For many types of cancer, treatment involves visiting the same facility for weeks at a time. Generally, these facilities fall into two categories: large hospital groups or independent practices.
As the term suggests, independent practices are not owned by a hospital system; and therefore, are able to to treat patients as they see fit without outside or system-wide pressures. For the physicians at Central Florida Cancer Care Center, they believe this benefits patients in a variety of ways.
“Our practice is one of the few independent radiation oncology groups, and one of the nice things about that is we are made up of just radiation oncologists and we are only beholden to ourselves,” explains Richard M. Lee, M.D.
“We have the autonomy to decide which patients really require treatment versus having pressure from other doctors or hospitals telling us to treat patients for business purposes or other reasons.”
The type of cancer a patient has and how it gets treated is no longer just a matter of where in the body it originates from. Advancements in medical technology and cancer treatment continue to show every patient’s disease is slightly different. In other words, patients can benefit from individual treatment strategies and ample time with their radiation oncologist to discuss adjustments in care. These adjustments may lead to better outcomes and decreased discomfort for the patient.
With an independent practice, wait times are generally shorter, and physicians are able to spend more time with each patient.
“Patients will see the same staff every day and they’ll be able to build a relationship, which is really what medicine should be about,” says Dr. Lee. “Some of that interpersonal connection can be lost once you get into the bigger hospital systems.”
Private practices also have the autonomy and freedom to stay on the leading edge of new technology without facing bureaucratic hurdles.
“We take great pride that we are one of the few independent doctor groups left,” he says. “In our practice we are able to give the patient that much more time and attention.”
