MD, and Gary M. Owens, MD.
authors.affiliation: President and CEO, Horses, Zebras, and Unicorns, Irvine, CA.
authors.forename: Gene
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Beed
authors.affiliation: President, Gary Owens Associates, Glen Mills, PA.
authors.forename: Gary M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Owens
authors.affiliation: Professor of Medicine, Associate Director for Clinical Investigations, Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern Univ.
authors.forename: Al B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Benson
authors.affiliation: Chief of Staff to the Chief Medical Officer Aetna Oncology Strategy Hartford, CT.
authors.forename: Ira M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.affiliation: Professor of Internal Medicine Hematology/Oncology, Associate Director, Faculty Group Practice, University of Michigan Medical School, MI.
authors.forename: Samuel M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Silver
authors.affiliation: Chief Medical Officer McKesson Specialty Health/The US Oncology Network The Woodlands, TX.
authors.forename: Roy A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Beveridge
authors.affiliation: Manager and Medical Director of Oncology WellPoint Los Angeles, CA.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Malin
authors.affiliation: Chief Physician Consultants in Medical Oncology and Hematology Drexel, PA.
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Sprandio
authors.affiliation: Hematologist/Oncologist Oncology Resource Networks Orlando, FL.
authors.forename: Craig K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Deligdish
authors.affiliation: Manager Pharmacy Services SelectHealth Salt Lake City, UT.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.affiliation: Principal, Institute for Integrated Healthcare Co-Founder, Bentelligence Sharon, MA.
authors.forename: F Randy
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Vogenberg
authors.affiliation: Associate Vice President for Medical Affairs Priority Health Grand Rapids, MI.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.affiliation: Senior Vice President of Oncology Services UnitedHealthcare Minneapolis, MN.
authors.forename: Lee N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Newcomer