Episode Details: Transforming Cancer Care
What you’ll get out of this episode:
- Thyme Care’s Vision: Co-founded by Dr. Bobby Green, Thyme Care uses virtual navigation and value-based partnerships to lower cancer care costs and improve patient outcomes.
- Breaking Barriers in End-of-Life Care: Thyme Care emphasizes effective communication and support around end-of-life care, tackling the discomfort many clinicians feel around these crucial conversations.
- Cancer as a Chronic Condition: Dr. Green shares his perspective on cancer’s future as a major chronic disease, its rising costs, and the evolving care landscape.
- Redefining Value-Based Cancer Care: Thyme Care focuses on high-value care, reducing unnecessary hospital visits, enhancing drug affordability, and providing patient-centered support.
- Building Trust with Patients: Thyme Care’s patient engagement strategies underscore the importance of trust in driving effective, compassionate care.
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Read About Transforming Cancer Care
Thyme Care’s Innovative Approach to Cancer Care
In this insightful episode, host Arti Masturzo sits down with Dr. Bobby Green, the president, co-founder, and Chief Medical Officer of Thyme Care. Dr. Green, an experienced oncologist, offers a look into Thyme Care’s vision for a more affordable, accessible, and patient-centered approach to oncology. By partnering with risk-bearing entities such as health plans and oncology practices, Thyme Care aims to offer better value-based care for cancer patients. According to Dr. Green, Thyme Care’s mission is simple yet profound: to reduce the costs of cancer care while improving the patient journey.
Embracing Value-Based Care for Better Outcomes
Traditional cancer care models often struggle to balance quality and cost-effectiveness. Thyme Care disrupts this with its value-based approach, partnering with oncology practices to provide high-quality, affordable care without compromising patient needs. “Our approach begins with asking what is right for the patient,” Dr. Green explains. This means assessing costs not only to healthcare systems but also to patients, as financial toxicity remains a leading issue for those battling cancer. Thyme Care’s focus is on reducing preventable hospitalizations, enhancing access to palliative care, and reducing unnecessary costs associated with high-priced drugs.
Tackling End-of-Life Care Challenges
Dr. Green sheds light on the often-overlooked topic of end-of-life care in oncology. Many clinicians, he notes, are uncomfortable initiating these conversations due to limited training and busy schedules. Thyme Care’s model equips providers with the necessary tools and training to discuss patients’ goals and values, ensuring their care aligns with personal preferences. As Dr. Green and Masturzo discuss, these difficult conversations are central to improving both patient satisfaction and care quality. Thyme Care’s commitment to addressing end-of-life needs and supporting patients and families during this time stands as one of its core pillars.
Managing Cancer as a Chronic Condition
Cancer’s status as a chronic disease brings new complexities, especially as more effective treatments enable patients to live longer with cancer. As Dr. Green observes, new medications offer life extension but come at a rising cost, making cancer one of the most expensive chronic diseases. Thyme Care’s emphasis on “high-value therapeutic decisions” aligns with a future where innovative treatment must also remain affordable.
Building Trust and Navigating Patient Engagement
In an era of constant spam calls and information overload, patient engagement is challenging. Dr. Green acknowledges that building trust with patients, many of whom are contacted on behalf of health plans or physicians, is critical to Thyme Care’s success. By focusing on clear, empathetic communication and robust patient support, Thyme Care strengthens relationships and empowers patients to participate actively in their care.
The Future of Oncology: Moving Towards Precision and Prevention
Looking ahead, Dr. Green is cautiously optimistic about the potential of early detection technologies and cancer vaccines to further revolutionize oncology. With ongoing advancements in immunotherapy and personalized care, he envisions a future where certain cancers are detected early and treated more precisely. Although he acknowledges that a “one-size-fits-all” cure is unlikely in the immediate future, he believes that over the next decade, oncology will continue to evolve in ways that meaningfully improve survival rates and quality of life for patients.
Reflecting on the Power of Connection in Healthcare
Reflecting on his journey, Dr. Green speaks to the lifelong professional relationships that have shaped his career. The theme of connection resonates deeply with Masturzo, who believes these relationships are foundational to healthcare’s progress. Dr. Green recounts a recent experience where he reconnected with past colleagues, reminding him of the lasting impact of mentorship, collaboration, and shared commitment to patient care.
Thyme Care’s work is a testament to the potential of combining advanced technology with a compassionate approach to cancer treatment. By focusing on what truly matters for patients, Thyme Care exemplifies the future of connected, value-driven care in oncology.
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