McKesson Announces Fourth Annual Onmark National Payor / Provider Forum

South San Francisco, Calif. – October 1, 2009 –Onmark, a leading national group purchasing organization (GPO) for community-based practices and a McKesson Specialty Care Solutions company, will host its fourth annual National Payor / Provider Forum in Chicago, IL on October 16, 2009.  At this event,  the nation’s leading oncology providers, payors and pharmaceutical manufacturers will convene to share best practices and brainstorm real-world, actionable solutions to improve clinical and financial performance in today’s quality-driven environment. 

“The rising cost of cancer therapy is mandating more synergistic partnerships between payors and providers,” said Forum moderator Peter Bach, MD, MAPP, who also moderated the 2007 and 2008 programs.  “I am excited to once again work with Onmark and bring these groups together to discuss mutually-acceptable solutions to challenges they face in the provision of cost-effective, high-quality oncology patient care.” 

The expense of cancer care is rising 15 percent annually with multi-drug therapies costing in excess of $15,000 monthly.[1]  Sales of cancer drugs are expected to exceed $22 billion in 2009.[2]  Changes in the healthcare delivery system will be needed to contain these costs, with providers, health plans and drug manufacturers all playing an important role.

“The combination of rising costs and pending healthcare reform makes this year’s Forum all the more critical and timely,” remarked Mike Cunningham, Pharm.D., vice president and general manager, GPO & Information Services for McKesson Specialty Care Solutions.  “As our industry experiences unprecedented change, healthcare stakeholders must join together in proactive dialogue and develop approaches to achieve new levels of alignment from a clinical, operational and financial perspective.”

Onmark previously hosted a series of regional Payor / Provider forums to facilitate communication between community-based oncology providers and commercial health plans at the local level.  Because those meetings proved so successful, Onmark expanded the program to a national level and invited pharmaceutical industry representatives to attend. Last year’s Forum had 129 attendees- a 24 percent increase over the 2007 program. 

The 2009 Forum will include a keynote address and interactive sessions including:

• Emad Rizk, MD, President, McKesson Health Solutions and author will deliver a keynote address about his recently published book, “The New Era of Healthcare: Practical Strategies for Providers and Payers.”
• Peter Bach, M.D., MAPP, Associate Attending Physician, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center will host an interactive session where the audience will submit responses to how they would approach common oncology care scenarios including treatment guidelines, alternatives to buy and bill, end-of-life care and prior authorizations.
• Small attendee workgroups will then brainstorm mutually-agreeable solutions for each oncology care scenario, which will be debated during an interactive panel discussion with audience participation.

Onmark’s Fall Oncology Leadership Summit will take place immediately following the Payor / Provider Forum.  At this event, Onmark members will participate in diverse educational sessions on relevant topics including legislative policy, human resources strategies and cash flow management.  Members will also preview new clinical tools available through Onmark’s physician portal, www.onmarkservices.com, and McKesson Corporation’s chief executive officer (CEO), John Hammergren, will address the group.

About Onmark

Onmark, a McKesson Specialty Care Solutions company, is a leading national group purchasing organization (GPO) for community-based practices with more than 3000 members representing over 4,800 physicians and in excess of $8 billion in annual drug purchases.  Through strategic relationships with McKesson Corporation, pharmaceutical companies and industry experts, Onmark provides its members with access to a full portfolio of competitive contracts for pharmaceutical products and medical/surgical supplies, the most aggressive pricing available through McKesson, practice management resources, clinical tools and educational programs.  For information about the products, services and programs available to Onmark members, visit www.onmarkservices.com.

About McKesson and McKesson Specialty Care Solutions

McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 15th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and healthcare information technology company dedicated to helping its customers deliver high-quality healthcare by reducing costs, streamlining processes, and improving the quality and safety of patient care. McKesson has been in continuous operation for more than 175 years, making it the longest-operating company in healthcare today. Over the course of its history, McKesson has grown by providing pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management across the spectrum of care; healthcare information technology for hospitals, physicians, homecare and payors; hospital and retail pharmacy automation; and services for manufacturers and payors designed to improve outcomes for patients.  A division of McKesson Corporation, McKesson Specialty Care Solutions including Onmark delivers the services manufacturers, payors and providers need to ensure specialty pharmaceutical products, coordinated reimbursement and clinical services are available to patients with complex diseases. For more information on McKesson, visit http://www.mckesson.com. 

PR Contact

Toni Eberhardt | 480.663.4108 | toni.eberhardt@mckesson.com