|
|
FRIDAY PRESENTERS
|
Marie Bakitas, DNSc, NP-C, AOCN, ACHPN, FAAN Marie Bakitas is professor, Marie L. O’ Koren endowed chair, School of Nursing, and Associate Director, Center for Palliative and Supportive Care, Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology & Palliative Care at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She has participated in and led clinical trials evaluating early palliative care (EPC) models for adults with life-limiting conditions living in rural areas since 1998. She served as co-investigator/project director of a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded demonstration project, ENABLE (Educate, Nurture, Advise, Before Life Ends), which led to the creation of the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Palliative Care Consultation Service and two NIH-funded ENABLE randomized controlled trials (RCTs) testing the introduction of palliative care at the time of a new advanced cancer diagnosis. The ENABLE II RCT was prominently cited in the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Provisional Clinical Opinion statement concluding that: “… combined standard oncology care and palliative care should be considered early in the course of illness for any patient with metastatic cancer and/or high symptom burden.” The ENABLE III trial examining palliative care timing, active ingredients, and biological mechanisms found advanced cancer patient survival benefits and improved caregiver quality of life, mood and reduced burden from EPC. ENABLE III was recognized in the 2016 ASCO Clinical Cancer Advances report as one of the year’s major achievements in clinical cancer research and care. She continues to develop innovative methods, such as tele-health and tele-consultation, to reduce health disparities for Deep South rural and minority cancer patients and family caregivers through an American Cancer Society-funded dissemination/implementation trial and as a consultant on “Community-Developed, Culturally-Based PC Tele-Consult Program for African American and White Rural Southern Elders with A Life-limiting Illness. She has expanded these initiatives to reach patients with advanced heart failure and their family caregivers through a completed National Palliative Care Research Center pilot grant and an in-progress NINR-funded R01 “ENABLE: CHF-PC: a Randomized Controlled Trial of a Concurrent Heart Failure Palliative Care Intervention for Rural, Older Adult and their Caregivers”. Among her numerous prestigious research and mentoring awards are the 2015 Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research Path-Paver Award, the Oncology Nursing Society Distinguished Researcher Award (2016), the UAB Minority Health Research Center 2016 Charles Barkley Excellence in Mentoring Award and the Dean’s Excellence in Mentoring Award. |
 |
| Diana Barnard, MD - University of Vermont Medical Center Dr. Barnard is a Palliative Care Medicine Physician at the University of Vermont Medical Center and Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at the College of Medicine at the University of Vermont. She received her medical degree from the University of Vermont College of Medicine, and completed her residency at Eau Claire Family Practice Clinic in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. As a palliative care physician, Dr. Barnard seeks to ensure her patients have access to the best possible medical care that honors individual patient experience; an approach that maximizes quality of life and fully addresses suffering. |
 |
| Trevor Bayliss, MD - Berkshire Health System Dr. Bayliss is a hematologist/oncologist with Berkshire Health Systems in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and the Director of the Integrative Oncology Program, BMC Cancer Center. He serves as Chair of the Integrative Therapies Advisories Counsel and Chairman of the Berkshire Medical Center Institutional Review Board. Dr. Bayliss received his medical degree from Albany Medical College, and did his internal medicine residency and hem/onc fellowship at DHMC, serving as Chief Fellow 2012-2013. Dr. Bayliss's personal battle with a rare cancer as an undergraduate student inspired his career as an oncologist. |
 |
| David Debono, MD - Anthem Dr. Debono is Medical Director at Anthem. Previously, he was a palliative medicine physician at Karamanos Cancer Institute in Michigan. He is a hematologist-oncologist and a hospice and palliative medicine physician. He completed his medical training at the Indiana University School of medicine. |
 |
|
Dia Draper, MS - Dartmouth College, Tuck School of Business Director, Strategic Initiatives, MBA Program Read more about Dia's cancer journey here. |
 |
|
Lawrence Einhorn, MD - Indiana University Dr. Lawrence Einhorn’s clinical interests include solid tumor oncology, specifically within the fields of genitourinary and lung cancers. His legacy will be forever linked, however, with revolutionizing testicular cancer treatment. At one point, patients diagnosed with testicular cancer had approximately a 10 percent chance of survival when they developed metastatic disease Dr. Einhorn’s research drastically altered this number when he first studied platinum combination chemotherapy in patients with metastatic testicular cancer. This monumental finding has resulted in current survival rates for metastatic testicular cancer at 80 percent. Dr. Einhorn rose to even greater prominence when he used his novel treatment paradigm to treat Lance Armstrong, cancer advocate and seven-time winner of the Tour de France. With Dr. Einhorn’s treatment, Armstrong survived stage 3 testicular cancer that initially presented with abdominal, brain and lung metastases. Like Armstrong, Einhorn remains dedicated to raising cancer awareness. He was appointed the first Lance Armstrong Foundation professor of oncology in 2006. After receiving his medical degree from the University of Iowa, in Iowa City, Einhorn completed fellowships at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, and the Indiana University Medical Center. Einhorn has published more than 450 peer-reviewed articles. His work has garnered many accolades, including AACR Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Memorial Award, ASCO Karnofsky Award, ACS Medal of Honor, and the General Motors Kettering Prize. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and American Philosophical Society. |
 |
|
Robert E. Gramling, MD, DSc - University of Vermont Medical Center Bob Gramling, M.D., D.Sc. is the Holly & Bob Miller Chair in Palliative Medicine and Division Chief of Palliative Medicine in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Vermont. Bob’s research focuses on prognosis & decision-making conversations in palliative care settings, with particular attention to concepts of suffering, compassion, and uncertainty. He has authored more than 80 publications and received research funding from the National Institutes of Health, the National Palliative Care Research Center, the Greenwall Bioethics Foundation and the American Cancer Society. He is currently Principal Investigator of the Palliative Care Communication Research Initiative, a multi-site longitudinal study funded by the American Cancer Society to understand the features of palliative care consultations that promote outcomes of importance to patients and families. \ Bob received his undergraduate degree from Colby College (1992), his Doctor of Medicine from Dartmouth Medical School (1997), and his Doctor of Science (Epidemiology) from Boston University School of Public Health (2008). He completed his residency training at Maine-Dartmouth Family Practice and Fellowship at Boston University. He and his wife, Lindy, enjoy the outdoors, dancing and being proud parents of two pretty awesome people (Cailin UVM ‘2020 and Finian, South Burlington H.S. senior) and a golden-doodle named Pancake. |
 |
|
Paul K. J. Han, MD, MA, MPH - Maine Medical Center Cancer Research Institute Dr. Han is the Director of Center for Outcomes Research & Evaluation (CORE), a behavioral and health services researcher, and a board-certified general internist and palliative care physician. He received an M.D. from the New York University School of Medicine, and an M.A. in Bioethics and an M.P.H. from the University of Pittsburgh. He completed Internal Medicine residency training at UCLA, and a fellowship in cancer prevention and control at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Dr. Han’s research program focuses on understanding and improving the communication and management of uncertainty in health care, and his work bridges the disciplines of health services and behavioral research. His specific research projects focus on risk communication, shared decision making, and predictive modeling, and examine various clinical problems in cancer care, genomic medicine, and palliative and end-of-life care. His clinical activity is in palliative medicine, and he is an attending physician at the Hospice of Southern Maine. He currently serves as the Principal Investigator of the Maine LungCAPS Initiative, a statewide lung cancer prevention and screening program primarily funded by the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation and the Maine Cancer Foundation. Dr. Han is actively involved in initiatives to promote shared decision making and to teach risk communication skills to medical students and physicians. He is currently a member of the Editorial Board of Medical Decision Making, and the External Advisory Board of the NCI Cancer Research Network. |
 |
| Nirav Kapadia, MD, MS - Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Assistant Professor of Radiation Oncology and of The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice Dr. Nirav Kapadia is a full time staff physician, the Director of Clinical Outreach for Radiation Oncology services at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer Center, and a recent graduate of The Dartmouth Institute’s MS program in Healthcare Leadership. In addition to clinical work, his interests are focused on value creation in health care delivery, by focusing on intersection between quality improvement and health services research. As Director of Clinical Outreach, he explores innovative and cost-effective strategies that improve meaningful outcomes for cancer patients. Before joining Dartmouth, Dr. Kapadia was chief resident of radiation oncology at the University of Michigan where he developed interests in health care administration and health service research. While on the faculty at Dartmouth, his administrative time has been focused on improving communication between PCP’s and oncologists to improve provider satisfaction and increase timeliness of patient care. At TDI, his education focused upon integrating health services research methods, statistical and financial analysis, provider communication, quality improvement approaches and management skills to improve the value of care delivery. Ongoing research with collaborators at TDI and the Dartmouth Analytics Institute is focused on improving the quality of outpatient cancer care. Dr. Kapadia currently sits on three national committees tasked with payment reform and quality—the American Society of Therapeutic Radiation Oncology Payment Reform, Quality Measurement, and Payer Relations Committees. He earned his AB in Biophysical Chemistry at Dartmouth College, his MD at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and completed his clinical training in internal medicine and radiation oncology at the University of Michigan. |
 |
| Torie Lavoie - New England Cancer Specialists Torie Lavoie is the Patient Financial Advocate Supervisor at New England Cancer Specialists.She was born and raised in Maine. After spending years in sales, medical billing and collections, Torie joined the team at New England Cancer Specialists about six years ago as an Advocate. She is currently the Supervisor for the Financial Advocate team and on the Board for Foundation4Love and work closely with other local foundations to access help and to also promote the foundations and help with fundraising. Oncology Advocacy has become a great passion of Torie's, and she enjoys helping the New England Cancer Specialists team grow stronger day by day and lessen financial burden for their patients, one patient at a time. |
 |
| Kathleen McBeth, Psy/MA - University of Vermont Medical Center Kathleen McBeth is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, with a focus on health psychology and adjustment to illness. Kathleen has been working with cancer patients and their caregiver’s since 2006 for the University of Vermont Cancer Center. She is a member of the American Psychosocial Oncology Society, on the steering committee for Vermonters Taking Action Against Cancer, the Nursing & Allied Health Professional Advisory Committee, and the vice president of the Stowe Weekend of Hope. She has presented at the University of Vermont Cancer Center’s Women’s Cancer Conference, the Dartmouth Lymphoma Symposium, the Stowe Weekend of Hope, and at the Northern New England Oncology Society annual conference. Kathleen is an active member of the Nursing & Allied Health Professional Advisory Committee (NAHPAC) of NNECOS. Kathleen was diagnosed with cancer twice, the first time in 1997 with Lymphoma. After treatment she went back to graduate school to become a psychologist and focus on the needs of oncology patients. Since her second diagnosis of breast cancer she continues to support the individuals who experience a cancer diagnosis from a key understanding of the uncertainty that comes with this disease as well as the impact it has on the entire family. |
 |
| Elizabeth B. McGrath DNP, APRN, AGACNP-BC, AOCNP, ACHPN - Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Elizabeth McGrath is a nurse practitioner at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in the Norris Cotton Cancer Center, as well as a member of the GI Oncology Program and an Instructor at the Geisel School of Medicine. Elizabeth is an expert in oncology nursing with over 30 years’ experience in both community and academic settings, as a clinician, educator, and researcher and in leadership. She joined the staff of the NCCC in 2009. In 2011 she was a sub investigator in a CDC funded study “Reducing Disparities in Health for Vulnerable Populations in NH and VT: Journey Forward Cancer Survivor Care Planning in the Rural Northeast.” She is a member of the NNECOS Board of Directors and NAHPAC, and recently earned her DNP at Northeastern University. Practice interests include symptom management, palliative care and geriatric oncology. |
 |
| Carissa Morton RN, BSN, BMTCN - Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Carissa graduated in 2013 from Colby-Sawyer College with her Bachelors in Nursing. She is a Bone Marrow Transplant Certified nurse and has been a nurse on the Hematology/ Oncology Special Care Unit at Dartmouth Hitchcock for 4 years. As a sophomore in college Carissa was diagnosed with stage IV Hodgkin’s disease; she completed 6 months of chemo (while continuing with classes and clinical). Within a month of stopping that chemo, it was confirmed that she had recurrent Hodgkin’s and that she needed to start salvage chemo and continue with a autologous stem cell transplant. She did have to take off a semester for her stem cell transplant. It will be seven years since her transplant this November. Carissa now lives in the home she grew up in in Barre Town, VT on the edge of her family’s dairy farm and vineyard. She lives with her husband, 1.5 year old daughter, and two dogs; and they are expecting their second child in March 2018. |
|
| Lauren Neves, JD - PhRMA Lauren Neves is a Director of Policy at PhRMA focusing on the value of cancer medicines, medication adherence, and payment and delivery reform. Prior to joining PhRMA, Lauren earned her law degree and worked as a market access and health policy consultant to health care and pharmaceutical clients. |
|
|
Blase Polite, MD - University of Chicago Associate Professor of Medicine Dr. Polite is an Associate Professor of Medicine; Deputy Section Chief for Clinical Operations and Executive Medical Director for Cancer Accountable Care at the University of Chicago where he is overseeing the negotiations and implementation of several alternative payment models for cancer. He is Past-Chair of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Health Disparities Committee and the ASCO Government Relations Committee and serves on the ASCO alternative payment models and value based care taskforces where he has led development of a cancer Alternative Payment Model being submitted for consideration by the Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC) established under MACRA. He publishes widely in the field of health policy. Dr. Polite is also an active practicing GI oncologist and clinical trialist where he specializes in the treatment of patients with Colorectal, anal,and neuroendocrine cancers. He has received a distinguished clinician award from the Biologic Science Division faculty and distinguished teaching award from the oncology fellows. Dr. Polite earned his Bachelor and Master’s degree in Public Policy Studies from the University of Chicago, and went on to spend 4 years working on Health Care and Medicare reform policy in Washington DC with the Department of Health and Human Services and with the Office of Senator Bill Bradley. He received his MD from Indiana University and then did his training in Internal Medicine and Medical oncology at the University of Chicago. |
 |
|
Yousuf Zafar, MD - Duke Cancer Institute Associate Professor of Medicine, Associate Professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy Dr. Zafar is a health services researcher with a focus in improving care delivery for patients with advanced cancer. He has obtained advanced training in health services research and has participated in single-institution, multi-institution and national studies focusing on access to care, cost of care, and comparative effectiveness of care delivery between health systems. His primary area of interest is in the cost of cancer care. He has conducted institutional and national studies on how treatment-related costs impact cancer patients' experience. His current work in this arena is focused on patient preferences regarding cost-related communication and decision-making. A second field of interest is palliative care. Dr. Zafar has collaborated with national and international palliative care leaders to improve the design and delivery of palliative care in cancer clinical trials. Methodologically, this work has centered around systematic literature reviews, iterative surveys, and prospective clinical trials. Dr. Zafar is a member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s Health Disparities and Clinical Practice Guideline Committees. He is a member of the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology's Health Disparities and Health Outcomes Committees. Dr. Zafar's work has been funded by the American Cancer Society, the HealthWell Foundation, the Duke Cancer Prevention and Control Program, the Duke Clinical Research Institute, and the CALGB Foundation. |
 |
Northern New England Clinical Oncology Society
P.O. Box 643
Sandown, NH 03873-0643
Telephone (603) 887-1948
info@nnecos.org
This website brought to you by:
