About Us

AFROC is a national membership organization founded in 1987 to promote the interests of freestanding radiation oncology centers. It is comprised of a network of physicians, physicists, administrators, and allied health care professionals who are dedicated to the provision of high quality cancer care in settings that are not owned or operated by hospitals, promoting cost-effective treatment in the context of the highest standard of care.

AFROC is the premier forum addressing private-practice issues unique to freestanding centers, and focuses its efforts on regulatory, legislative, and socioeconomic issues that affect non-hospital cancer centers. In particular, since its inception, AFROC has been singularly successful in representing freestanding radiation oncology centers before the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) with respect to Medicare payment issues affecting freestanding cancer centers:

AFROC (Association of Freestanding Radiation Oncology Centers)
  • It was AFROC that conducted the first cost survey of freestanding radiation oncology centers accepted by Medicare for use in establishing payment rates for technical component services.
  • It was AFROC that spearheaded efforts to obtain an exception to physician self-referral requirements for radiation oncology services ordered by radiation oncologists.
  • It was AFROC that conducted the cost survey of freestanding centers that was accepted by Medicare when technical component payment became “resource based.”
  • It was AFROC that convinced Medicare not to use cost data from hospital-based radiation oncologists in establishing technical component rates in 2010.
  • It was AFROC that submitted most of the IMRT cost data upon which IMRT technical component allowances were initially based.
  • It was AFROC that spearheaded the effort to convince Medicare to refrain from adopting new CPT codes in 2016, an initiative that prevented IMRT payment reductions from doubling that year.
  • It was AFROC that helped obtain a court decision finding that the supervising physician for treatment in freestanding centers need not be a radiation oncologist.

Now, our members are facing new challenges, arising from new alternative payment models, episode-based payment, and hospital acquisitions. We urge you to become a member of AFROC—to help us help you face the challenges coming down the pike as the result of our transitioning healthcare system.

Board of Directors

Michael J. Katin, MD, FACP, FACR, FACRO
President/Treasurer

Florida

David J. Rice, MD
Vice President

 Florida

Linda A Filipczak, RN, BSN, MBA
Secretary

Michigan

Matthew W. Allen, MD
Director

California

Dwight L. Fitch, MD
Director

Florida

Denise Gooch, MD
Director

Maryland

Vladimir Ioffe, MD
Director

Maryland

Karen Mancilla, BA, MBA
Director

Florida

Laeton J. Pang, MD, FACR, FACRO
Director

 Hawaii

Randy D. Sorum, MD
Director

Washington

Daniel A. Wattson, MD
Director

 Minnesota

Shawn H. Zimberg, MD
Director

New York

Dhirenda J. Patel, MD
Emeritus

Peter H. Blitzer, MD, FACR
Emeritus

Robert D. Hesselgesser, MD
Emeritus

Uma B. Mishra, MD
Emeritus

Wayne T. Spears, MD
Emeritus