Table 1.

Comparison of Selected Dimensions Between Community and Academic Oncology

Dimension	Community Oncology	Academic Oncology
Mission	Patient care; running a successful business	Multiple, including patient care, teaching, research, service
Governance	Flat; usually a doctor-owned corporation with all owners equal; majority vote of shareholder settles an issue	Hierarchical; multiple layers between physician and ultimate authority
Collegial relationships	Referring doctors and specialists	Referring doctors plus institutional partners and national collaborations
Finances
Revenue	Charges for patient care visits, chemotherapy drugs, chemotherapy administration; ancillary services such as laboratory tests, imaging, clinical trial income, and other sources possible	Public and private grants, patient care, state support, philanthropy, and sometimes hospital; faculty practice plans may incorporate elements of private practice
Expenses	Employees, space, chemotherapy drugs, and business expenses	Similar but (usually) without pharmaceuticals; services and space support shared with others at medical center
Margin	Apportioned among owners	“Taxed” and shared at multiple levels to support the multiple missions
Reputation	Local	Local and national