We sat down with ACCC President Krista Nelson, on 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.
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.’
“[COVID-19] has changed everything we do. Even if a patient doesn’t have COVID-19, everything about their care has been impacted by COVID-19. Patients can’t have loved ones with them in the hospital, near end of life, when getting a diagnosis, or at their first chemotherapy infusion… and that weighs heavily on our staff too. The providers have all stepped up to be extra support to the patients who have increased anxiety and sadness because they’re going through this experience feeling pretty isolated. A big part is that our providers also feel isolated in this…”
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
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 Cancer Care Centers.
July 8, 2026
June 30, 2026
At the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting, the Louisiana Oncology Society received the ASCO Jeffrey C Ward Affiliate Advocacy Award for advancing critical advocacy priorities that have translated into meaningful legislative victories. The Iowa Oncology Society and Washington State Medical Oncology Society were also recognized for their advocacy efforts in 2025 at the meeting, receiving second place awards.
