Agenda/Presentations

These presentations are from the Geriatric Oncology Workshop (GrOW) series held annually from 2016 to 2019.  This geriatric oncology curriculum was developed for oncology nurses and funded by the NIH R25 CA183723.

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  <img src="/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/r25_mezey_mathy.jpg" alt="Mathy Mezey"> <p style="font-style: italic">Biography at the Time of the Conference</p> <p><strong>Mathy Mezey, EdD, RN, FAAN</strong></p> <p> Mathy Mezey, holds a BSN from Columbia University Nursing (1960) and an MEd, (1973) and EdD (1977) from Teachers College, Columbia University. She has spent the last 50 years in nursing, first working in home care (at the Visiting Nurse Service of New York) and at a city hospital in New York (Jacobi Hospital, NY Health and Hospitals Corporation), and then having a career as a nurse educator, at Lehman College, City University of New York (1973 to 1980), at the University of Pennsylvania (1980-1991), and at New York University, beginning 1991. She is currently Emerita Professor at NYU. </p> <p> The focus of Dr. Mezey’s interest and scholarship has been on care of older adults, and assuring that nurses have the necessary skills and knowledge to provide quality care to this potentially vulnerable population. She has directed 2 major national initiatives focused on care of older adults, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Teaching Nursing Home Program (1981 to 1987) and the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, NYU College of Nursing (Founding Director from 1996-2009). </p> <p>She has written or edited 16 books and written over 75 articles on topics related to geriatric nursing, the education and practice of geriatric nurse practitioners, care in nursing homes, and ethical decision making at the end of life. </p> <p> Among her many recognitions, Dr. Mezey holds honorary degrees from Case Western Reserve and Fairfield University, is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and the Gerontological Society of America. She is Emerita on the Board of Directors of the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, and is Trustee Emeritus, Columbia University. </p>
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  <img src="/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/r25_hurria_arti.jpg" alt="Arti Hurria"> <p style="font-style: italic">In Memory of Our Dear Colleague, Leader, and Mentor</p> <p><a href="/?page_id=2087" title="Arti Hurria's Legacy"><strong>Arti Hurria, MD, FASCO</strong></a></p> <p> Arti Hurria, MD was a geriatrician and oncologist who also served as the Vice Provost of Clinical Faculty and Director of the Center for Cancer and Aging at City of Hope. She dedicated her career to improving the care of older adults with cancer. Under Dr. Hurria’s leadership, the Cancer and Aging Research Program developed and executed over 29 geriatric oncology protocols, enrolling over 4,500 participants on studies focused on cancer and aging. Dr. Hurria served as principal investigator on 8 NIH-funded grants, including the R25 grant that supports this educational conference. Additionally, she received research support from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, UniHealth Foundation, and Hearst Foundation. Dr. Hurria led national and international efforts to improve the care of older adults with cancer. She served on the Institute of Medicine, Committee on “Improving the Quality of Cancer Care: Addressing the Challenges in an Aging Population.” Dr. Hurria was the recipient of the B.J. Kennedy Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology, which recognizes scientific excellence in geriatric oncology. Dr. Hurria was the founding editor for the Journal of Geriatric Oncology and served on the Board of Directors for the American Society of Clinical Oncology. In 2017, Dr. Hurria was the recipient of an endowed chair in geriatric oncology (The George Tsai Geriatric Oncology Chair) and the recipient of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology Paul Calabresi Award. In addition to being a world-class researcher and brilliant clinician, Dr. Hurria was a loving wife and mother, and was beloved by her patients, colleagues, research team, and the geriatric oncology community world-wide. It is our honor to carry on her work through this conference, and to pay tribute to her legacy by continuing to improve care for older adults with cancer. </p>
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  <img src="/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/r25_mohile_supryia.jpg" alt="Supriya Mohile"> <p style="font-style: italic">Biography at the Time of the Conference</p> <p><strong>Supriya Gupta Mohile, M.D., M.S.</strong></p> <p> Supriya Gupta Mohile is a board-certified geriatrician and oncologist. Dr. Mohile has developed a clinical and research program in geriatric oncology by strengthening the links between geriatrics and oncology. She completed internship, residency and fellowships in hematology/oncology and geriatrics at University of Chicago Medical Center, where she also earned a Master's degree in health outcomes research. Mohile's fellowship was funded by an American Society of Clinical Oncology and John Hartford Foundation initiative to train oncologists in the care of the elderly. </p> <p> Dr. Mohile's research interests include the evaluation of patterns of care, health outcomes, and quality of life related to treatment for systemic cancer in older patients. She has previously received an American Society of Clinical Oncology Young Investigator Award and Merit Awards. Mohile was a Hartford Geriatrics Health Outcomes Research Scholar sponsored by the American Geriatrics Society and was a Clinical and Translational Science Institute K-L2 Awardee. She was awarded a Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute Award and an NCI R01 to evaluate whether geriatric assessment can improve outcomes of older patients with cancer. She directs the Specialized Oncology Care & Research in the Elderly (SOCARE) geriatric oncology clinic at the University of Rochester/Highland Hospital and is an integral member of the University of Rochester National Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP) Research Base which is directed by Dr. Gary Morrow. She leads the Cancer Care Delivery Research (CCDR) efforts in the Research Base and is a member of the NCI's CCDR Coordinating Committee. </p> <p> Dr. Mohile is an expert in geriatric oncology with over 100 publications in this area. She serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Clinical Oncology and is Deputy Editor of the Journal of Geriatric Oncology. She also serves on the American Society of Clinical Oncology Geriatric Oncology Special Interest Group and Clinical Guidelines committees. Her contribution to moving the geriatric oncology field forward is noted in her leadership with developing research priorities and guidelines. </p>
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  <img src="/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/r25_synold_timothy.jpg" alt="Timothy Synold"> <p style="font-style: italic">Biography at the Time of the Conference</p> <p><strong>Timothy Synold, Pharm D.</strong></p> <p> Tim Synold, Pharm.D. is a Professor in the Department of Cancer Biology at the City of Hope. Following graduation from UC Santa Barbara with a bachelor's degree in chemistry, he received his Doctor of Pharmacy UC San Francisco. He then completed a post-doctoral fellowship at St. Jude Children's Hospital. He is a clinical and molecular pharmacologist who serves as Director of the Analytical Pharmacology and Clinical Immunology Laboratories. He is also the Scientific Leader of the COH Phase I Clinical Trial team and Director of Pharmacology for the NCI-supported California Cancer Consortium (CCC). </p> <p> Dr. Synold has over 25 years' experience in chemistry and pharmacology, and he is an expert in the fields of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. His current focus involves the role of the blood-brain-barrier in CNS penetration of drugs. He is an expert reviewer for the Department of Defense and the National Cancer Institute, as well as for multiple medical journals. He has over 200 publications related to his research and has authored numerous book chapters. </p>
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  <img src="/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/r25_hurria_arti.jpg" alt="Arti Hurria"> <p style="font-style: italic">In Memory of Our Dear Colleague, Leader, and Mentor</p> <p><a href="/?page_id=2087" title="Arti Hurria's Legacy"><strong>Arti Hurria, MD, FASCO</strong></a></p> <p> Arti Hurria, MD was a geriatrician and oncologist who also served as the Vice Provost of Clinical Faculty and Director of the Center for Cancer and Aging at City of Hope. She dedicated her career to improving the care of older adults with cancer. Under Dr. Hurria’s leadership, the Cancer and Aging Research Program developed and executed over 29 geriatric oncology protocols, enrolling over 4,500 participants on studies focused on cancer and aging. Dr. Hurria served as principal investigator on 8 NIH-funded grants, including the R25 grant that supports this educational conference. Additionally, she received research support from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, UniHealth Foundation, and Hearst Foundation. Dr. Hurria led national and international efforts to improve the care of older adults with cancer. She served on the Institute of Medicine, Committee on “Improving the Quality of Cancer Care: Addressing the Challenges in an Aging Population.” Dr. Hurria was the recipient of the B.J. Kennedy Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology, which recognizes scientific excellence in geriatric oncology. Dr. Hurria was the founding editor for the Journal of Geriatric Oncology and served on the Board of Directors for the American Society of Clinical Oncology. In 2017, Dr. Hurria was the recipient of an endowed chair in geriatric oncology (The George Tsai Geriatric Oncology Chair) and the recipient of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology Paul Calabresi Award. In addition to being a world-class researcher and brilliant clinician, Dr. Hurria was a loving wife and mother, and was beloved by her patients, colleagues, research team, and the geriatric oncology community world-wide. It is our honor to carry on her work through this conference, and to pay tribute to her legacy by continuing to improve care for older adults with cancer. </p>
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  <img src="/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/r25_freeman_bonnie.jpg" alt="Bonnie Freeman"> <p style="font-style: italic">In Memory of Our Dear Colleague</p> <p><strong>Bonnie Freeman, DNP, RN, ANP, ACHPN</strong></p> <p> Bonnie Freeman, DNP, RN, ANP, ACHPN was awarded the AACN ELNEC Critical Care Achievement award in 2009, the Award of Excellence in Pain Management from the Southern California Cancer Pain Initiative (SCCPI) in 2012, the Margo McCaffery Award for Excellence in Pain Management in 2014, and her reference book: Compassionate Person-Centered Care of the Dying published by Springer Publishing, received a 2015 Book of the Year award from the Journal of American Nursing Association. This book focused on an educational method Bonnie developed to address the most common symptom management needs of the dying called the CARES tool which continues to grow in popularity and has been instituted by over 50 hospitals in the United States, and Canada. Bonnie was a nationally and internationally acclaimed expert in palliative care and thanatology. Part of her legacy is an end-of-life tool she created to offer nurses clear and practical information to support caregivers of dying patients. The CARES resource (Comfort, Airway, Restlessness, Emotional support and Self-care) greatly influenced how we care for our patients near the end of their lives, and is a resource used by nurses in hospitals across the country.<br />Bonnie Freeman is the screenwriter for the feature film, "The Elephant in the Room", based on her book, "Resilient Hearts", based on her real-life experience as a supportive care nurse practitioner. The movie is available on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Elephant-Room-Niko-Vitacco/dp/B08GCNTZXQ/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8" target="_blank" title="Link to Amazon Prime">Amazon Prime</a> </p>.
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  <img src="/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/r25_overcash_janine.jpg" alt="Janine Overcash"> <p style="font-style: italic">Biography at the Time of the Conference</p> <p><strong>Janine Overcash, PhD, ARNP, BC</strong></p> <p> Janine Overcash is a Clinical Associate Professor and the Director of Adult/Gerontological Nurse Practitioner program and the Clinical Nurse Specialist programs at The Ohio State University, College of Nursing. Dr. Overcash is also a nurse practitioner in the Senior Adult Oncology Program at the James Cancer Hospital, CompreJensive Breast Center specializing in the care of the older person. Previously, Dr. Overcash was an Associate Professor of Nursing at the University of South Florida and assisted in the design and management of one of the first geriatric oncology programs located at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa, Florida. </p> <p> Dr. Overcash has authored over 40 peer reviewed journal articles in the area of geriatric assessment. A book entitled, The Older Cancer Patient: A Guide for Nurses and Related Professionals by Janine Overcash and Lodovico Balducci highlights principles of care of the older person with cancer and received Book of the Year award by the American Journal of Nursing. Dr. Overcash has completed a post doctorate with the John A. Hartford Building Academic Geriatric Nursing Capacity Program. Dr. Overcash participated in the Geriatric Nurse Educational Consortium sponsored by the American Academy of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) and the John A. Hartford Foundation which instructed over 500 faculty from all over the United States. </p> <p> Dr. Overcash research interests include understanding falls, performance status and independence in older cancer patients. Dr. Overcash speaks nationally and internationally on aspects of geriatric assessment and care of the older person diagnosed with cancer. </p>
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  <img src="/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/r25_mustian_karen.jpg" alt="Karen Mustian"> <p style="font-style: italic">Biography at the Time of the Conference</p> <p><strong>Karen M. Mustian, PhD, M.S., MPH, ACSM, FSBM</strong></p> <p> Karen M. Mustian, PhD, M.S., MPH, ACSM, FSBM. Dr. Mustian is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Surgery, Radiation Oncology and Public Health Sciences and the Wilmot Cancer Institute at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Dr. Mustian is Director of the URMC PEAK Human Performance Clinical Research Lab and Deputy Director of the NCI URCC NCORP Research Base. Internationally and nationally, Dr. Mustian is Chair of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer Fatigue Study Group and Chair of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Symptom Management and Quality of Life Steering Committee. She is a member of the NCI Community Oncology and Prevention Trials Research Group’s Community Oncology Cardiotoxicity Task Force and the NCI National Clinical Trials Network Disease Steering Committee Chairs Group. </p> <p> Dr. Mustian is an international leader in the fields of Cancer Control and Survivorship, Exercise Oncology, Behavioral Oncology, Exercise Physiology and Exercise Psychology. Dr. Mustian’s research is in the area of cancer control and survivorship with primary foci on investigating the influence of physical activity and exercise on toxicities and side effects (acute, chronic and late) stemming from cancer and its treatments including translational foci investigating psychoneuroimmunological (e.g., cytokines and circadian rhythm) and genetic (nuclear and mitochondrial) mechanistic pathways. Currently, Dr. Mustian has over 36M dollars in research funding, 100 peer-reviewed publications and 39 distinguished research awards and honors. Dr. Mustian also serves on editorial boards and reviews for many excellent peer-review professional journals, as well as, grant review committees for the NCI, American Cancer Society, Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute and others. </p>
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  <img src="/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/r25_korc_beatriz.jpg" alt="Beatrice Korc-Grodzicki"> <p style="font-style: italic">Biography at the Time of the Conference</p> <p><strong>Beatriz Korc-Grodzicki, MD, PhD</strong></p> <p> Beatriz Korc-Grodzicki, MD, PhD is currently the Service Chief of the Geriatrics at the Memorial Sloan- Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) and Professor of Clinical Medicine at Weil Cornell Medical College, New York, NY. </p> <p> As an internist with a specialty in Geriatrics, she has expertise in treating complex cases with multiple health conditions, and provides comprehensive guidance that can help prevent avoidable complications. As an attending in the Geriatrics Division at University of Rochester, Director of Clinical Services at Mount Sinai Medical Center Department of Geriatrics, NY, and as the Chief of the Geriatrics Service in the Department of Medicine at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, NY, she has been involved in the teaching of geriatric principles to multiple health care providers, students, house staff and the community. Over the last 6 years she has been dedicated to the care of older adults with cancer, has been panel member of the NCCN Senior Adult Oncology Guidelines has belonged to the Cancer and Aging Interest Group at the American Geriatric Society as well as the Geriatric Oncology Special Interest Group at ASCO. </p> <p> She is the recipient of a recent large Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program (GWAP) grant which will provide funding over the next 3 years for the education of oncologists and primary care physicians about the care of the geriatric cancer patient. She both spearheads clinical research and collaborates with oncologists and geriatricians nationwide in the hunt for best practices in caring for older patients with cancer. </p>
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  <img src="/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/r25_loscalzo_matthew.jpg" alt="Matthew Loscalzo"> <p style="font-style: italic">Biography at the Time of the Conference</p> <p><strong>Matthew Loscalzo, LCSW</strong></p> <p> Matthew J. Loscalzo is the Liliane Elkins Professor in Supportive Care Programs in the Department of Supportive Care Medicine and Professor in Department of Population Sciences. He is also the Executive Director of the Department of Supportive Care Medicine and the Administrative Director of the Sheri & Les Biller Patient and Family Resource Center at the City of Hope-National Medical Center, Duarte California. </p> <p> Professor Loscalzo has held leadership positions at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the Johns Hopkins Oncology Center, the Rebecca and John Moores Cancer Center at the University of California at San Diego and now at the City of Hope. He has created a number of highly integrated interdisciplinary biopsychosocial programs based on a unique staff leadership model. In, October 2014, Professor Loscalzo was recognized for a lifetime achievement award in clinical care by the International Psycho-Oncology Society. In August 2015, he received the Jimmie Holland Life Time Leadership Award from the American Psychosocial Oncology Society. </p> <p> Professor Loscalzo has over 35 years of experience in caring for cancer patients and their families. He is recognized internationally as a pioneer in the clinical, educational, and research domains of psychosocial aspects of cancer. Professor Loscalzo was the President of the American Psychosocial Oncology Society and the Association of Oncology Social Workers. He is highly recognized and sought after for his strategic mentorship of leaders across disciplines. Professor Loscalzo has focused pain and palliative care, the implementation of problembased screening programs, gender-based medicine and problem-solving therapies. </p> <p> He is the PI on two 5-year NIH R25E training grants (teaching health care professionals how to build supportive care programs and biopsychosocial screening programs) and a site PI for a new third R25E to teach advanced cognitive behavioral skills. He is also on the editorial boards or a reviewer for a number of professional journals and has over 100 publications. His clinical interests are gender medicine; strengths-based approaches to psychotherapies, problem-based distress screening and the creation of supportive care programs. </p>
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  <img src="/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/r25_demark-wahnefried_wendy.jpg" alt="Wendy Demark-Wahnefried"> <p style="font-style: italic">Biography at the Time of the Conference</p> <p><strong>Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, PhD, RD</strong></p> <p> Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, PhD, RD is Professor and Webb Endowed Chair of Nutrition Sciences. Dr. Demark-Wahnefried began her career as a cancer researcher at Duke University where she was on faculty for 17 years, then was recruited to MD Anderson and then came to UAB in 2010 as the Associate Director for Cancer Prevention and Control in the Cancer Center. </p> <p> Her research in nutrition and cancer control and survivorship has produced over 200 scientific publications, and recognition as a Komen Professor of Survivorship and an American Cancer Society Clinical Research Professor. Dr. Demark-Wahnefried serves on several committees, including the American Cancer Society's Guidelines Panel for Nutrition and Physical Activity, World Cancer Research Fund, American College of Sports Medicine Guidelines Panel or Physical Activity in Cancer Survivors, American Society of Clinical Oncology Committee on Cancer Survivorship and Energy Balance, and the National Cancer Policy Forum of the Institute of Medicine. </p> <p> Dr. Demark-Wahnefried was PI of the Reach-Out to ENhancE Wellness in Older Cancer Survivors trial - a telephone and tailored mailed material intervention which effectively improved diet quality, physical activity, weight status and physical functioning in 641 older cancer survivors (the largest behavioral intervention trial among older cancer survivors to date). </p>
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  <img src="/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/r25_burhenn_peggy.jpg" alt="Peggy Burhenn"> <p style="font-style: italic">Biography at the Time of the Conference</p> <p><strong>Peggy Burhenn, MS, CNS, RN-BC, AOCNS</strong></p> <p> Peggy Burhenn is a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) in geriatric oncology. She holds certifications as an Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN), Advanced Oncology CNS (AOCNS) and is a board certified RN in gerontology. She is a co-investigator for the R25 grant that supports this educational conference. </p> <p> In her current role as Clinical Nurse Specialist for Geriatric Oncology at City of Hope in Duarte California, she is involved in education, research, and care management of the older adult with cancer. Her focus has been to teach nurses about caring for the older adult with cancer. She has developed a group of geriatric resource nurses. She was the principal investigator for a study to evaluate nurses' knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of caring for older adults. She is also co-investigator for a protocol evaluating reasons for readmissions in the older adult with cancer. Her work focuses on a diversity of geriatric related issues such as: geriatric assessment, delirium, sleep promotion, fall prevention, cognition, pain in the older adult, and guided imagery. She has served as a preceptor for CNS students at local universities. </p> <p> In 2013 she received the Margo McCaffery Excellence in Pain Management award and the Values in Action award at City of Hope for Intellectual Curiosity and in 2014 the Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse of the Year from the Greater Los Angeles Oncology Nursing Society. In April 2015 she received the Oncology Nursing Society national award for Excellence in Caring for the Older Adult with Cancer. </p>
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  <img src="/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/r25_mckoy_june.jpg" alt="June McKoy"> <p style="font-style: italic">Biography at the Time of the Conference</p> <p><strong>June McKoy, MD, MPH, JD, MBA</strong></p> <p> June M. McKoy, MD, MPH, JD, MBA is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, an academic geriatrician on the staff of Northwestern Memorial Hospital, a licensed Illinois Attorney, and a NIH-funded clinical cancer/health services researcher whose focus is on utilizing and interweaving research into daily practice in order to ensure better health for aging individuals. </p> <p> As Director of Geriatric Oncology at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, she cofounded the Senior Oncology Outcomes Advocacy and Research (SOAR) program that translates research on cancer health measures into advocacy-based interventions to improve health-related quality of life and survivorship for older individuals. </p> <p> Dr. McKoy is a strong proponent of holistic healthy aging, believing that to age well one must balance mind, body, and spirit. She has been featured in multiple print and electronic media, including (but not limited to) the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, Talking Points Memo, The Guardian, Public Television, and NBC news. She is the Program Director for the Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program at Northwestern University, an NIH Study Section Reviewer and co-chair, a 2015 Impact Center Women’s Leadership Fellow, a member of the NCCN Senior Adult Panel, an appointed member of the NCI’s National Council of Research Advocates and most importantly, a member of the Cancer and Aging Research Group (CARG) based at City of Hope and led by Dr. Arti Hurria. </p>
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  <img src="/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/r25_fajuri_stephanie.jpg" alt="Stephanie Fajuri"> <p style="font-style: italic">Biography at the Time of the Conference</p> <p><strong>Stephanie Fajuri, JD</strong></p> <p> Stephanie Fajuri is the Director of the Disability Rights Legal Center’s Cancer Legal Resource Center (CLRC) in Los Angeles, California. As CLRC Director, Ms. Fajuri provides legal services to people with cancer-related legal issues, and has presented over 100 educational trainings on behalf of the CLRC, primarily focusing on topics such as health care reform, employment rights, access to health care and government benefits, and advance planning. Furthermore, she has overseen the counseling of thousands of cancer patients, caregivers, and health care professionals on the CLRC's national telephone assistance line, and works to develop educational handouts and publications covering a wide range of cancer-related legal issues. </p> <p> Prior to this position, Ms. Fajuri was the CLRC's Supervising Attorney, Staff Attorney with the CLRC, Development Coordinator with Disability Rights Legal Center, and spent summers in law school working at the Illinois Human Rights Commission and at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. Ms. Fajuri is a member of the American Bar Association's Breast Cancer Advocacy Task Force, the American Cancer Society’s Los Angeles Regional Leadership Council, the Orange County Cancer Coalition, and was a 2015-2016 health team fellow in the Women's Policy Institute, a leadership and public policy training program sponsored by the Women's Foundation of California. </p> <p> Ms. Fajuri earned her J.D. at Chicago-Kent College of Law, and her B.A. in History at the University of Michigan- Ann Arbor. She is a member of the State Bars of California and New York. She is also a member of Legal Voices, the chorus of the Los Angeles Lawyers Philharmonic. </p>
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  <img src="/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/r25_kagan_sarah.jpg" alt="Sarah Kagan"> <p style="font-style: italic">Biography at the Time of the Conference</p> <p><strong>Sarah H. Kagan, PhD, RN</strong></p> <p> Sarah H. Kagan is the Lucy Walker Honorary Term Professor of Gerontological Nursing at Penn, Gerontological Clinical Nurse Specialist in the Living Well Program at the Joan Karnell Cancer Center – Pennsylvania Hospital. She is currently holds several international appointments in Nursing and in Public Health including Visiting Professor at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Dublin; Honorary Professor at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh; Adjunct Professor at the American University of Armenia; Visiting Professor at the Oxford Brookes University Faculty of Health and Life Sciences; and Honorary Professor in Public Health and in Nursing at the University of Hong Kong. </p> <p> Professor Kagan is Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Older People Nursing. She serves on the Editorial Boards of four journals – Cancer Nursing, Geriatric Nursing, Research in Gerontological Nursing, and PTJ: Physical Therapy. Additionally, Professor Kagan writes regularly for the lay press as a contributor to Calkins Media, writing the monthly column Myths of Aging for newspaper and online content. Professor Kagan's education and training includes a Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral Science from the University of Chicago, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Rush University, and a Master's Degree in Gerontological Nursing and a PhD from the University of California San Francisco. </p> <p> Since arriving at the University of Pennsylvania some two decades ago, Professor Kagan has focused her scholarship on undergraduate nursing education, care of older people, and qualitative research. She currently directs the University of Pennsylvania Undergraduate Nursing Honors Program and two clinically-based undergraduate international exchange programs in nursing – one in the United Kingdom and one in Australia. In addition, Professor Kagan teaches short term study abroad for the University of Pennsylvania in partnership with the University of Hong Kong. Professor Kagan maintains an active program of clinical scholarship and practice in gero-oncology which serves as a wellspring for her undergraduate pedagogy and anchors her understanding of the clinician-patient relationship and provision nursing care. Professor Kagan's work is acknowledged nationally and internationally as innovative, sophisticated, and clinically relevant. She is a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and the American Academy of Nursing. Professor Kagan has held numerous visiting posts at many notable institutions nationally and internationally. Among the awards she has received for her practice, research, and teaching are the Sigma Theta Tau International Founders Award for Excellence in Nursing Practice and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fellowship. Professor Kagan received an Honorary Doctorate of Science from Oxford Brookes University in June 2013. </p>
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  <img src="/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/r25_kagan_sarah.jpg" alt="Sarah Kagan"> <p style="font-style: italic">Biography at the Time of the Conference</p> <p><strong>Sarah H. Kagan, PhD, RN</strong></p> <p> Sarah H. Kagan is the Lucy Walker Honorary Term Professor of Gerontological Nursing at Penn, Gerontological Clinical Nurse Specialist in the Living Well Program at the Joan Karnell Cancer Center – Pennsylvania Hospital. She is currently holds several international appointments in Nursing and in Public Health including Visiting Professor at the School of Nursing and Midwifery, University College Dublin; Honorary Professor at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh; Adjunct Professor at the American University of Armenia; Visiting Professor at the Oxford Brookes University Faculty of Health and Life Sciences; and Honorary Professor in Public Health and in Nursing at the University of Hong Kong. </p> <p> Professor Kagan is Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Older People Nursing. She serves on the Editorial Boards of four journals – Cancer Nursing, Geriatric Nursing, Research in Gerontological Nursing, and PTJ: Physical Therapy. Additionally, Professor Kagan writes regularly for the lay press as a contributor to Calkins Media, writing the monthly column Myths of Aging for newspaper and online content. Professor Kagan's education and training includes a Bachelor of Arts in Behavioral Science from the University of Chicago, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Rush University, and a Master's Degree in Gerontological Nursing and a PhD from the University of California San Francisco. </p> <p> Since arriving at the University of Pennsylvania some two decades ago, Professor Kagan has focused her scholarship on undergraduate nursing education, care of older people, and qualitative research. She currently directs the University of Pennsylvania Undergraduate Nursing Honors Program and two clinically-based undergraduate international exchange programs in nursing – one in the United Kingdom and one in Australia. In addition, Professor Kagan teaches short term study abroad for the University of Pennsylvania in partnership with the University of Hong Kong. Professor Kagan maintains an active program of clinical scholarship and practice in gero-oncology which serves as a wellspring for her undergraduate pedagogy and anchors her understanding of the clinician-patient relationship and provision nursing care. Professor Kagan's work is acknowledged nationally and internationally as innovative, sophisticated, and clinically relevant. She is a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and the American Academy of Nursing. Professor Kagan has held numerous visiting posts at many notable institutions nationally and internationally. Among the awards she has received for her practice, research, and teaching are the Sigma Theta Tau International Founders Award for Excellence in Nursing Practice and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fellowship. Professor Kagan received an Honorary Doctorate of Science from Oxford Brookes University in June 2013. </p>
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  <img src="/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/r25_mezey_mathy.jpg" alt="Mathy Mezey"> <p style="font-style: italic">Biography at the Time of the Conference</p> <p><strong>Mathy Mezey, EdD, RN, FAAN</strong></p> <p> Mathy Mezey, holds a BSN from Columbia University Nursing (1960) and an MEd, (1973) and EdD (1977) from Teachers College, Columbia University. She has spent the last 50 years in nursing, first working in home care (at the Visiting Nurse Service of New York) and at a city hospital in New York (Jacobi Hospital, NY Health and Hospitals Corporation), and then having a career as a nurse educator, at Lehman College, City University of New York (1973 to 1980), at the University of Pennsylvania (1980-1991), and at New York University, beginning 1991. She is currently Emerita Professor at NYU. </p> <p> The focus of Dr. Mezey’s interest and scholarship has been on care of older adults, and assuring that nurses have the necessary skills and knowledge to provide quality care to this potentially vulnerable population. She has directed 2 major national initiatives focused on care of older adults, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Teaching Nursing Home Program (1981 to 1987) and the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, NYU College of Nursing (Founding Director from 1996-2009). </p> <p>She has written or edited 16 books and written over 75 articles on topics related to geriatric nursing, the education and practice of geriatric nurse practitioners, care in nursing homes, and ethical decision making at the end of life. </p> <p> Among her many recognitions, Dr. Mezey holds honorary degrees from Case Western Reserve and Fairfield University, is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and the Gerontological Society of America. She is Emerita on the Board of Directors of the Visiting Nurse Service of New York, and is Trustee Emeritus, Columbia University. </p>
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  <img src="/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/r25_johnson_shirley.jpg" alt="Shirley Johnson"> <p style="font-style: italic">Biography at the Time of the Conference</p> <p><strong>Shirley Johnson, MS, MBA, RN</strong></p> <p> Shirley Johnson, R.N., M.S., M.B.A., is the senior vice president for patient care and nursing services and the chief nursing officer at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo, New York. She guides the strategic direction of nursing and patient-care services and leads Roswell Park's efforts to continually enhance care provided to patients, giving special attention to the humanistic aspects of medicine. Johnson joined Roswell Park in late 2016 and previously served in senior leadership roles at City of Hope and Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Shirley has extensive experience in building cancer programs and expanding operations to keep pace with the ever-evolving changes in the healthcare landscape. Johnson is a past president of the Association of Cancer Executives and past chair of the BMT Program Administrator’s Steering Committee for the American Society of Blood and Marrow Transplantation. She completed a six-year term on the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons and was a member of its Program on Approvals Committee. She was the 2013 Healthcare category winner for the California Women of the Year Award bestowed by the State of California. She is a frequent invited speaker on topics of cancer care delivery and nursing practice and has authored numerous papers related to strategies to reduce falls and cancer program development She currently serves on the Audit Committee of the Oncology Nursing Society and is on the Executive Council for the Association of Dedicated Cancer Centers. Johnson received her Master of Business Administration degree, Master of Science degree in management and bachelor's degree in nursing from Maryville University in St. Louis. </p> <p> Since joining Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Shirley has fostered the expansion of an Assessment and Treatment Center, which provides after-hours care for cancer patient symptom management and instituted an after-hours nurse triage phone line. In collaboration with the Chief of Bone Marrow Transplant, she is developing an out-patient bone marrow transplant program. She is re-establishing the focus on gerontology oncology care within the organization, and will be pursuing NICHE designation with the Roswell Park team this fall. </p> <p> Shirley counts it a privilege to serve in a role to support the driving vision for the future of cancer care delivery. Married to Gary, a human resource and leadership development consultant, she enjoys spending time with her two daughters, every chance she gets with one in the Los Angeles area, and one Montana. </p>
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  <img src="/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/r25_ferrell_betty.jpg" alt="Betty Ferrell"> <p style="font-style: italic">Biography at the Time of the Conference</p> <p><strong>Betty Ferrell, PhD, MA, FAAN, FPCN, CHPN</strong></p> <p> Betty Ferrell, RN, PhD, MA, FAAN, FPCN, CHPN has been in nursing for 37 years and has focused her clinical expertise and research in pain management, quality of life, and palliative care. </p> <p> Dr. Ferrell is the Director of Nursing Research & Education and a Professor at the City of Hope Medical Center in Duarte, California. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and she has over 370 publications in peer-reviewed journals and texts. She is Principal Investigator of a Research Project funded by the National Cancer Institute on "Palliative Care for Patients with Solid Tumors on Phase 1 Clinical Trials" and Principal Investigator of the "End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC)" project. She directs several other funded projects related to palliative care in cancer centers and QOL issues. Dr. Ferrell is a member of the Board of Scientific Advisors of the National Cancer Institute and was Co-Chairperson of the National Consensus Project for Quality Palliative Care. </p> <p> Dr. Ferrell completed a Masters degree in Theology, Ethics and Culture from Claremont Graduate University in 2007. She has authored ten books including the Oxford Textbook of Palliative Nursing published by Oxford University Press (4th edition published in 2015). She is co-author of the text, The Nature of Suffering and the Goals of Nursing published in 2008 by Oxford University Press and Making Health Care Whole: Integrating Spirituality into Patient Care (Templeton Press, 2010). In 2013 Dr. Ferrell was named one of the 30 Visionaries in the field by the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. </p>
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  <img src="/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/r25_economou_denice.jpg" alt="Denice Economou"> <p style="font-style: italic">Biography at the Time of the Conference</p> <p><strong>Denice Economou, RN, PhD, CHPN</strong></p> <p> Denice Economou has been in oncology nursing for 35 years and has focused her clinical expertise and research in pain management, palliative care and Cancer Survivorship. Denice is a senior research specialist at the City of Hope and the Project Director for the NCI grant funded <i>Survivorship Education for Quality Cancer Care</i> educational program, P.I.- Dr. Marcia Grant. </p> <p> Dr. Economou has participated in the training of over 200 teams and 420 nurses in survivorship care. She lectures to healthcare professionals as well as cancer survivors on components of care and survivorship care planning. She was formerly with Aptium Oncology in the Department of Clinical Affairs where she oversaw pain & palliative care activities for the company. Dr. Economou was the nurse coordinator for the cancer pain management service at Cedars-Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center for seven years, and an Oncology Nurse Educator providing education to nurses, patients and administrators on specific symptoms and pain management. Denice is an oncology faculty member for the End of Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC). </p> <p> She is a lecturer for the Genentech Speakers Program in Cancer Survivorship and Oncology Case Management. Dr. Economou is a past president of the Greater Los Angeles chapter of the Oncology Nursing Society. She has authored chapters in the Oxford Textbook of Palliative Nursing and Oncology Nursing Advisor. She is an Associate Editor for the Journal of the Advanced Practitioner in Oncology as well as an Assistant Clinical Professor for the School of Nursing, UCLA, Los Angeles. </p>
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  <img src="/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/r25_burhenn_peggy.jpg" alt="Peggy Burhenn"> <p style="font-style: italic">Biography at the Time of the Conference</p> <p><strong>Peggy Burhenn, MS, CNS, RN-BC, AOCNS</strong></p> <p> Peggy Burhenn is a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) in geriatric oncology. She holds certifications as an Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN), Advanced Oncology CNS (AOCNS) and is a board certified RN in gerontology. She is a co-investigator for the R25 grant that supports this educational conference. </p> <p> In her current role as Clinical Nurse Specialist for Geriatric Oncology at City of Hope in Duarte California, she is involved in education, research, and care management of the older adult with cancer. Her focus has been to teach nurses about caring for the older adult with cancer. She has developed a group of geriatric resource nurses. She was the principal investigator for a study to evaluate nurses' knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of caring for older adults. She is also co-investigator for a protocol evaluating reasons for readmissions in the older adult with cancer. Her work focuses on a diversity of geriatric related issues such as: geriatric assessment, delirium, sleep promotion, fall prevention, cognition, pain in the older adult, and guided imagery. She has served as a preceptor for CNS students at local universities. </p> <p> In 2013 she received the Margo McCaffery Excellence in Pain Management award and the Values in Action award at City of Hope for Intellectual Curiosity and in 2014 the Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse of the Year from the Greater Los Angeles Oncology Nursing Society. In April 2015 she received the Oncology Nursing Society national award for Excellence in Caring for the Older Adult with Cancer. </p>
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  <img src="/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/r25_burhenn_peggy.jpg" alt="Peggy Burhenn"> <p style="font-style: italic">Biography at the Time of the Conference</p> <p><strong>Peggy Burhenn, MS, CNS, RN-BC, AOCNS</strong></p> <p> Peggy Burhenn is a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) in geriatric oncology. She holds certifications as an Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN), Advanced Oncology CNS (AOCNS) and is a board certified RN in gerontology. She is a co-investigator for the R25 grant that supports this educational conference. </p> <p> In her current role as Clinical Nurse Specialist for Geriatric Oncology at City of Hope in Duarte California, she is involved in education, research, and care management of the older adult with cancer. Her focus has been to teach nurses about caring for the older adult with cancer. She has developed a group of geriatric resource nurses. She was the principal investigator for a study to evaluate nurses' knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of caring for older adults. She is also co-investigator for a protocol evaluating reasons for readmissions in the older adult with cancer. Her work focuses on a diversity of geriatric related issues such as: geriatric assessment, delirium, sleep promotion, fall prevention, cognition, pain in the older adult, and guided imagery. She has served as a preceptor for CNS students at local universities. </p> <p> In 2013 she received the Margo McCaffery Excellence in Pain Management award and the Values in Action award at City of Hope for Intellectual Curiosity and in 2014 the Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse of the Year from the Greater Los Angeles Oncology Nursing Society. In April 2015 she received the Oncology Nursing Society national award for Excellence in Caring for the Older Adult with Cancer. </p>
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  <img src="/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/r25_hurria_arti.jpg" alt="Arti Hurria"> <p style="font-style: italic">In Memory of Our Dear Colleague, Leader, and Mentor</p> <p><a href="/?page_id=2087" title="Arti Hurria's Legacy"><strong>Arti Hurria, MD, FASCO</strong></a></p> <p> Arti Hurria, MD was a geriatrician and oncologist who also served as the Vice Provost of Clinical Faculty and Director of the Center for Cancer and Aging at City of Hope. She dedicated her career to improving the care of older adults with cancer. Under Dr. Hurria’s leadership, the Cancer and Aging Research Program developed and executed over 29 geriatric oncology protocols, enrolling over 4,500 participants on studies focused on cancer and aging. Dr. Hurria served as principal investigator on 8 NIH-funded grants, including the R25 grant that supports this educational conference. Additionally, she received research support from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, UniHealth Foundation, and Hearst Foundation. Dr. Hurria led national and international efforts to improve the care of older adults with cancer. She served on the Institute of Medicine, Committee on “Improving the Quality of Cancer Care: Addressing the Challenges in an Aging Population.” Dr. Hurria was the recipient of the B.J. Kennedy Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology, which recognizes scientific excellence in geriatric oncology. Dr. Hurria was the founding editor for the Journal of Geriatric Oncology and served on the Board of Directors for the American Society of Clinical Oncology. In 2017, Dr. Hurria was the recipient of an endowed chair in geriatric oncology (The George Tsai Geriatric Oncology Chair) and the recipient of the International Society of Geriatric Oncology Paul Calabresi Award. In addition to being a world-class researcher and brilliant clinician, Dr. Hurria was a loving wife and mother, and was beloved by her patients, colleagues, research team, and the geriatric oncology community world-wide. It is our honor to carry on her work through this conference, and to pay tribute to her legacy by continuing to improve care for older adults with cancer. </p>