CT Challenge Hosts 2nd Annual Survivorship Summit

November 17, 2011

The CT Challenge held its second annual Survivorship Summit on Tuesday, November 15 at the New Haven Lawn Club. Over 150 people gathered to hear experts in survivorship from around the country. The audience included nurses, doctors, social workers, nutritionists, physical therapists, personal trainers, and cancer survivors. Representatives from twenty-four, or over 90% of the state's hospitals, were in attendance.

As survivorship becomes more prevalent, hospitals, community-based organizations, and providers are looking for a greater understanding of what is needed and how they can best offer their support and services. Mary McCabe, the Director of the Survivorship Program at Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York City, started the day with a look at Models of Survivorship Care and various options available when creating a survivorship program. Melinda Irwin, Co-Director of the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Program at Yale Cancer Center discussed What's New in Exercise Research. Dr. Irwin gave an update on her own research with breast and ovarian cancer patients and exercise, as well as delving into some other national studies. She also discussed the need for personal trainers to earn the Certified Cancer Exercise Trainer status from the American College of Sports Medicine so they can better work with cancer survivors.

The 12-week wellness program and new CT Challenge Center for Survivorship opening in Southport in 2012 was reviewed by Lindsay Duncan, from the Health, Emotion and Behavioral Laboratory at Yale. Dr. Jennifer Ford, a clinical psychologist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering talked about young adult survivors as that demographic is becoming more prevalent in American society.

After a delicious and nutritious lunch from the Lawn Club, Carrie Stricker, from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing and the Abramson Cancer Center took us through a detailed look at treatment summaries and care plans, required of all cancer centers by 2015, with phase-in beginning in 2012. Finally, Ken Miller, MD, formerly Director of the Survivorship Clinic at Dana Farber in Boston and the CT Challenge Survivorship Clinic at Yale, discussed Buy-in and Pushback of survivorship, both from some medical professionals as well as some patients.

It was a fascinating day. We particularly want to thank our 13 Network Members of the Survivorship Network. All 13 were in attendance and we appreciate their support. We are also looking forward to adding more Members as hospitals begin to provide treatment summaries and care plans and become eligible to be a part of the Network.

Look for videos of these wonderful speakers on our website to be posted soon.

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