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ACCC recently partnered with Hallmark Health Care Solutions to host a live broadcast, where expert panelists discussed barriers and effective practices to ensure the recruitment and retainment of a quality workforce.

This is the first post in an ACCCBuzz series on effective leadership practices in cancer care, written by Dr. Barbara Schmidtman.

Noble experts make some of the best teachers who often do their work in the trenches, consistently performing with humility and compassion. Their influence extends beyond the workplace into both their own lives and the lives of others, and often into history. In this blog, Robin Atkins, RN, OCN, remembers The James River Clinic and its noble experts.

Through a partnership with Albuquerque Ambulance Service, a local community paramedic group that is a division of Presbyterian Healthcare Services, Presbyterian enables qualifying patients with cancer access to certain clinical interventions and wellness checks in their homes from a specialized paramedicine oncology team. The goal of the program is to reduce patient utilization of the ED and reduce …

In March 2021, ACCC joined other stakeholders in stating our support of the Access to Genetic Counselors Services Act "to update Medicare law and improve access to genetic counselors for Medicare beneficiaries." Now, ACCC is supporting S. 1450, a bill that would authorize CMS to recognize certified genetic counselors as healthcare providers.

This blog is the fourth of an eight-post ACCCBuzz series highlighting the achievements of the 2020 ACCC Innovator Award Winners. You can learn more about the innovations being recognized this year and the people who pioneered them by joining us at the ACCC 37th [Virtual] National Oncology Conference, September 14-18. The nationwide shortage of nurses—particularly in oncology—has burdened community …

October is American Pharmacists Month—a time designated to recognize pharmacists and the contributions they make to healthcare and their communities. First celebrated in 1925 as National Pharmaceutical Week after a North Carolina pharmacist suggested the idea as a way to promote and teach about the profession, the celebration was expanded to a full month in 2004. The American Society of Health-System …

There is no doubt that having a board-certified genetic counselor on your cancer care team is a great asset, but I often hear about how difficult it is to hire one. Interest in the field is high. The American Board of Genetic Counselors (ABGC) recently announced that the number of board-certified genetic counselors in the U.S. has surpassed 5,000—a huge milestone for the field. According to the National …

Gossip. Infighting. Complaints. Cliques. Drama is what occurs when team members aren’t given the tools or support they need to rise above stress, selfishness, and disagreements. Team drama wreaks havoc on organizational health. It damages morale, productivity, engagement, and retention. Drama leads to customer complaints, lost revenue, and a talent exodus. —No More Team Drama, by Joe Mull, …

When Kathleen LaRaia led the consolidation of Munson Healthcare’s 15 cancer care departments into a comprehensive community cancer center, she knew she had her work cut out for her. “The workplace and cultural environment were going to change significantly,” says LaRaia, MS, Executive Director of Oncology Services at Munson in Traverse City, Michigan. “We had to determine how to help staff members …

Re-structuring care delivery to be more patient centered is among the many demands the U.S. healthcare system is striving to meet. The imperative to center care around engaged patients is recognized by regulators, health systems, hospitals, professional societies, providers, payers, and patients and families—and it is a central component of value-based care. Of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement …

Do the following statements sound familiar? Oncology is the most rapidly changing specialty in healthcare. We are in the midst of unprecedented change and turbulence in the U.S. healthcare system. Burnout is a critical issue in healthcare, and it’s especially worrisome in oncology where workforce shortages—and increased demand for services—are anticipated. Feeling stressed? If you attended the ACCC …

Over the last months, my ACCCBuzz blog posts have covered navigation documentation tools, orientation needs, patient education, and the value navigators bring to a cancer program. Navigators support patient-centered, coordinated, streamlined access to care. But what about the support navigators themselves need in order to provide the best possible care for the patients and their families while juggling …

Stressed by nurse staffing shortages? Learn how 2017 ACCC Innovator Award winner Loma Linda University Cancer Center tackled this challenge. One of the most challenging issues in healthcare is the ongoing balancing act of staffing and retention. For specialty areas, such as oncology, staffing presents an even more difficult challenge. Finding those perfectly qualified individuals with all the right …