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As Oncology Nurses, We Are the Fish

Oncology nurse pride

As Oncology Nurses, We Are the Fish

Patients and the Public Recognize and Thank Dedicated Nurses

Nurse empowerment

Patients and the Public Recognize and Thank Dedicated Nurses

How to Promote and Maintain Cancer Screening as COVID-19 Persists

Cancer screening

How to Promote and Maintain Cancer Screening as COVID-19 Persists

I’m a Match: My Journey From Advanced Practice BMT Nurse to Stem Cell Transplant Donor

Oncology nurse pride

I’m a Match: My Journey From Advanced Practice BMT Nurse to Stem Cell Transplant Donor

February 11, 2022

Online and Mobile Resources Prepare Oncology Professionals for Care Delivery in All Settings

Oncology nurse pride

Online and Mobile Resources Prepare Oncology Professionals for Care Delivery in All Settings

January 31, 2022

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HHS Announces $226.5 Million to Launch Community Health Worker Training Program

Created from $226.5 million in American Rescue Plan Funding, the Community Health Worker Training Program will increase the number of community health workers; mental health and substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery services; chronic disease care; and other important health services, according to an April 2022 press release from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Oncology nurse influence

After Two Decades of Trust, It’s Time for Action

“It takes 20 years to be an overnight success,” classical Hollywood era star Eddie Cantor once said. For many, “instant” recognition comes after a long preparation of methodical strategy and hard work. It is the story of nurses.

Cancer healthcare advocacy

Rep. Upton Retires After Leading Historic Cancer Care Legislation

U.S. Representative Fred Upton (R-MI) announced that he would not seek another term in the U.S. Congress during his April 2022 House of Representatives floor remarks. In November 2021, Upton and his colleagues introduced the Cures 2.0 Act, which created the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (APRA-H) dedicated to finding and researching a cure for cancer.

Affordable Care Act (ACA)

Americans Have Stronger Access to Affordable Health Coverage Through New Biden Executive Order

An April 2022 Biden-Harris administration executive order on Continuing to Strengthen Americans’ Access to Affordable, Quality Health Coverage will protect and strengthen the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicaid. The order directed federal agencies and departments to review existing language and correct regulatory wording that might be inconsistent with the goals of offering more affordable access to health care.

Genetics & genomics

Minority Populations Represent Nearly Half of 100,000 Whole Genome Sequences for Researchers Through All of Us

Among the first set of nearly 100,000 whole genome sequences from participant partners in the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) All of Us Research Program, “about half come from people who self-identify with a racial or ethnic minority group,” Joshua Denny, MD, MS, All of Us chief executive officer, and Lawrence Tabak, DDS, PhD, NIH acting director, said. “That’s extremely important because, until now, over 90% of participants in large genomic studies were of European descent. This lack of diversity has had huge impacts—deepening health disparities and hindering scientific discovery from fully benefiting everyone.”

Cancer risk prevention

U.S. Representative Pallone Questions Vaping Companies on Teen Marketing

As the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) continues its review of tobacco and e-cigarette products’ marketing applications, legislators and government officials, such as Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), are taking a stand and sharing their concerns on Big Tobacco’s marketing to teenage audiences.

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

NCI Director Steps Down After Successful Tenure

National Cancer Institute (NCI) Director Norman Sharpless, MD, announced his decision to step down as the institute’s director in April 2022, a position he has held since 2017. According to NCI, the institute’s principal deputy director, Douglas R. Lowy, MD, will serve as acting director at the end of the month.

Cancer research

Research Shows That Vaping Alters Mouth Microbes

People who use electronic cigarettes have unique microbial communities in their mouths that more closely resembled those of smokers than nonsmokers, which may signal an increased risk of gum disease for those individuals, according to findings from research funded in part by the National Institute of Health’s (NIH’s) National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.

Access to cancer care

Teleoncology Addresses Health Disparities With High Satisfaction for Patients and Providers, NCI Shares

Virtual appointments and other telehealth care allow patients and families to have ready access to cancer care from the comfort of their own home, Kevin M. Curtis, MD, medical director of the Center for Telehealth at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health, said in a March 2022 National Cancer Institute (NCI) blog post praising the service. Curtis also highlighted telehealth’s role in addressing health disparities, its high satisfaction rate with both patients and clinicians, and the service’s future in cancer care research.

Racial and Ethnic Groups Report COVID-19–Related Discrimination, NIH Says

People from all major racial and ethnic minority population groups in the United States report experiencing more COVID-19–related discrimination than White adults, including being threatened or harassed based on a perception of having COVID-19, according to results from a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

$560 Million in Relief Payments Distributed to Institutions Affected by COVID-19

More than $560 million in provider relief fund (PRF) phase four distribution payments reached more than 4,100 healthcare institutions across the United States in February 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The funding will be used to help healthcare institutions prevent, prepare for, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, including maintaining operations at facilities and recruiting and retaining healthcare professionals during the workforce shortage.

COVID-19 Contributes to Climbing Costs of Cancer Care

Cancer is one of the top five most expensive healthcare conditions to treat, costing the United States more than $157 billion annually. The payout from patients’ pockets may be even greater, with the cost of cancer medications alone standing at $895 billion per year. But paying for cancer during a pandemic? Even financially secure patients with healthcare coverage are struggling.

Robert Otto Valdez Appointed AHRQ Director

Internationally recognized for expertise in health services research, the U.S. healthcare system, and health policy analysis, Robert Otto Valdez, PhD, MHSA, was appointed as director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) in February 2022, where he leads the agency’s work in improving and promoting patient safety.

Cancer screening

CDC Emphasizes Importance of Cancer Screenings During COVID-19

“Cancer doesn’t wait, and neither should you,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urged patients in its new cancer screening adherence campaign. The COVID-19 pandemic has created barriers to regular health visits, screenings, and treatment for individuals everywhere, and providers and organizations alike are seeking solutions.

Quality of care

More Women Have Access to Essential Health Care, HHS Says During Women’s History Month

Healthcare organizations and agencies across the country, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), prioritized enhancing and expanding services like maternal and postpartum care and sexual and reproductive health during Women’s History Month, HHS announced in March 2022.

Nurse well-being

Younger Nurses Are Leaving the Profession Because of Emotional Health

Young nurses are “less emotionally healthy and less optimistic about the future,” even after accounting for age and years of nursing experience, according to findings from a 2022 study conducted by the American Nurses Foundation. High levels of burnout correlate with drones of professionals leaving the nursing field, the foundation said in its Pulse on the Nation’s Nurses Survey Series: COVID-19 Two-Year Impact Assessment Survey.

CMS Expands Eligibility Criteria for Lung Cancer Screening With Low-Dose Computed Tomography

More Medicare beneficiaries now meet age, smoking history, and other criteria for lung cancer screening and are now eligible to receive low-dose computed tomography (LDCT), according to a February 2022 memo from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

nursing professional development

Nurses Share Career Advice, Growth Opportunities at BEACON Career Forum

A successful nursing career requires resiliency in the face of uncertainty, Susan Orsega, MSN, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, director of the Commissioned Corps Headquarters, said during a career forum hosted by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke’s (NINDS’s) Building Engagement and Community for Nurses (BEACON) program in February 2022. She joined a plethora of nurse pioneers at the forum to share ways that nurses can collaborate and make significant contributions to and grow professionally in the nursing field.

National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan Creates Path Out of Pandemic

President Joe Biden released the National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan in March 2022, enabling the United States to move forward with goals to protect against and treat COVID-19, prepare for new variants, prevent economic and educational shutdowns, and expand vaccinations.

Legislators, Professional Organizations Advocate for Safety Protections for Healthcare Workers

Shortly after emergency workplace safety standards were removed and guidance on isolation time following a positive COVID-19 test result was updated, healthcare workers and administrations urged legislators to issue protections for the profession. To ensure their voices were heard, House of Representatives legislators Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA) and Alma Adams (D-NC) wrote a letter to President Joe Biden and Department of Labor Secretary Marty Walsh to advocate for a reversal.

Nurse well-being

American Rescue Plan Funds Will Reduce Burnout, Promote Mental Wellness Among Healthcare Workforce

The United States is investing $103 million to improve healthcare worker retention and respond to the ongoing nursing workforce shortage by reducing burnout and promoting mental health and wellness for healthcare professionals, particularly those in underserved and rural communities, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said in January 2022.

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

NCI Office of Cancer Survivorship Funded More Than $100 Million for Survivorship Research in 2020

More than 150 Office of Cancer Survivorship grants totaling nearly $112 million funded research on cancer survivorship in 2020, including “resources for implementation of the STAR Act and additional resources provided through legislation such as the 21st Century Cures Act, which authorized funding for the Cancer Moonshot,” according to the office’s 25th anniversary report.

Cancer health disparities

Diverse Healthcare Equity Requires Providers and Policymakers to Unite for Change

Systemic racism persists throughout today’s society, presenting barriers to basic human rights and services, including quality health care for millions of people. Overcoming those disparities and achieving social justice require advocacy from all—but especially nurses.

Clinical practice guidelines

Preventive Healthcare Guidelines for Women and Children Improve Under Affordable Care Act

Comprehensive preventive care and screening guidelines for women and infants, children, and adolescents under the Affordable Care Act expanded in January 2022, requiring certain group health plans and insurance plans to provide coverage with no out-of-pocket costs for preventive health services, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

Patient financial advocacy

CMS Takes Action to Lower Out-of-Pocket Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Costs

Out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for beneficiaries with Medicare Part D could start to lower with improved price transparency and market competition thanks to a January 2022 proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The rule, which would take effect on January 1, 2023, would improve beneficiaries’ experiences with Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D and work to improve health equity in the programs, according to CMS.

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To report a content error, inaccuracy, or typo, email pubONSVoice@ons.org.

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Alec Stone MA, MPA, ONS Public Affairs Director

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