CANCER BUZZ

Meeting the needs of cancer program staff to ultimately improve patient outcomes is at the heart of the presidential themes of ACCC's current and immediate past presidents. CANCER BUZZ spoke to Krista Nelson, who advocated for the professional well-being of cancer program staff and Dr. David Penberthy, who aims to leverage technology to transform cancer care delivery and the patient experience. Hear how both tenures focus on what's most important in the cancer care community—supporting patients, clinicians, and staff.

Krista Nelson, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C, FAOSW

ACCC 2021-2022 President

Program Manager of Quality & Research, Cancer Support Services & Compassion

Providence Cancer Institute

Portland, OR

David R. Penberthy, MD, MBA

ACCC 2022-23 President

Medical Director, Radiation Oncology, Bon Secours, Southside Regional Medical Center

Petersburg, VA

Resources:

• Krista Nelson's President's Theme 2021-22, "Real-World Lessons from COVID-19: Driving Oncology Care Forward."
• Dr. David R. Penberthy's President's Theme 2022-23, "Leveraging Technology to Transform Cancer Care Delivery and the Patient Experience."
• Making the Case for New Staff demonstrate the justification for hiring oncology supportive care staff.
• Mindfulness Meditations help members of the cancer care team better manage stress and improve their overall well-being.
• [MINI-PODCAST] Ep 74: The Business Case for Hiring Oncology Social Workers
• [Video] Dr. David R. Penberthy on Looking Ahead
• New Association of Community Cancer Centers president looks to technology-driven solutions, article from Healio.com
• [ACCCBuzz Blog] Recap: ACCC's 48th Annual Meeting and Cancer Center Business Summit Part 1 and Part 2

While not yet mainstream in the community setting, measurable residual disease (MRD) testing has the potential to become more fully integrated into clinical practice as one of the reliable markers of treatment response for patients with multiple myeloma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Our guests—Drs. Rafael Fonseca and Tara Graff—discuss the benefits of MRD testing for these specific patient populations, the importance of training the multidisciplinary care team, and the promise of MRD testing to improve patient outcomes as its adoption continues to grow.

Guests:

Rafael Fonseca, MD

Professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic

Scottsdale, Arizona

Tara Graff, DO

Medical Oncologist, Mission Cancer and Blood

Des Moines, Iowa

This podcast is produced as part of the ACCC MRD Testing Implementation Roadmaps education project and is funded by Adaptive Biotechnologies.

Resources:

• MRD Testing Implementation Roadmaps
• MRD Testing Implementation Roadmap for B-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
• MRD Testing Resource Library
• Multidisciplinary Multiple Myeloma Care
• Biomarkers in Hematologic Malignancies: A Focus on CLL and Multiple Myeloma
• Multidisciplinary Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Care

Because cancer treatment is rapidly evolving and complex, state-level advocacy is critical to help legislators understand the nuances of oncology. From issues like pharmacy benefit managers to white bagging and copay accumulators, the cancer care team knows firsthand the impact of policy decisions on the lived experiences of patients, including access to care, financial toxicity, and quality of life. Hear how state oncology societies have the power to mobilize larger groups of providers across the state to make their voices heard on behalf of their patients—and how you can get involved.

Guest:

Benjamin M. Parsons, DO Medical Oncologist/Hematologist Gundersen Health Care System, La Crosse Clinic;

President, Wisconsin Association of Hematology and Oncology (WAHO)

WAHO is a Chapter Member of the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) through the Oncology State Societies at ACCC.

Resources:

• How White Bagging Impacts Patient Care
• Wisconsin Advocacy Ushers in PBM Oversight
• Wisconsin Association of Hematology and Oncology: Advocacy Engagement Pilot
• Oncology State Societies at ACCC: Find Your Local Chapter!
• ACCC Advocacy Letters and Statements

At times, being a caregiver can be an isolating experience—and especially for men who may struggle to ask for help. CANCER BUZZ spoke to Mike McGarry—who following his wife's cancer diagnosis—was introduced to Jack's Caregiver Coalition, a non-profit dedicated to supporting men throughout the caregiver journey.

This supportive community meets monthly to engage in unique activities like ice sculpting and axe throwing and share their caregiver experiences. This creates a safe space for men to talk openly about their struggles, offer counsel to one another, and celebrate successes. Mike shares how Jack's Caregiver Coalition became a valuable resource that supported him as he navigated the unfamiliar role of caregiver.

Guest:

Mike McGarry

Caregiver to wife, Tracy

Jack's Caregiver Coalition 2020 Volunteer of the Year, Jack-to-Jack Coach, and Blog Manager

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Resources:

• Jack's Caregiver Coalition
• Effectively Engaging Caregivers to Support Your Older Adult Patients with Cancer
• Creating a Caregiver Toolkit: 24 Tips for Caregivers
• Patient Navigation: Creating a Toolkit for Caregivers
• Caring for the Caregiver

This podcast is part of a special series with ACCC's Oncology Issues journal. For a deeper dive into this content, please read, "Supporting Caregivers Through Their Cancer Journey," from V37 N2.

When the pandemic brought in-person patient services to a halt, the Pluta Integrative Oncology & Wellness Center developed a virtual platform to provide patients more widespread access to integrative oncology modalities.

Hear how a virtual integrative format can enable cancer programs to adapt touch modalities to self-interventions, leverage opportunities for research, and overcome social and economic barriers, while impacting a greater number of patients at lower costs.

Guest:

Alissa Huston, MD

Co-Medical Director, Pluta Integrative Oncology & Wellness Center

Assistant Professor of Medicine, James P. Wilmot Cancer Institute at the University of Rochester

Resources:

• Oncology Issues journal
• Views: A Pandemic's Silver Lining: Building a Collaborative Integrative Therapy Program
• Rapid Practice Change During COVID-19 Leads to Enduring Innovations and Expansion of Integrative Oncology Services
• Telehealth in Action
• Adoption and Expansion of Telehealth Solutions
• CANCER BUZZ Podcast: Telehealth After COVID-19
• [WEBINAR] Using Telemedicine to Assess Psychosocial Health
• [WEBINAR] Virtual Assessment of Physical Function in Adults with Cancer: Practical Tips

ACCC 48th Annual Meeting & Cancer Center Business Summit

The Advisory Board Company

ACCC 48th Annual Meeting & Cancer Center Business Summit

Livestrong Cancer Institute at the University of Texas at Austin

ACCC 48th Annual Meeting & Cancer Center Business Summit

ACCC position on the Cancer Moonshot Relaunch

ACCCBuzz Blog: Cancer Moonshot Reignites

ACCC 48th Annual Meeting & Cancer Center Business Summit

AccessHope™️

In January 2022, ACCC launched a digital version of its Patient Assistance & Reimbursement Guide, which allows oncology staff to quickly search for manufacturer-based financial assistance programs for specific medications as well as reimbursement resources to support coding and billing. Hear directly from a pharmacist and an oncology operations manager who were involved in the design and implementation of this digital resource. They'll share how this interactive tool can help financial advocacy and pharmacy staff find the resources they need in less time so patients can access—and better afford—their cancer treatments when they need them.

Guests:

Dean Gruber, RPh

Vice President of Industry Relations, altScripts Specialty Pharmacy

Member-at-Large, Wisconsin Association of Hematology and Oncology

Lori Schneider

Oncology Operations Manager, Green Bay Oncology

Advisory Committee Chair, ACCC Financial Advocacy Network

Related Resources:

• ACCC Patient Assistance & Reimbursement Guide
• Fighting Financial Toxicity
• Financial Toxicity: A Conversation with Yousuf Zafar, MD, MHS, and Dan Sherman, MA, LPC
• Financial Navigation Flowchart
• Making the Business Care for Hiring a Financial Navigator
• [VIDEO PODCAST] Ep 06: Financial Advocacy Playbook
• [PODCAST] Ep 13: Financial Health Literacy
• Biosimilars Discussion Guide
• Mobile App Eases Patient Cost-of-Care Conversations
• Tips for Helping Relieve Patients of Financial Burden

The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author(s)/faculty member(s) and do not reflect the official policy or position of their employer(s) or the Association of Community Cancer Centers.