To support the optimization of care for patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), six ACCC Cancer Program Members applied to participate in a process improvement initiative. Hear from Wendi Waugh, Director of Cancer Services, Southern Ohio Medical Center, as she walks us through the design and implementation of their plan, which focused on the need to better understand the causes of potentially preventable emergency department visits among patients with NSCLC who are undergoing active treatment. She'll then share her three tips for cancer programs who may consider a quality improvement approach to reviewing and improving their care processes. Guest: Wendi Waugh, BS, RT(R)(T), CMD, CTR Administrative Director of Cancer Services & Community Health and Wellness Southern Ohio Medical Center Related Content: Fostering Excellence in Care and Outcomes in Patients with Stage III and IV NSCLC National NSCLC Quality Care Initiative NSCLC Resource Library 6 Steps to Improve Care Coordination for Lung Cancer Patients [PODCAST] Ep 24: Improving Lung Cancer Care Biomarker Testing Implementation Roadmap for Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) Key Takeaways in Biomarker Testing, Patient Safety, Care Coordination, and Clinical Research for NSCLC Advanced NSCLC Biomarker Testing (CME/CMLE on-demand course)

While the identification of actionable biomarkers is fueling huge advancements in precision medicine and targeted therapies for the management of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), access to these tests and associated therapies are not consistent throughout the healthcare system and have the potential to worsen existing health disparities. Hear from two authors of an ACCC/LUNGevity Foundation study that identified key areas of clinician need related to biomarker testing in NSCLC, including increased guideline familiarity, practical applications of guideline-concordant testing, enhancing patient-clinician discussions and education, and access to appropriate clinical trials.   Guests: Christopher S. Lathan, MD, MS, MPH Chief Clinical Access and Equity Officer, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Associate Medical Director, Dana-Farber at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center; Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School   Nikki Martin Director of Precision Medicine Initiatives LUNGevity Foundation   Related Content: Fostering Excellence in Care and Outcomes in Patients with Stage III and IV NSCLC [PODCAST] Ep 37: Financial Barriers to Biomarker Testing [Abstract #123] Identifying barriers to equitable biomarker testing in underserved patients with NSCLC: A mixed-methods study to inform quality improvement opportunities [Abstract] A United States study focused on patients' understanding of, attitudes towards, and barriers to the use of biomarker testing for NSCLC Molecular Diagnostics in Non-Small Cell Lung Carcinoma Advanced NSCLC Biomarker Testing (CME/CMLE on-demand course) Current and Future Trends in NSCLC Biomarker Testing: The American Experience Biomarkers for Lung Cancer Screening and Detection Biomarker Testing for Patients With Advanced NSCLC: Real-World Issues and Tough Choices (ASCO Educational Book) Biomarkers in Lung Cancer (first page preview only)

Caring for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) depends on many factors and can vary as much as the patients themselves. As such, shared decision-making—those collaborative conversations between patient and physician that guide the treatment trajectory—are critical to align goals and help determine what’s best for each patient. Due to the challenges COVID-19 presents for immune-compromised individuals, clinicians are having more complex discussions with their patients diagnosed with AML—including how to proceed with the COVID-19 vaccine and booster shot. Guests: Jonathan Abbas, MD Director of Acute Leukemia Program Tennessee Oncology   Ehab Atallah, MD Professor of Medicine and Section Head of Hematological Malignancies Medical College of Wisconsin   Catherine Lai, MD, MPH Director of Leukemia Georgetown University Medical Center   Related Content Podcasts: • What Comes Next for Telehealth? • [PODCAST] Ep 66: CLL, COVID-19, and Why Patient Registries Matter • [VIDEO PODCAST] Ep 02: Myeloma Care Strategies & COVID-19 • [VIDEO PODCAST] Ep 04: Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Navigating Uncertainty • [PODCAST] Ep 57: COVID-19 Challenges: Managing Patients with CLL Webinars: • Returning to Practice in the Post-COVID-19 Era: Hematology Disease Education • The COVID-19 Vaccine for Patients with CLL and Other Cancers • Multiple Myeloma Dispensing Models Six-Part Webinar Series • Supporting the Patient Journey: A Closer Look at Adult ALL Publications:

On this episode, we’ll hear what genetic counselors wish providers would say to their patients. We’ll uncover a few common barriers to genetic counseling and testing for patients with cancer and—from the genetic counselor’s perspective—how providers can help improve the uptake of testing delivered via telehealth to educate, inform, and improve patient care. Genetic counselors—as members of the cancer care team—can help patients better understand their cancer diagnosis, make informed treatment decisions, and navigate the financial costs of testing. Guest: Katie Lemas, MS, CGC Certified Genetic Counselor Genome Medical Related Resources [WEBINAR] Using Telemedicine to Assess Psychosocial Health [WEBINAR] Virtual Assessment of Physical Function in Adults with Cancer: Practical Tips Metastatic Breast Cancer Digital Resource Library Effective Principles & Practices in Patient Support Workbook (Part I) Effective Principles in Action Publication (Part II) Multidisciplinary Team Communication: Survey Highlights The Need for Increased Access to Genetic Counselors Genetic Counselor Extenders Help Meet Growing Demand for Services Bill to Improve Access to Genetic Counseling Introduced in House and Senate Making the Business Case for Hiring a Board-Certified Genetic Counselor [PODCAST] Ep 53: Telehealth & Genetics During COVID-19 This video podcast is part of the ACCC Multidisciplinary Metastatic Breast Cancer Project.

Financial advocacy is a complex field of work that requires advocates keep up with the evolving healthcare landscape of payer policies, cancer treatment options, available financial assistance, and more. To support new—and experienced—staff who preform financial advocacy services, the ACCC Financial Advocacy Network created the “Ready, Set, Go! Financial Advocacy Playbook.” In this episode, we discuss the great need this robust resource fills in helping relieve financial toxicity, so patients can focus on their cancer care. Guest: Rifeta Kajdic Oncology Program Manager, St. Luke’s Cancer Institute, Boise, Idaho Advisory Committee Member and Workforce Task Force Member, ACCC Financial Advocacy Network Related Content: ACCC Financial Advocacy Boot Camp Making the Business Case for Hiring a Financial Navigator Financial Advocacy Toolkit Financial Advocate Spotlight ACCC Patient Assistance & Reimbursement Guide ACCC 2021 Oncology Reimbursement Meetings Trending Now in Cancer Care [On-Demand Webinar] Make the Most of Financial Resources and Improve the Reimbursement Process in Your Cancer Program [Podcast] Ep 13: Financial Health Literacy Advocating Amid a Crisis: The Expanding Role of financial Advocates in the Age of COVID-19 Fighting Financial Toxicity Financial Advocacy Network 2019-2020 Census Survey [Abstract] Assessing Effectiveness of a Self-Guided Training Program for Oncology Financial Advocates

A physician and administrator champion at Cone Health Cancer Center talk about why it’s more important than ever to make transportation assistance available to patients with cancer and how these services help improve health outcomes and the patient experience. Hear how an awareness of social determinants of health can improve health equity and reduce disparities, and how to make the business case to gain buy-in from hospital and healthcare leadership. For those looking to implement a similar program, our guests suggest a three-prong approach: develop your playbook, build your infrastructure, and then pilot your program before scaling it up. Guests: Skip Hislop, MS, R(T)R Vice President, Oncology Services Cone Health Cancer Center Greensboro, NC Matthew Manning, MD Chief of Oncology Cone Health Cancer Center Greensboro, NC  Relevant Content: Implementing a Transportation Hub: A Holistic Approach to a Systemic Problem Catch a Ride, Save a Life: Transportation Program Reduces No-Shows The Study of High-Cost Oncology Patients to Improve Care & Curb Costs Growing a Patient Transportation Program The Non-Emergency Transportation (NET) Program ACCC Financial Advocacy Boot Camp ACCC Financial Advocacy Services Guidelines [PODCAST] End of Life Disparities [PODCAST] Cultural Humility and Sensitivity Practical Solutions to Better Engage Cancer Professionals with Communities of Color BLOG: Closing Care Gaps for LGBTQI+ Cancer Providers BLOG: Community Outreach to Address Disparities in Cancer Care Cancer Care Considerations for Sexual and Gender Minority Patients

As pandemic restrictions begin to loosen in many communities across the country, patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) face greater uncertainty in this “new normal” due to their increased risk for contracting COVID-19 and a lower response rate to the vaccine.   On this episode, three clinicians discuss their experiences with difficult conversations on the relative risks and benefits around treatment decisions, engaging the entire cancer team in shared decision-making with patients, accessing emerging evidence and data in this rapidly evolving environment, and the potential impact of variant exposure on this unique patient population.   Guests: John N. Allan, MD Assistant Professor of Medicine Division of Hematology and Medical Oncology Weill Cornell Medicine New York, NY   Mark J. Fesler, MD Director, Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Associate Professor of Internal Medicine Division of Hematology and Oncology Saint Louis University St. Louis, MO   Susannah P. Friemel, MD  Owner/President Iowa Cancer Specialists, PC Davenport, IA    Related Content [VIDEO PODCAST] Ep 02: Myeloma Care Strategies & COVID-19 Trending Now in Cancer Care Resources Telehealth at Its Best: Transitioning a Comprehensive Psychosocial Program to a Virtual Format Telemedicine and Cancer Care: Today’s Learnings for a Post-Pandemic World ACCC Telehealth Resources [PODCAST] Episode 28: Telehealth & Genetics During COVID-19 [PODCAST] Mini-Podcast: Staff Resiliency During COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic propelled rapid uptake of telehealth across healthcare. In this episode, we talk with an experienced cancer center information technology (IT) professional about how the role of the IT professional in quality, patient-centered cancer care delivery and what lies ahead.  Guest: Brian Dunn Unified Communications Engineer for Tele-Oncology UVA Health, Karen S. Rheuban Center for Telehealth, Telehealth Operations Related Content: Adoption and Expansion of Telehealth Solutions Education Project Telehealth Resources [PODCAST] Ep 56: What Comes Next for Telehealth? [PODCAST] Ep 47: Telehealth after COVID-19 ACCC 47th Annual Meeting & Cancer Center Business Summit: telehealth sessions UVA Telemedicine

As COVID-19 vaccinations increase, mask mandates recede, and pandemic-related restrictions ease, multiple myeloma care teams and patients are moving through transitioning environments—in the clinic, at home, and in their community. In this episode, insights from specialists in multiple myeloma care point to resources and tools that may help providers and patients move smoothly through this time of transition while maintaining high quality care. Three providers with deep expertise in multiple myeloma share their perspectives on added drivers of patient stress, treatment adherence, in-clinic and virtual visits, vaccination for patients with myeloma, apps for managing medication-related changes, connecting patients with specialists via telehealth, and more. Guests:  Parameswaran Hari, MD, MRCP, MS Armand J. Quick/William F. Stapp Professor of Hematology Chief, Division of Hematology Oncology Medical College of Wisconsin   Adriana Rossi, MD, MSc Associate Director, Myeloma Center Weill Cornell Medicine   Jessica Unzaga, PharmD, BCPS, BCOP Pharmacy Clinical Coordinator Miami Cancer Institute, Baptist Health South Florida Related Resources: Returning to Practice in the Post-COVID-19 Era: Hematology Disease Education  Webinars: Returning to Practice in the Post-COVID-19 Era: Hematology Disease Education The COVID-19 Vaccine for Patients with CLL and Other Cancers Multiple Myeloma Dispensing Models Six-Part Webinar Series Publications: Multidisciplinary Multiple Myeloma Care: Models of Quality Improvement Oncol Issues. 2021;36(2):50-61.  Multiple Myeloma Dispensing Models: Effective Practices to Improve Patient Care & the Patient Experience Multidisciplinary Multiple Myeloma Care: Models of Effective Care Delivery The Transplant Treatment Path: Optimizing Patient-Centered Care for ASCT in Multiple Myeloma

On this inaugural episode of CANCER BUZZ TV, we sat down with ACCC President Krista Nelson, an oncology social worker at Providence Cancer Institute, where she shared how her personal experiences during the pandemic—and those of her colleagues and patients—deeply impacted her and influenced the development of her 2021-2022 ACCC President’s Theme, ‘Real-World Lessons from COVID-19: Driving Oncology Care Forward.’ Guest: Krista Nelson, MSW, LCSW, OSW-C, FAOSW ACCC 2021-2022 President Program Manager of Quality & Research, Cancer Support Services & Compassion Providence Cancer Institute, Portland, Oregon Relevant Content: Practical Solutions to Better Engage Cancer Professionals with Communities of Color [PODCAST] Collaboration and Innovation in the Time of COVID-19 Trending Now in Cancer Care 2020 Report [PODCAST] End of Life Disparities [PODCAST] Cultural Humility and Sensitivity BLOG: Closing Care Gaps for LGBTQI+ Cancer Providers BLOG: Community Outreach to Address Disparities in Cancer Care Cancer Care Considerations for Sexual and Gender Minority Patients Community-Based Psychological First Aid for Oncology Professionals Making the Business Case for Hiring Supportive Care Staff [PODCAST] Why Comprehensive Cancer Care Services Matter