Hematology-Oncology Associates’ board president discusses cancer’s latest trends, talks about the growth of the practice and addresses the expected competition that will arise from St. Joe’s new cancer program. ‘It’s unfortunate that St. Joe’s has decided to go in this direction,’ he says
By Chris Motola
Q: How long have you been board president of Hematology Oncology Associates of Central New York?
A: Since January 2023.
Q: What duties come with the position?
A: As board president my responsibilities, in addition to my clinical duties, are to help manage the practice. I address any issues with regard to the manner in which we see patients, our referral patterns and making sure everyone has the tools they need to practice medicine, to practice oncology efficiently and effectively.
Q: HOA is the largest cancer center in Central New York, correct? How did that happen?
A: Right. We see around 70% of all patients in the area that are receiving oncology treatment. I think the way things have developed for HOA have a lot to do with putting the patient first. Everything we do puts the patient first. Our philosophy is that if you put the patient first, everything else will follow. That’s how we’ve been able to be so successful seeing cancer patients. We offer patients physical therapy on site. We have access to a dietitian on site. We have various service lines that are more value-added than financially additive. We want to make it convenient for patients so they can get comprehensive cancer care keeping with our primary mission to take care of patients.
Q: You’re currently establishing a new office.
A: We’re going to be opening a brand new facility in Camillus. It’s projected to be complete sometime in early fall. It’s not a satellite office the way people think of them, it’s a full-fledged cancer center. Patients will be able to receive chemotherapy and radiation at our Camillus office. We’ll have a full-service lab. We’ll have an outpatient prescription pharmacy for specialty drugs and drugs related to oncology care. It will really be a comprehensive cancer center similar to our main office in Brittonfield.
Q: Why was Camillus chosen?
A: We thought Camillus was a good place for an office because we noticed it’s in close proximity to where a lot of our patients have been coming from. Camillus isn’t too far from our office in Onondaga Hill, which we’re leaving
Onondaga Hill was a good location because it’s pretty convenient for patients coming from Marcellus and Auburn and since Camillus has been growing, we thought it would be a good place to relocate to for serving the entirety of Onondaga County. We’re really trying to make it easy for patients who travel to be able to see us.
Q: With St. Joseph’s starting a cancer center in Syracuse in conjunction with Buffalo’s Roswell Park, do you see the duplication of services as a good thing for cancer care in Central New York? Is competition good, or is there a danger of saturation and inefficiency?
A: Sadly, I don’t think anyone will benefit outside of St. Joe’s and Roswell Park. The truth about hospitals that have oncology practices affiliated with academic institutions is that they’re trying to capitalize on an abused government program called 340B. 340B is a drug-purchasing program designed to help hospitals offset the costs of chemotherapy drugs to provide care for those who are underserved and cannot afford chemotherapy. So the way that this works is that hospitals and academic centers are able to purchase drugs at a lower price point and then be reimbursed at a higher price point to offset caring for patients who are underserved. When this program is applied to include patients who are not underserved, it can be very lucrative for hospitals. It’s unfortunate that St. Joe’s has decided to go in this direction. But when it comes to providing good patient care, it’s not about finances; it’s about providing things that allow you to care for the patient. You need to have radiation oncology, medical oncology, a full-service lab. You need to have social workers present. You need a team of pharmacists. You need to be able to obtain financial assistance for patients who need these drugs. Last year alone we were able to obtain a little over $11 million in patient-assistance. So it takes a whole village.
Q: What trends are you tracking in cancer treatment that you find interesting?
A: I think there’s a lot of exciting news. Treatments have become very personalized. It’s no longer a one-size-fits-all situation. The personalization allows us to be very innovative with regards to providing patients an extension on life while at the same time minimizing side effects and maximizing quality and quantity of life. It is very common now that patients are eligible for drugs like immunotherapy or drugs targeted to gene abnormalities in the cancer, which allows us to give chemotherapy and immunotherapy that’s easier and safer for patients. And it’s not associated with all of the side effects you expect with traditional chemotherapy like hair loss and weight loss. It’s very common now to pass by these patients in the grocery store and not know they’re receiving treatment. We’re already seeing the benefits of immunotherapy come through with lung and kidney cancers and even breast cancer. These patients are living longer, living better and having better responses to treatment. So we’re really breaking through these survival thresholds people my age were trained about.
Q: Are these treatments available to the average patient or still mostly constrained to major centers?
A: These are FDA-approved treatments available to all patients. We’re also excited about clinical trials we have that are coming. I think the outlook for cancer care in the next five years is very positive. It may not be curable, but neither is diabetes or hypertension. So you’ll see these cancers managed in a similar fashion with a combination of pills and injections to maximize quality and quantity of life.
Lifelines
Name: Tarek J. Sousou, M.D.
Position: Board president of Hematology-Oncology Associates of Central New York
Hometown: Liverpool
Education: SUNY Upstate Medical University; special training at University of Rochester Medical Center; board-certified in internal medicine, oncology and hematology
Affiliations: St. Joseph’s Health, Crouse Health
Organizations: American Society of Clinical Oncology, American Medical Association, American Society of Hematology
Family: Wife, three children
Hobbies: Wood working, travel, home remodeling.