Specialty Groups — Oncology
ACOA President’s Letter
March/April 2002
Welcome to the American College of Oncology Administrator’s web-page.
I would like to introduce you to one of the benefits and services ACOA and the American Academy of Medical Administrators (AAMA) have to offer members. We are constantly in the process of adding content and features to the website, if you have suggestions for additional content, features, or services please let us know.
For members of ACOA, the new issue of the Journal of Oncology Management, which you should be receiving in the next few weeks, focuses on clinical research. With the continued development of new biological and genomic diagnostic and treatment solutions, the role of clinical research becomes ever more important in cancer programs throughout the country, regardless of size or geographic location. As researchers continue to introduce these new and exciting advances at an unprecedented rate, the area of clinical research is undergoing a significant change.
Individuals and organizations involved in clinical research will continue to be challenged by a number of key trends. These include,
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Increased monitoring and oversight by federal agencies.
- Escalated public and political action on a multitude of complete ethical issues.
- Changing roles of pharmaceutical companies in the clinical research process, in order to speed up the approval process of new treatments and to manage the significant increase in new agents and licenses that are being created.
- Academic medical centers, teaching hospitals, physician research, networks, and for profit clinical research organizations targeting clinical research as strategic business opportunities.
In one form or another, the authors whose articles are included in this issue address these issues and provide guidance to all who are involved in the very exciting, yet increasingly complex field of clinical research.
Since I wrote to you last, the ACOA board continues to work on a number of initiatives for our membership, including:
- Continued focus on the new JOM reimbursement column. I encourage you to provide our editors Darlene Johnson ([email protected]) and Carolynn Peterson ([email protected]) with your comments about the new column or topics to be addressed in future columns.
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Kathy Mikos, RN, Past President, ACOA has been appointed as the ACOA liaison to the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer Committee for Accreditation and Standards. Keep your eye on the ACOA website for updates and reports from the ACS-COC.
- This year’s ACOA annual conference, conducted in conjunction with the American Academy of Medical Administrators annual meeting, is in Boston, MA,
November 21 – 23, 2002. It is the AAMA’s 45th Anniversary, and AAMA is returning to the city of its birth. The education sessions and speakers have been selected, and brief descriptions of the tracks are available on the website and in the Journal. More detailed information will be provided in future issues and on our website. I encourage you to mark the conference dates on your calendar and welcome you to join us for this exciting and educational series in historic Boston.
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In the next year, the ACOA will focus on membership recruitment in recognition of the growth in cancer programs and increased numbers and responsibilities of cancer program administrators. I encourage you to pass this information and website on to a colleague or friend.
I hope you find this website informative and helpful. Please feel free to share your thoughts about this website and of the Journal with us. If you have suggestions on this issue or topics for future issues, please forward your ideas to the Academy. Your feedback is valued as we strive to provide you with a resource that we hope will help you make a difference in providing the best cancer care possible to your community.
Best regards,
Joseph M. Spallina, FAAMA, FACHE
President
American College of Oncology Administrators