Welcome to "Field Report," a new series where Advisory Board experts weigh in on what they are hearing from health care organizations across the county. In this edition, Deirdre Saulet explores how cancer programs across the country are responding to the COVID-19 outbreak.  

COVID-19 is officially a global pandemic, and, in the United States, public health officials are focused on "flattening the curve." But not everyone can self-quarantine, especially those currently receiving cancer treatment. So it's especially important for cancer programs to ensure the safety of immunocompromised patients. While all health systems have emergency preparedness capabilities, such as command centers, we're seeing cancer centers develop their own working groups within those structures to focus specifically on oncology care and research.