SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Sept. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Onmark, a leading national group purchasing organization (GPO) for community oncology, today announced that 1,000 oncology practices, representing more than 1,800 physicians, have enrolled as members to date. Onmark was launched by OTN (Oncology Therapeutics Network), a leading independent oncology services company, in January 2005.
“In less than nine months, Onmark has become one of the largest GPOs in community oncology, representing $2.5 billion in annual drug purchases and serving all sizes of practices, from single physicians to the largest multi-site clinics in the United States,” said Clark Avery, General Manager of Onmark. “This is a testament to the value that Onmark delivers to its members. By providing members with the support they need to run their practices efficiently, they can focus on delivering high-quality patient care.”
Onmark members have access to competitive contracts, aggressive pricing, practice optimization tools and educational programs designed exclusively for community oncology. Onmark has signed contracts for oncology drugs and supplies with 14 leading pharmaceutical manufacturers, giving it one of the broadest suites of contracts among all oncology GPOs. These contracts represent the majority of the most widely-used chemotherapy, biologic and supportive care agents, including both brand and generic products.
“We joined Onmark because of its manufacturer contracts, competitive pricing and educational programs -- all of which truly help our practice run more efficiently and effectively,” said Mike Koroscik, Chief Operating Officer of Oncology Alliance in Milwaukee, Wis. “Onmark is helping everyone in our practice, from the clinic manager to the nurses and oncologists, with its unique mix of business and clinical offerings. This allows us to provide better patient care with lower overall costs.”
Onmark’s Educational Programs
Among the many resources that Onmark provides to it members are educational programs focusing on community oncology. Onmark’s goal with all of its educational programs is to keep members informed of the latest legislative/regulatory news, clinical advances and best practices in community oncology.
This summer hundreds of practices attended Onmark educational programs including:
-- Monthly teleconferences with updates on the latest legislative news impacting community oncology -- A five-part oncology reimbursement webcast series, which covered the changing regulatory environment and critical topics affecting community oncology practices -- Dinner programs offering insights about the importance of regimen standardization to help improve efficiencies in community oncology practices -- Clinical webcasts that reviewed interim clinical trial results presented at ASCO’s 2005 Annual Meeting Upcoming Onmark Member Events More programs are planned for the remainder of the year. These include: -- Interactive forums that bring together community oncology providers and commercial payors to identify key drivers and best practices for preserving access to quality care. Forums are planned for September in Dallas and for November in Atlanta. -- HR Best Practices webcasts that offer tips for creating winning HR strategies in community oncology practices. They will take place in October. -- A distance learning program that will educate clinical staff on aseptic and safe handling techniques for hazardous drugs. A complete calendar of events is available at www.onmarkservices.com. About OTN
OTN is an industry leading oncology services company that provides oncology drugs, supportive care products and related supplies to more than 2,400 community-based oncology practices in the United States, comprising more than 4,000 physicians. OTN has been recognized as one of InformationWeek’s top 500 companies each of the past two years and was recently honored with Frost & Sullivan’s 2005 Customer Value Enhancement Award in recognition of its role in advancing cancer care in the community-based setting. OTN continues to develop innovative technology solutions to help oncology practices improve practice efficiency, minimize costs and maximize revenues. OTN is dedicated to helping community-based oncology practices extend and enhance the lives of people with cancer by offering the highest level of customer service and a knowledgeable support staff.
For more information, please visit www.myOTN.com.
About Onmark
Onmark, an OTN company, is a leading national group purchasing organization (GPO) for community oncology. Onmark is committed to helping practices extend and enhance the lives of cancer patients by providing the support that they need to prosper. Through strategic relationships with OTN, pharmaceutical companies and industry experts, Onmark provides its members with access to a full portfolio of contracts for oncology drugs and supplies, the most aggressive pricing available through OTN as well as practice management tools and educational programs focusing on community oncology.
For more information, please visit www.onmarkservices.com.
OTN
CONTACT: Monique Weston of Onmark, +1-650-871-2108, ormonique.weston@onmarkservices.com; or Daryl Messinger of WeissCommPartners, +1-415-999-2361, or daryl@weisscommpartners.com, for OTN
Web site: http://www.myOTN.com/http:///
