South Austin Medical Center and Texas Oncology announce new integrated care delivery model
AUSTIN, Texas —The Sarah Cannon Transplant and Cellular Therapy Program at St. David’s South Austin Medical Center and Texas Oncology today announced the creation of a value-based enterprise designed to better serve patients across Central Texas. The new structure formalizes a collaboration between the organizations through shared governance and coordinated clinical operations, with the goal of improving outcomes, elevating the patient experience, and streamlining access to complex blood cancer and cellular therapy services.
The value-based enterprise establishes a joint governance board and aligned clinical operations to enhance collaboration, accountability and performance across the continuum of care. Through this alignment, physicians and clinical teams are expanding outreach clinics in Round Rock, allowing St. David’s South Austin Medical Center physicians to see blood cancer and cellular therapy patients directly within Texas Oncology offices. St. David’s South Austin Medical Center and Texas Oncology are working together to identify additional locations for similar clinics. This patient-centered approach reduces unnecessary travel, enhances care coordination and brings world-class cancer care closer to home.
“For patients who need transplant or cellular therapy, timing, coordination and access to specialized care determine outcomes,” Aravind Ramakrishnan, M.D., Medical Director of the Sarah Cannon Transplant and Cellular Therapy Program at St. David’s South Austin Medical Center, said. “This value-based enterprise strengthens the way we work together across organizations so we can deliver evidence-based therapies more efficiently and closer to where our patients live. Our shared focus is enhancing the patient experience and ensuring every individual receives seamless, high-quality care throughout their treatment journey.”
The value-based enterprise includes clearly defined outcome measures centered on survival rates, response rates, timeliness of care, adherence to evidence-based treatment protocols and patient experience indicators. The joint governance board, comprised of representatives from both organizations, will meet regularly to review performance data, identify opportunities for improvement and ensure accountability to the program’s mission.
“I am incredibly proud of the collaboration between St. David’s HealthCare and Texas Oncology to expand access to cutting-edge therapies for blood cancer patients in Central Texas,” Dr. Debra Patt, Executive Vice President, Policy and Strategy, Managing Medical Director, Central & South Texas and Gulf Coast Regions of Texas Oncology, said. “This partnership reflects the strength of a value-based approach to care, one that allows us to work more seamlessly together, accelerate innovation and ensure patients have access to the most advanced treatments close to home.”
Since 2014, the Sarah Cannon Transplant and Cellular Therapy Program at St. David’s South Austin Medical Center has collaborated with recognized physician leadership from Texas Oncology with the Sarah Cannon Cancer Network and St. David’s South Austin Medical Center to treat patients with blood cancers and other disorders.
Texas Oncology, a leading multispecialty physician-owned practice focused on oncology, has been providing comprehensive, multi-disciplinary care to patients across Texas for almost 40 years. Together, The Sarah Cannon Transplant and Cellular Therapy Program at St. David’s South Austin Medical Center and Texas Oncology remain committed to delivering integrated, high-quality care that keeps patients close to their families and support systems while ensuring access to complex, life-saving therapies.