Association of Community Cancer Centers to Honor North Carolina Researcher James E. Radford, Jr., MD
ROCKVILLE, MD – Feb. 6, 2009 - James E. Radford, Jr., MD, will be honored March 19, 2009, with the Association of Community Cancer Centers’ annual David King Community Clinical Scientist Award. Dr. Radford leads the Cancer Research Program at the Margaret R. Pardee Memorial Hospital in Hendersonville, N.C. He is also a medical oncologist in private practice with Hendersonville Hematology and Oncology, PLLC.
The award will be presented at ACCC’s 35th Annual National Meeting on Thursday, March 19, 2009, at the Potomac National Harbor, just outside Washington, D.C. The David King Community Clinical Scientist Award recognizes active community clinical research leaders. Award winners have demonstrated leadership in the development, participation, and evaluation of clinical studies and/or are active in the development of new screening, risk assessment, treatment, or supportive care programs for cancer patients.
Dr. Radford has led efforts at the Margaret R. Pardee Memorial Hospital Cancer Research Program to improve access to clinical trials for older cancer patients. Through his efforts the program has been highly successful in recruiting older patients to clinical trials. Dr. Radford is Hendersonville Community Leader, Southeast Cancer Control Consortium. Under Dr. Radford’s leadership—and with help from his team, Pardee’s Cancer Research Program has achieved an exceptional record of cancer clinical trial participation. In 2008, a record 64 new patients were enrolled in 17 different studies. These patients represent 11 percent of the number of new cancer patients (582) diagnosed and treated at Pardee Hospital. At present, 50 separate national (and, in some cases, international) clinical trials are open locally to patients with 14 different types of cancer.
ACCC’s prestigious award is named after David K. King, MD, FACP, who passed away after a brief battle with cancer. Dr. King had a long and colorful history with the Association of Community Cancer Centers, serving in many capacities—President, Chair of ACCC’s Annual Presidents’ Retreat, and Co-Chair of ACCC’s reimbursement committee, just to name a few. Dr. King spent his entire life caring for individuals with cancer and advocating for access to quality care, while also championing the Community Clinical Oncology Program and the value of clinical research in the community setting. Award winners become lifetime members of the ACCC National Academy of Community Oncology Scientists, which will serve as a valuable resource to ACCC, NCI, pharmaceutical companies, and other organizations involved in community cancer research.
Since 1974, the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) has served as the leading national multidisciplinary organization that sets the standard for quality care for patients with cancer. ACCC is dedicated to promoting professional learning opportunities and to providing a forum for members to network and enhance their skills in the business, clinical and management aspects of care for the cancer community. Nearly 17,000 cancer care professionals from approximately 900 hospitals and more than 1,200 private practices are affiliated with ACCC. Our unique membership includes all members of the cancer care team: medical and radiation oncologists, surgeons, cancer program administrators and medical directors, pharmacists, oncology nurses, oncology social workers, and cancer program data managers. For more information, visit ACCC's website at www.accc-cancer.org. Follow us on Facebook and on ACCCBuzz, ACCC's online blog, www.acccbuzz.wordpress.com.
