In July 2015, Alpine Hematology-Oncology and Reno Oncology Consultants merged to form Cancer Care Specialists.  This unique partnership has allowed our team to focus on the delivery of high-quality care for patients with cancer and blood disorders.  With a combined 40 years of experience and through investments in technology and clinical excellence, we are able to ensure that our patients receive best in class care.  Our physicians, nurses and staff are able to inspire hope and confidence through their patient focused approach and clinical collaboration.  At Cancer Care Specialists we want to ensure that our community has access to every possible tool to treat cancer and blood disorders. As a result, we are able to deliver higher quality outcomes, and ensure a better quality of life for survivors.

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Our mission:

 

"Deliver highly personalized and precision based treatment to the community we serve through welcoming, caring, and compassionate team members".

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Our Vision:

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"We will transform the Oncology and Hematology treatment experience through a culture of compassion, innovation, quality and excellence".

 

Our Multi-Disciplinary Team includes:

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• Oncology nurses

• Financial counselors

• Licensed Clinical Social Worker

• Advanced Nurse Practitioners & Physician Assistants

• Counseling and palliative care services

• Nutritionists

• Massage Therapist 

• Relationships with tertiary care centers (UC Davis, Stanford, etc. )

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The Value of Independent Community Oncology

 

There are two classifications of oncology  practices: community oncology and institutional  or hospital-based oncology. Both provide oncology  care in an outpatient setting, have the same types  of training, utilize the same drugs, have access to the latest research and see similar patients. However, in practice, the benefit of community oncology  centers is increasingly understood as a conduit  to provide efficient, patient-centered oncology  care at lower costs to patients, health plans,
and community physicians.

 

Independent community oncologists are in private practice. They offer highly personalized and immediate care, and work in close  collaboration with regional experts and colleagues, allowing the availability of second opinions in the case of a rare  or complicated diagnosis. They are on the medical  staff of local hospitals and their practices have the  staff and resources to provide the needed treatments,  in a personal, local and convenient setting.

 

Hospital-based medical oncologists work for a local health system, hospital or an academic institution,  and most provide oncology care on an outpatient basis, similar to the community oncologists. That  being said, hospital-based physicians routinely have significant non-clinical obligations in administration, research and teaching, and therefore may spend less time with patients. The primary difference between care in the  independent community setting and care in the  hospital setting is related to cost. Because hospital based oncologists bill through the hospital’s contracts, the costs to your health plan through  insurance claims—and to you through increased  co-pay—can be higher. Recent studies show the cost for receiving the same drug and treatment, through the same process, may possibly be two  to three times more expensive when obtained from a hospital outpatient-based oncologist as compared to an independent community oncologist.