October 2024
Thanks to Anna Brown, MD, MPhil, for putting together this great Instagram reel to share some Annual Meeting highlights. |
Early Career radiation oncologists share takeaways from ASTRO 2024 |
— by Kelsey Corrigan, MD ASTRO Early Career Committee members and colleagues attended this year’s ASTRO Annual Meeting in full force. I asked them to share one idea they picked up from the meeting that they could put into practice “tomorrow.” Read their takeaways. |
Vivek Kavadi, MD, MBA, FASTRO, shares his vision as he takes on the position of ASTRO CEO Dr. Kavadi took the stage on Monday morning to provide a brief introduction of his vision and goals as he takes on the position of ASTRO CEO on November 1. Watch the recording. |
How ROCR will impact early career radiation oncologists |
—By Anna M. Brown, MD, MPhil, Chair of the Community Building Subcommittee Payment reform has long been on the horizon for radiation oncologists. Years ago, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) had been in discussions about an Alternative Payment Model (APM) for the field of radiation oncology. This would have been a mandatory program with some exemptions and would have monumentally affected the way that radiation oncology services were reimbursed. That effort, the RO-APM, ultimately was delayed and then delayed indefinitely in the face of criticism from ASTRO and other key stakeholders. In the past year or so, ASTRO has worked tirelessly to put together a legislative effort that would transition radiation oncology payment away from a per-fraction model (the current state) and toward a per-patient model (case rate payment model), which many believe is more sustainable in the long run with overwhelming evidence supporting hypofractionation for many disease sites, which means fewer fractions per treatment. Our field can no longer afford to let payments dwindle as practice patterns change, and currently the financial incentives are not driving us toward evidence-based hypofractionation but away from it. Read more. |
Additional commentary on ROCR The early career committee queried several early career radiation oncologists about ROCR, as well as ASTRO President Sameer Keole, MD, FASTRO. View the video interview by Dr. Anna Brown as she asks Dr. Keole for his thoughts on ROCR. |
Communications Corner | |
Keep in touch with your ECC. Join the Early Career Community on the ROhub. Here you can share ideas, ask questions, network with colleagues and keep up with what’s happening with the ECC. |