Thyme Care Recruits Palliative Care Physician from Mount Sinai to Launch Enhanced Supportive Care Services

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
[email protected]

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SOURCE Thyme Care