Content and information provided by Talbott Paynter, Director of Business Development for Provision CARES Proton Therapy Knoxville
The National Association for Proton Therapy (NAPT) held its sixth annual NAPT Conference March 25-28, 2018, at The Scottsdale Resort at McCormick Ranch in sunny Scottdale, Arizona. Founded in 1990, the National Association for Proton Therapy is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to work collaboratively to:
- Raise awareness of the therapeutic benefits of proton therapy among patients, providers, payers, policymakers, and other stakeholders
- Ensure patient choice and access to affordable proton therapy
- Encourage cooperative research and innovation to advance the appropriate and cost-effective utilization of proton therapy.
The annual conference allows proton centers from across the Unites States to convene and discuss how to advance awareness of the clinical benefits of proton therapy for cancer patients, provide education, and advocate for insurance coverage.
This year, a record breaking 300 physicians, nurses, therapists, proton therapy directors, managers and others involved with or interested in learning more about the cutting-edge therapy attended the conference. The 2018 program covered a variety of interesting and informative topics including: pediatrics, marketing, insurance and appeals, and Proton 101. Such matters as Prior Authorization: Reform Initiatives and Strategies Toward Successful Approvals, and Commercial Alternative Payment Model: A Case Study were discussed through presentations and panels.
Provision had nine attendees representing Provision CARES Proton Therapy Centers, Provision Solutions, and ProNova. Two Provision representatives were guest presenters at the conference. David Raubach, Vice President of Business Development and US Sales with Provision Solutions, filled in for Tom Welch, President of the Provision CARES Cancer Center-Knoxville, to speak about State Legislative Development. Talbott Paynter, Director of Business Development with Provision CARES Proton Therapy-Knoxville, spoke about Marketing and Patient Engagement: Building Referrals and Creating a Proton Community. Tom Welch sits on the board of NAPT and was unable to attend the conference as he was in Nashville working on the legislation bill for proton coverage (for more legislative information visit Tennessee Cancer Patient Coalition).
In addition to the presentations, a very special guest was honored at the NAPT conference. Dr. Herman Suit of Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard University was honored for his contributions to the advancement of proton therapy throughout his career. Dr. Suit is often referred to as the father of modern day proton therapy. He has authored more than 400 peer-reviewed articles, co-founded 2 cooperative oncology groups, served as president of both the American Society of Radiation Oncology and the Radiation Research Society, and has been recognized with numerous awards. Dr. Suit has been a vibrant leader in both radiation and proton therapy for over five decades.
Nancy Howard, Vice President of Marketing for Provision Healthcare pictured with Dr. Herman Suit at the 2018 NAPT Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The National Association for Proton Therapy is the voice for the proton community. As there are now 28 Proton centers in operation and 23 centers under construction or in development, it is important for all proton centers to form a strong alliance to advocate for patient access to proton therapy. NAPT is the vehicle that will lead our alliance forward.