City of Hope, a Duarte, Calif.-based cancer research and treatment center, invested $40 million to create a subsidiary that helps employers provide cancer information and expert opinions to their employees.
AccessHope, launched Oct. 6, works with employers and their healthcare partners, including health plans, third-party administrators and pharmacy benefit managers, to provide cancer support services and access to insights from cancer care subspecialists.
The support services include a program through which patients can contact AccessHope to request a review of their medical record from a cancer expert and a program that enables in-person evaluation at City of Hope, where patients are paired with an oncologist or hematologist specializing in their specific cancer type.
"Best practices in oncology are evolving at an extraordinary pace, and the health plans and delivery system need support to ensure that all patients have consistent access to the most current data and best treatments," said Harlan Levine, MD, president of strategy and business ventures at City of Hope and chair of the AccessHope board.