Thyme Care Welcomes Dr. Lalan Wilfong to Energize Oncology’s Shift to Value-Based Care

Leading physician from The US Oncology Network and Texas Oncology and value-based care trailblazer joins as senior vice president to empower oncology practices, payers, and risk-bearing entities to transform the patient experience and reduce cancer care costs 

NASHVILLE – August 27, 2024 – Thyme Care, the leading value-based cancer care enabler, today announced Lalan Wilfong, MD, has joined as senior vice president of value-based care. Dr. Wilfong, a practicing medical oncologist and hematologist at Texas Oncology for over 20 years, previously served as senior vice president of payer and care transformation at McKesson/The US Oncology Network and is widely recognized as a leader in oncology value-based care. In his new role, Dr. Wilfong will be instrumental in advancing Thyme Care’s value-based care strategy and driving practice transformation efforts.

"Value-based care models have been launched in many chronic conditions over the last 10 years, but nothing has come into the oncology space that has made a strong and positive impact on patient experience and outcomes or reduced the cost of care. The results are that health plans have continued to internally build and institute models that cost the system more money but don't deliver value to their members or provider partners,” said Dr. Wilfong. “Thyme Care has built a value-based care model that will make a lasting difference in the oncology industry and the lives of the cancer patients it serves, and I am excited to join the company facilitating this critical industry shift.”

The rising costs of cancer treatments, coupled with a fragmented healthcare system, make it difficult, disruptive, and financially toxic for patients to navigate their care journey. Cancer care costs have escalated from $57 billion in 2001 to over $200 billion today in the dominant fee-for-service (FFS) model. This precipitous increase is largely due to drug costs and unnecessary emergency department visits and hospitalizations – both issues Thyme Care addresses and mitigates with its suite of services. CMS’ initiatives like the Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM) and its 2024 decision to reimburse practices for patient-navigation services signal a paradigm shift towards value-based cancer care. But, while value-based care arrangements hold promise as a means of reducing low-value healthcare spend, they have traditionally been costly and burdensome for oncology practices to implement, scale, and accurately measure.

“I want to champion oncology providers as true agents of change in the shift to value-based care,” said Dr. Wilfong. “By giving providers the resources and incentives they need to focus on patient outcomes, optimal treatment plans, care coordination, and preventative efforts over volume, they can ultimately lower costs in a value-based care program, and we will be with them every step of the way.”

Dr. Wilfong chairs the Community Oncology Alliance Payer Reform Committee and serves on the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) drug shortages committee. Prior to Thyme Care, Dr. Wilfong was senior vice president of payer and care transformation at The US Oncology Network and vice president of value-based care and quality programs at Texas Oncology. While at The US Oncology Network, he was instrumental in implementing both the Oncology Care Model (OCM) and the Enhancing Oncology Model (EOM) while driving performance in multiple commercial value-based care contracts. He previously led the Value-Based Physician Champion task force for The US Oncology Network and chaired the US Oncology Pathways Task Force. 

“As a long-time leader in value-based care with extensive clinical oncology experience, Dr. Wilfong is positioned to help us reach a broader segment of the oncology community and patients,” said Bobby Green, MD, co-founder, president, and chief medical officer of Thyme Care. "His passion for patient-centered care and community oncology will help catapult us to the next phase in helping as many people with a cancer diagnosis as possible.”

Dr. Wilfong joins Thyme Care during a period of accelerated growth after the company’s recent $95 million fundraise to deepen its clinical value-based care model, spur adoption in new regions, and expand services to more patients in need. Thyme Care is actively managing more than a half-billion dollars in medical spend across its risk-based contracts and is on pace to more than triple that number within the next year. In addition, the company has more than doubled its oncology partnerships to 800 oncologists nationwide in the past six months, with active plans for additional contracts with health plans, employers, and risk-bearing primary care groups.

About Thyme Care

Thyme Care is the leading value-based care enabler, collaborating with payers and providers to transform the experience and outcomes for individuals living with cancer. The company partners with health plans, employers and risk-bearing providers to assume accountability for enhanced care quality, improved health outcomes, and reduced total cost of care. Thyme Care's approach combines a technology-enabled Care Team and seamless integration with more than 800 oncologists in Thyme Care Oncology Partners, creating a hybrid collaborative care model that guides and supports the entire patient journey. Thyme Care empowers oncologists nationwide through purpose-built tech, advanced data analytics, and virtual patient engagement, driving better care and outcomes in value-based arrangements. Thyme Care is a founding member of CancerX, and is backed by leading investors. To learn more about how Thyme Care is enabling the shift to value-based care in oncology, visit www.thymecare.com.

Contact

Kimberly Dreisinger

Thyme Care Communications

press@thymecare.com