The PQI Podcast

Season 4 Episode 5-Role of Oncology Social Worker

This week we sit down with Neshama Marcus, LMSW to discuss the role of the social worker in oncology care. Neshama joined Astera Cancer Care in 2022 as the Director of Social Work to build a social work department in a multi-site oncology/hematology practice New Jersey.  

Neshama received her bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University and her master’s degree in Social Work from Rutgers University School of Social Work, with a concentration in Non-Profit and Public Management.   She also has her post-graduate Certificate in Gerontology from Rutgers University, as well as a post-graduate Certificate in Grief Counseling.

Season 4 Episode 4-Pediatic Oncology

We are excited to bring you our first podcast with Continuing Education credit for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians! This week we sit down with Dr. Tara Higgins to discuss pediatric oncology. Dr. Higgins serves as assistant professor of pharmacy practice at LECOM School of Pharmacy in Bradenton, FL. 

To register for the CE click here:

https://www.lecturepanda.com/r/PedsPodCE

The objectives of today’s podcast are:

To identify the differences between adult and pediatric oncology

To summarize the role of the pharmacist and pharmacy technician in pediatric oncology

To recognize the challenges when treating pediatric patients with cancer

Season 4 Episode 3- CAR T Therapy

This week we sit down with Teresa Thakrar, PharmD, BCOP, CPP to discuss CAR T therapy. Dr. Thakrar is currently a hematology, stem cell transplant, and cellular therapy Clinical Pharmacist and Clinical Oncology Pharmacy Team Lead at Indiana University Health in Indianapolis. Prior to this role, she was a stem cell transplant Clinical Pharmacist at the University of North Carolina Medical Center in Chapel Hill, NC. Dr. Thakrar received her Doctor of Pharmacy from Purdue University College of Pharmacy. She completed a PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis and a PGY2 Oncology Pharmacy Residency at the University of North Carolina Medical Center.

Season 4 Episode 1- Personal Story and Cone Health Clinical Oncology Pharmacy Program with John Ingoglia

This week we sit down with John Ingoglia, PharmD, BCOP, CPP to discuss his personal story and the Cone Health Clinical Oncology Pharmacy Program.  Dr. Ingoglia is the Clinical Pharmacy Coordinator for the oncology service line at Cone Health. He received his Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner license in April 2022 and currently runs the breast oncology pharmacy clinic in collaboration with the medical oncologists he supports. He received his Doctor of Pharmacy from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine School of Pharmacy in Bradenton, FL in 2016 and completed both his PGY-1 Pharmacy Practice Residency and PGY-2 Oncology Practice Residency at Moffitt Cancer Center. Dr. Ingoglia’s professional interests include medical oncology, malignant hematology, and infectious diseases. Personally, he enjoys spending time with his wife, three daughters, and two dogs.

Season 4 Episode 1- Drugs and the FDA with Dr. Mikkael Sekeres

This week we sit down with Dr. Mikkael Sekeres to discuss his latest book Drugs and the FDA. Dr. Sekeres is Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Hematology at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and former Chair of the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee of the FDA. A regular contributor to the Well section of the New York Times, he is the author of When Blood Breaks Down: Life Lessons from Leukemia (MIT Press). More information on Drugs and the FDA can be found at https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262047319/drugs-and-the-fda/. 

On today's bonus episode of the PQI Podcast NCODAs Manager of Patient Centered Initiatives and Legislative Affairs, Kevin Scorsone sits down with John Driscoll. 

John F. Driscoll M.S. has decades of experience in healthcare strategic planning, physician network development, payor relations, pre-paid managed care systems, and value-based contracting. Mr. Driscoll has spent his career supporting physician specialty clinics, primary care practices, hospitals, and health systems in growth strategies, financial planning, diversification strategies, professional staff recruitment and contracting, and mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Driscoll is an expert in market assessment and program development. He has great skills in analyzing market conditions, identifying opportunities for growth, and crafting strategies to improve market share in competitive healthcare markets. His focus is to identify options for clinical alignment, expansion, diversification, integration, partnerships, joint ventures and affiliations that create strong and sustainable impacts for patients and healthcare professionals. 

A former Washington State Representative, Mr. Driscoll served as Vice Chair of the House Healthcare and Wellness Committee, and sponsored key legislation including an appropriation to expand primary care medical residencies in Spokane, WA, elimination of pre-existing condition restrictions for organ transplants, and expanded protection for healthcare providers from unfair insurance company practices. He was named 2010 Washington State Medical Association Legislator of the Year and the 2010 Washington Ambulatory Surgery Center Association Legislator of the Year.

Season 3, Holiday Bonus, Part 2: Holiday Shopping with a Purpose

On this special holiday edition of The PQI Podcast we sit down with Kristen Ray and Elizabeth Heard from NCODA to discuss a list of great holiday gifting items that were founded cancer survivors, support cancer patients or cancer research. Kristen Ray is the Senior program manager for NCODA and manages all NCODA programs. She has a love for fashion and shopping while always looking to stay on top of trending styles and finding affordable options for not only herself but to share with her family, friends, and Instagram followers. Elizabeth Heard, PharmD graduated from Mercer University College of Pharmacy this past May and now serves as the Oncology | Advocacy | Health Policy and Equity Fellow at NCODA. As a fellow Elizabeth oversees NCODA’s Mentorship Program, Patient Satisfaction Survey and Professional Student Organization Committees in addition to many other responsibilities. Her favorite hobby is shopping for both herself and others. She loves helping women of all body types find affordable clothing that makes them feel confident & beautiful. 

 The items Kristen and Elizabeth review in this episode include:

1. https://susansnaps.com
2. https://honeydrop.com/
3. https://www.beautydespitecancer.com
4. https://violetsareblueskincare.com/collections/all-products
5. https://littlewordsproject.com/pages/big-impact
6. https://curediva.com/collections/all
7. https://www.glassybaby.com
8. https://www.survivoreyes.com/about-survivoreyes-browstyle-kits/
9. https://thrivecausemetics.com
10. https://coilstolocs.com

Season 3 Holiday Bonus- Cancer Survivor Story and Saint Virginia Textiles, Amy Hindman

On this special holiday edition of The PQI Podcast we sit down with Amy Hindman to discuss her personal cancer survivor story and current journey.  Amy Hindman is the founder and designer behind Saint Virginia, a collection of artisan textiles using organic fabrics and botanical dyes. Saint Virginia’s hand-dyed scarves and home textiles have been featured in Southern Living,Garden & Gun, and Virginia Living magazines. She combines ancient natural dye practices with a fresh, modern aesthetic, often using locally sourced flora to make eco-friendly textiles that are as beautiful as they are sustainable. Are you looking for a perfect gift? You can find her beautiful products on Instagram @saintvirginiatextiles or on www.saintvirginia.com.

On today’s episode of this special edition of the PQI Podcast Kevin Scorsone, NCODA Manager of Patient Centered Initiatives hosts a conversation focused on legislation impacting the world of Oncology. Joining the show today is Jerrica Mathis, Head of Federal Government Relations at Cardinal Health and Abby Barnes, Senior Manager of Federal Relations at Cardinal Health. 

Jerrica and Abby discuss whether or not there should be hope for future legislation to impact patients, patients being their own advocates, the recent mid-term elections, looking forward to the 2024 election, the importance of NCODAs Legislative efforts and current legislation that is impacting oncology. 

Season 3 Episode 15- Myeloproliferative Neoplasms, Pankit Vachhani, MD

On the Season 3 finale we sit down with Dr. Pankit Vachhani to discuss myeloproliferative neoplasms and specifically myelofibrosis. Dr. Vachhani is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and Associate Scientist of Experimental Therapeutics. 

A graduate of Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar in 2012, Dr. Vachhani went on to complete his internal medicine residency at Virginia Commonwealth University, followed by a fellowship in hematology/oncology at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, NY.                                             

At UAB, he is involved in various clinical trials as a principal investigator.  He leads the Leukemia/BMT working group and serves as the Medical Director of the Clinical Research Unit (CRU). His primary research interest is in hematological malignancies, particularly myeloproliferative neoplasms and AML, where he focuses on experimental therapeutics. He also serves as a panelist helping create the AML and MPN Treatment Guidelines for the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.