Jeffrey Vacirca, MD
Since 2008, more than 1,500 community oncology clinics and/or practices across the nation have closed, have been acquired by a hospital or corporate merger, or are struggling to stay open. That’s about 15 community practices per month, according to a recent report from the Community Oncology Alliance (COA). Those closures and mergers have resulted in dramatic increases in the costs of care, according to community oncologists.
Given that the cost of outpatient