Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Provides State-of-the-Art Oncology Support Services to Kronos Employees Through New Company Benefit

Dana-Farber Direct Connect is an innovative program in which Dana-Farber Cancer Institute collaborates with employers to offer care navigation services to simplify how their employees engage with the institution for oncology care.

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Kronos Incorporated have joined forces to provide dedicated oncology care navigation services via a new benefit for Kronos employees and their beneficiaries. As part of the Dana-Farber Direct Connect program, each patient receives patient navigation assistance, highly specialized clinical care, and an expert team providing a multi-disciplinary approach to care that encompasses the full continuum of their oncology journey. Kronos, a global leader in workforce management and human capital management cloud solutions known worldwide for its award-winning WorkInspired culture, is the first employer to provide its employees with the Dana-Farber Direct Connect benefit.

Through this innovative program, Dana-Farber Direct Connect provides companies with dedicated support services for their employees and is proud to align with an organization like Kronos known for a culture steeped in caring for its employees, their families, and the communities where Kronos employees live and work. All Kronos employees and beneficiaries enrolled in the benefit will have access to a dedicated phone line and email that is staffed by experienced liaisons who are trained to support the unique needs of each patient and can help identify the right treatment options, facilitate appointments, and access support services based on the cancer type and the individual’s specific needs. Dana-Farber’s specialized treatment centers are comprised of teams of experts who work closely together to provide patients the latest therapies and strategies, including access to innovative clinical trials, integrative medicine services, stem-cell transplants, cell therapies, and immunotherapy.

“Finding out that you or someone you care about has cancer is a devastating and life-altering experience. There are so many questions to be answered – everything from, ‘Where can I find the best doctors?’ to ‘What does my insurance cover?’ Managing treatment, doctor visits, and billing can quickly become a full-time job when the patient’s focus and effort should be spent healing and fighting. By formalizing this new benefit with Dana-Farber Direct Connect, Kronites and their family members will have special access to top oncology doctors in Massachusetts along with all the support resources that the world-class Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has to offer,” said David Almeda, Chief People Officer at Kronos.

In addition to helping all patients at a challenging time, Dana-Farber Direct Connect aims to:

• reduce the variability in misdiagnosis
• improve cancer outcomes, care, and experience for all patients across the country
• assist employers in reducing health care costs by ensuring the right treatment, at the right time with coordinated care to improve outcomes

“We are pleased to work closely with Kronos to provide their employees and family members access to the exceptional patient care that Dana-Farber is known for and to work together on initiatives that will reduce health care costs,” said James Terwilliger, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. “Oncology care is complex, with advances in treatment and drug options being made at dramatic pace. The Dana-Farber Direct Connect program ensures that the best care and treatment options are offered to each patient so that they can focus on getting healthy.”

About Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is one of the world’s leading centers of cancer research and treatment. It is ranked in the top 5 of U.S. News and World Report’s Best Hospitals for both adult and pediatric cancer care. Dana-Farber’s mission is to reduce the burden of cancer through scientific inquiry, clinical care, education, community engagement, and advocacy. We provide the latest in cancer for adults through Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Care and for children through Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center. Dana-Farber is dedicated to a unique and equal balance between cancer research and care, translating the results of discovery into new treatments for patients locally and around the world.