LIVESTRONG Foundation and Centers of Excellence Network Leaders to Showcase Essential Elements of Sustainable Cancer Survivorship Programs
Austin, Texas (PRWEB) June 16, 2014 -- The LIVESTRONG Foundation is hosting its Survivorship Centers of Excellence Network as they present the LIVESTRONG Essential Elements of Survivorship Care to some of the leading providers of cancer care programs from throughout the U.S. in advance of this week’s 7th Biennial Cancer Survivorship Research Conference in Atlanta. Directors from the seven LIVESTRONG Survivorship Centers of Excellence have created a high-level workshop that features the knowledge and tools needed to develop sustainable -- and successful -- cancer survivorship programs.
Based on more than nine years of practical implementation and data collection, the interactive workshop will highlight the Essential Elements that the Network leaders have seen prove successful in their respective programs throughout the country. During this nearly decade of work together, the Network and the Foundation have made great strides in the area of survivorship helping to create the Essential Elements that specifically address cancer survivors’ needs.
Drawing from their expertise in survivorship clinical program implementation and research, the Network directors will focus on key requirements in current guidelines for patient-centered cancer care including the development and delivery of survivorship care plans, psychosocial care, as well as patient navigation processes. Specifically, the Essential Elements of Survivorship Care outline and define three tiers of elements:
1. Consensus Elements – All medical settings must provide direct access or referral to these elements.
2. High-Need Elements – All medical settings should provide direct access or referral to these elements of care for high-need patients and to all patients when possible.
3. Strive Elements – All medical settings should strive to provide direct access or referral to these elements of care.
For additional information, see an informational video or visit http://www.livestrong.org/essentialelements.
“The advances in survivorship programs and patient-centered care have been at the core of our work with the Network,” said Dr. Ruth Rechis, LIVESTRONG Foundation Vice President of Programs and Strategy. “The opportunity to share our Essential Elements is a great opportunity for us to exchange ideas and ensure that additional patients receive the best care that they need and deserve. Our Network directors have been at the forefront of the survivorship field and their insight will help their fellow physicians and clinicians understand what is needed to create and sustain world-class survivorship programs.”
The workshops will be held as part of the pre-conference program for the 7th Biennial Cancer Survivorship Research Conference, “Advancing Survivorship Care through Multilevel Collaborations," which will be held on June 18-20 at the Westin Peachtree Plaza in Atlanta.
About the LIVESTRONG Survivorship Centers of Excellence Network
The LIVESTRONG Survivorship Centers of Excellence Network was established in 2005 to advance survivorship care and improve the health and quality of life of post-treatment cancer survivors. Over the past nine years, the Foundation has invested $22 million in the Network to expand knowledge of the field of survivorship, pioneer new interventions for cancer survivors and develop, evaluate and disseminate survivorship best practices to national and international audience, including best strategies for—and challenges to—instituting a survivorship care program in a clinical setting. Further, the LIVESTRONG Foundation has worked with the Network to develop the first ever adult survivorship cooperative group in the world.
The Network includes the following prominent survivorship advocates, researchers and practitioners:
• Linda Jacobs, PhD, RN at Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania
• Ann Partridge, MD at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
• K. Scott Baker, MD and Karen Syrjala, PhD at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
• Patricia Ganz, MD and Jacqueline Casillas, MD at University of California, Los Angeles’ Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
• Mary McCabe, RN, MN at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
• Donald Rosenstein, MD at University of North Carolina Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
• Betsy Risendal, PhD and Linda Overholser, MD at University of Colorado Cancer Center
About the LIVESTRONG Foundation
The LIVESTRONG Foundation fights to improve the lives of people affected by cancer now. Created in 1997, the Foundation is known for providing free cancer support services and advocating for policies that improve access to care and quality of life. Known for its powerful brand – LIVESTRONG – the Foundation has become a symbol of hope and inspiration around the world. Since its inception, the Foundation has served 2.5 million people affected by the disease and raised more than $500 million to support cancer survivors. One of America's top non-profit organizations, the Foundation has been recognized by industry leaders including Charity Navigator, the National Health Council and the Better Business Bureau for its excellent governance, high standards and transparency. For more information, visit LIVESTRONG.org.
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Andrew Tanker, The LIVESTRONG Foundation, http://www.livestrong.org, +1 512-279-8456, [email protected]
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