How Thyme Care's Oncology Navigation Model Enhances Cancer Care Support

For health plans and risk-bearing groups, managing cancer care is challenging—balancing rising costs, quality, and member satisfaction while navigating the complexities of oncology is no easy task. At Thyme Care, we believe the key to improving patient outcomes and experience lies in providing proactive, personalized support across the entire cancer journey. As a leader in value-based oncology care, Thyme Care partners with health plans and risk-bearing groups to offer a unique care model deployed by oncology experts and enhanced by technology that streamlines care delivery and enables us to meet each member’s unique needs with precision and compassion. Here's a closer look at what sets Thyme Care's care model apart:

A Fully-Employed, Oncology-Trained Care Team

Thyme Care’s model is designed to support individuals with cancer from diagnosis through treatment and beyond. Our goal is to improve care quality and experience by offering 24/7 virtual support for a member’s clinical and non-clinical needs. This is made possible through our comprehensive, oncology-trained Care Team, which focuses on addressing each member’s unique needs throughout their care journey. Made up of Medical Directors, NPs, oncology nurses, social workers, and care partners, our multidisciplinary Care Team establishes longitudinal relationships with members and is accessible at any time. Members receive tailored services designed to identify and address their needs, including proactive patient monitoring (ePROs), 24/7 support for adverse treatment effects, emotional and psychosocial support, transportation and financial assistance, and more. Thyme Care support is delivered in close coordination with the member’s oncologist. 

Thyme Care Care Team Roles:

Comprehensive, Proactive Member Support

Thyme Care understands that each member’s cancer journey is unique, and our Care Team provides personalized, high-touch support tailored to each member’s individual needs. We do this in the following ways:

• Oncology-trained nurses with small caseloads: For our most complex members, our nurses manage a panel size of fewer than 50 members, providing individualized attention and building strong, longitudinal relationships with each member.

• Proactive outreach: Routine outbound patient-reported outcomes surveys (ePROs) help members stay on top of their symptoms, reducing avoidable complications and hospital visits. 

• Frequent, proactive communication: On average, members engage with their care team 2-4 times per month, allowing us to address concerns quickly and prevent issues from escalating. Our dedicated platform, Thyme Care Connect, ensures members have 24/7 on-demand access to their Care Team, while also having the option to call or text.

• Social determinants of health (SDOH): Thyme Care leverages oncology-tailored playbooks, assessments, and in-depth knowledge of local resources to address all SDoH-related barriers that arise.

• Virtual urgent care: Members with urgent clinical needs related to cancer, treatment, or coexisting conditions have access to timely virtual visits with Nurse Practitioners, providing immediate support and preventing unnecessary ER visits.

• Integrated palliative care: We introduce the concept of palliative care early in the cancer journey, educating members and coordinating referrals to palliative care services when necessary. This ensures patients and their families receive the right support as their condition progresses.

Coordinated, Collaborative Cancer Care

Thyme Care’s care model strongly emphasizes coordination with the member’s treating oncologist. By working closely with our members’ provider teams, we create a seamless care experience that reduces the administrative burden for providers and enhances continuity of care for members:

• Efficient, coordinated oncology care: Regardless of where the member is located or their treating oncologist, Thyme Care’s care team coordinates with the member’s provider team to keep them informed and identifies opportunities to drive incremental impact such as ensuring continuity of care for the member and uniform ePROs delivery.

• Deep oncology integration: With select oncologists, Thyme Care builds deep integrations that include EHR access and embedded workflows,, acting as an extension of their care team. Our integrated approach helps members receive consistent care in virtual and in-person settings.

Innovative, Tech-Driven Approach

Technology plays a critical role in delivering efficient, scalable cancer care. Thyme Care’s oncology-specific navigation platform streamlines care delivery and ensures that each member receives the right care at the right time:

• Custom-built care delivery platform: Thyme Box, our internal care management platform,  integrates with electronic health records (EHRs) and aggregates data from multiple sources, guiding our care team in making data-driven decisions at scale and providing the appropriate level of support.
• A digital front door for support: Thyme Care Connect is a dedicated platform for members to reach out for 24/7 support, to track symptoms, and to access educational content.

Sample Member Journey with Thyme Care:

Thyme Care’s unique care model delivers outcomes-driven support for individuals with cancer, helping health plans and risk-bearing groups provide high-quality care while reducing the total cost of care. Through high-touch, personalized member support, deeply integrated oncology insights, and innovative technology, Thyme Care ensures that every member gets the quality care they need at the right time.

Interested in learning more about how Thyme Care can support your members? Contact us.

¹ Availability is dependent on geography and contracts.