ONCOLOGY LEADERS BARRETT AND ZON DISCUSS THE FUTURE OF CANCER CARE

Washington DC – Association of Cancer Care Centers (ACCC) President Nadine Barrett today participated in a live discussion on the future of cancer care with Robin Zon, president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). 

The packed session took place at the ACCC 51st Annual Meeting & Cancer Center Business Summit (AMCCBS), underway this week in Washington, DC. AMCCBS is an annual meeting that attracts physicians and other clinical leaders, health care executives, and industry supporters from across the country to discuss the latest trends in business, policy, and technology in the cancer care delivery system.

Moderated by ACCC Executive Director Meagan O’Neill, Dr. Barrett and Dr. Zon spoke frankly on a wide range of topics, including their professional journeys and how to effectively balance various leadership roles across clinical practice, research, and administration; the power of mentorship; strategies to balance professional growth with personal responsibilities; the biggest challenges facing cancer care in the next decade and how can organizations like ACCC and ASCO lead the way in overcoming these challenges; and more. 

“Conquering cancer is a team sport,” said Dr. Barrett. “It really is. It takes all of us, not just within our organizations, but across our organizations as well to create the kind of change that’s needed.”

“The good news is we have 18 million survivors,” said Dr. Zon. “In addition to those survivors, they're living longer and they're getting multiple cancers. So the volume in terms of the need is increasing and the workforce to be able to supply that and to be able to manage that need is shrinking. That being said, that is a challenge. So, how can we address that jointly?”

ACCC President Nadine Barrett, PhD, MA, MS, is Senior Associate Dean for Community Engagement and Equity in Research at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Atrium Health. During her 2024-2025 term as ACCC president, Dr. Barrett focused on “Reimagining Community Engagement and Equity in Cancer,” emphasizing the importance of centering patient experiences in every step of the cancer care delivery process, and spent the last year developing education and resources to that end for the oncology professional community.

ASCO President Robin Zon, MD, is Physician Emeritus at Michiana Hematology Oncology in Mishawaka, Indiana. As ASCO President, Dr. Zon chose as her theme “Driving Knowledge to Action. Building a Better Future,” emphasizes turning research into tangible improvements and advocating for policies to support high-quality care.

More information on sessions from this AMCCBS 2025 can be found on ACCC’s website.