Dr. Julia
Frydman joins as first medical director, palliative care to
expand access to psychosocial support, symptom management, and
advance care planning through a virtual care model deployed in
collaboration with oncologists
NASHVILLE, Tenn., May 2, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Thyme Care, the leading value-based cancer care
enabler, today announced Julia
Frydman, MD as the company's first medical director for
palliative care. An academic researcher and former assistant
professor from a leading health system renowned for its palliative
care and geriatrics department, Dr. Frydman brings important
clinical expertise to Thyme Care and will launch the company's
Enhanced Supportive Care services. This virtual palliative care
program will help eligible members and their caregivers manage
physical and psychological symptoms and provide an additional layer
of support as they navigate living with cancer.
Although palliative care has been shown to improve patients'
quality of life, illness understanding, and end-of-life care, as
well as reduce healthcare costs, only 12% of patients who could
benefit from those services receive them. Shortages of qualified
clinicians, scarce outpatient referral options, and misconceptions
about palliative care impact access. Despite recommendations from
the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) to integrate
palliative care at the time of cancer diagnosis, many patients and
clinicians associate it solely with end-of-life care, hindering
adoption of services that promote coping mechanisms and reduce pain
and suffering associated with treatment. From the perspective of
community oncologists, the most important barriers are perceived
resistance from patients and caregivers regarding palliative care
discussions, and many practices lack dedicated palliative care
staff. Across practice settings, limited referral options exist
and, when they are available, they are not always optimally
integrated into the oncologist's workflow.
"Palliative care doctors are critical and are so often the ones
making sure a patient's goals and values are aligned with the
medical interventions and course of treatment. For a variety of
reasons, those services aren't always accessible to cancer patients
and they often aren't delivered in collaboration with the
oncologist, leading to a fragmented experience for everyone
involved," said Bobby Green, MD, an
oncologist and co-founder and chief medical officer of Thyme Care.
"I'm so excited to welcome Dr. Frydman to Thyme Care. This is an
exciting milestone for us, and a natural evolution of our cancer
care model as we work with our oncology partners to support cancer
patients."
As the new medical director for palliative care, Dr. Frydman
will launch Thyme Care's Enhanced Support Care Services. Working in
close collaboration with a member's oncologist and starting with
the identification of appropriate patients, she will lead the team
that will help members navigate complex medical decision-making,
aligning their goals, values, and preferences in the context of
their cancer diagnosis with the medical care they receive. Services
will be provided as part of the company's broader comprehensive
cancer care model, which includes a 24/7 oncology-trained Care Team
which delivers clinical support and navigation services to members.
Dr. Frydman will provide clinical oversight and mentorship to the
Care Team, as well as direct clinical care to members.
"Caring for patients with serious illnesses and their loved
ones, and helping them make informed medical decisions, is at the
core of what palliative care clinicians do. I have seen tremendous
value of these services when integrated earlier into the treatment
plan for patients with cancer, both in terms of overall patient and
caregiver experience and health outcomes. I see Thyme Care as being
in a unique position to support oncologists in delivering
exceptional care to their communities and improving access to
palliative care where services are not currently available. My goal
is for patients to receive highly individualized care that is
seamlessly coordinated with their cancer-directed therapies," said
Dr. Frydman.
Prior to joining Thyme Care, Dr. Frydman was a Senior Assistant
Professor in the Mount Sinai Health System in New York City, where she led educational and
research programs that strengthened access to high-quality
palliative care. She also worked with interdisciplinary team
members to address complex symptoms, psychosocial concerns, and
medical decision-making in hospitalized patients. Julia trained as
an Internist at New York University and
then specialized in Hospice & Palliative Medicine at the Icahn
School of Medicine at Mount Sinai,
where she also completed a Masters in Clinical Research. Julia
earned her MD from Harvard Medical
School and a BA from Princeton
University.
About Thyme Care
Thyme Care is the leading value-based
care enabler, collaborating with payers and providers to transform
the experience and outcomes for individuals living with cancer. The
company partners with health plans, employers and risk-bearing
providers to assume accountability for enhanced care quality,
improved health outcomes, and reduced total cost of care. Thyme
Care's approach combines a technology-enabled Care Team and
seamless integration with providers, creating a hybrid
collaborative care delivery model that guides and supports the
entire patient journey. Thyme Care empowers oncologists nationwide
through purpose-built tech, advanced data analytics, and virtual
patient engagement, driving better care and outcomes in value-based
arrangements. Thyme Care is a founding member of CancerX, and is
backed by leading investors. To learn more about how Thyme Care is
enabling the shift to value-based care in oncology, visit
www.thymecare.com.
Contact
Kimberly
Dreisinger
Thyme Care Communications
kimberly@thymecare.com
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/thyme-care-recruits-palliative-care-physician-from-mount-sinai-to-launch-enhanced-supportive-care-services-302134839.html
SOURCE Thyme Care