Alliance Radiation Oncology At Anna Jaques Hospital Approved To Participate In The Veterans Choice Program

Alliance Oncology, a division of Alliance HealthCare Services, a leading national provider of outsourced healthcare services, announced today that one of their joint-ventured radiation therapy centers, Alliance Radiation Oncology at Anna Jaques Hospital, has been approved to participate in the VA Choice Program, which offers U.S. military veterans access to evidence-based cancer treatment options outside of Veterans Health Administration facilities.

The VA Choice Program, part of the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (VACAA), was created to provide veterans broader access to proven therapies beyond those available through the VA.  As part of this, the Program enables veterans enrolled in VA health to receive care within their community or allows them to see a cancer specialist with the most advanced technology, instead of waiting for a VA appointment or traveling to a VA facility.

In order to qualify to be a participating non-VA site to treat veterans in the Choice Program, Alliance Radiation Oncology at Anna Jaques Hospital had to undergo a very stringent approval process.  According to the Veterans Health Administration, “The practice of radiation oncology occurs in a variety of clinical environments, which include academic health science centers, large private hospitals and free standing facilities in the community.  To ensure quality radiation oncology care, it is imperative that each practice treating veterans must practice at or above those standards the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) applies to its own radiation oncology practices.  Assuring these standards are met requires periodic objective assessments of the radiation oncology team credentials, radiation treatment policies and procedures, and a critical evaluation of the facility infrastructure.”

“We are pleased to be approved to participate in VA Choice Program and have the opportunity to care for veterans locally,” said Claire Y. Fung M.D., radiation oncologist at Alliance Radiation Oncology at Anna Jaques Hospital.  “Our team is committed to providing patients with the best possible information about their disease and access to the most well-researched cancer treatment options available.  As part of this mission, we are proud to join forces with the VA Choice Program, enabling us to offer treatment to veterans diagnosed with prostate, lung, and other cancers that impact the veteran community.”