As a Blue Distinction Center, Northwest Medical Specialties provides Premera members in-network access to cancer care that places an emphasis on improving the patient experience while delivering high quality care.

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation formally launched the Oncology Care Model (OCM), a 5-year voluntary pilot project intended to improve the quality of cancer treatment and lower Medicare spending, by coordinating care. NWMS is one of 176 cancer centers in the USA participating in this model.

The QOPI Certification Program provides a three-year certification for outpatient hematology-oncology practices. QOPI validates processes that demonstrate to patients, payors, and the medical community, a practice’s commitment to quality. Every QOPI Certified practice is evaluated on both measures and standards in cancer care.

The NCQA Recognition program outlines essential components of oncology care. The patient-centered medical home is a model of care that puts patients at the forefront of care. PCMHs build better relationships between patients and their clinical care teams. Research shows that PCMHs improve quality and the patient experience, and increase staff satisfaction while reducing health care costs. Practices that earn recognition have made a commitment to continuous quality improvement and a patient centered approach to care.

NWMS is the founding practice of Quality Cancer Care Alliance. QCCA strives to improve the quality of care by utilizing the most effective therapies, diagnostics, processes, and research in the service of our patients. Cancer care is best delivered locally, in the patient’s own community, by independent practitioners who provide personal, yet technologically advanced care. In 2018 QCCA became a clinically integrated network (CIN) on a national level, making it the first of its kind.

Northwest Medical Specialties won the 2017 ACCC Innovation award for its forward-thinking cancer program and creative innovative strategies for the effective delivery of cancer care. The Innovator Award recipients presented their creative, replicable programs at the ACCC 34th National Oncology Conference, October 18–20, 2017, in Nashville, TN.