Dr. Shaji Kumar, Darcie Green, and members of the NCCN Covid-19
Vaccine Advisory Committee honored for their contributions to
improving cancer care over the years; Donna
Black named NCCN Employee of the Year.
PLYMOUTH
MEETING, Pa., April 17,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Comprehensive
Cancer Network® (NCCN®)—an alliance of
leading cancer centers—is announcing 2024 award recipients that
include individuals and groups who have made significant and
noteworthy impacts on improving cancer care and supporting NCCN's
mission to help all people with cancer to live better lives.
"All of this year's award recipients have
demonstrated incredible leadership, commitment, and
dedication."
The 2024 NCCN Award Recipients are:
- The NCCN COVID-19 Vaccination Advisory Committee
- NCCN Outstanding Contribution Award
- Darcie Green, Executive
Director, Latinas Contra Cancer
- NCCN Partners in Cancer Care Award
- Shaji K. Kumar, MD,
Consultant, Division of Hematology, Professor of Medicine, Medical
Director, Cancer Center Research Office, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive
Cancer Center
- NCCN Excellence in Engagement Award
- Donna Black, Senior
Guidelines Administrative Manager, NCCN
- NCCN Employee of the Year Award
The Outstanding Contribution Award recognizes passion for
improving the care of people with cancer and exceeding expectations
in service of NCCN's mission. The NCCN COVID-19 Vaccination
Advisory Committee included 36 members from NCCN Member
Institutions with expertise in hematology and oncology, infectious
disease, and medical ethics. They worked very quickly to provide
evidence and consensus-based guidance during a time of uncertainty.
Their first meeting was conducted on Jan 11,
2021, and Version 1 of the COVID-19 Vaccination
Recommendations was published just 11 days later. Over the next two
years, the Committee updated the recommendations seven times as new
data became available and new vaccines were approved. The latest
recommendations are now included in the NCCN Clinical Practice
Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) on Prevention
and Treatment of Cancer-Related Infections.
Lindsey Baden, MD,
from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Chair of the NCCN
Guidelines® Panel for Prevention and Treatment of
Cancer-Related Infections accepted the award on behalf of fellow
committee co-leads Steven A.
Pergam, MD, MPH, from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and
Brahm Segal, MD, from Roswell
Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the entire committee.
"The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 four years ago changed the world,"
said Dr. Baden. "Our patients were most at risk. The creation of
the COVID-19 Vaccine Advisory Committee with broad representation
across our communities, allowed us to respond thoughtfully and
rapidly to care for our patients and each other in the shadow of
rapidly evolving data. The committee is proud of its work in
providing aggregated, streamlined, and actionable recommendations
for COVID-19 vaccinations in persons with cancer."
The Partners in Cancer Care Award goes to people outside of NCCN
Member Institutions who are instrumental in helping NCCN achieve
its mission. As Executive Director of Latinas Contra Cancer, Green
oversees efforts to build the capacity of Latino communities to
advocate effectively for themselves in healthcare settings. She
leads a team of health educators and advocates to provide
culturally and linguistically sensitive cancer education,
navigation, and survivor support. Through her advocacy, Green has
worked relentlessly to eliminate disparities in cancer prevention,
diagnosis, and treatment. This includes several collaborations with
NCCN, such as co-chairing the Health Equity Report Card (HERC)
Community Working Group, presenting on webinars for the Alliance
for Cancer Care Equity (ACCE), and participating in environmental
scans and oncology policy summits.
Green stated: "I would like to express deep gratitude to NCCN
not only for this acknowledgement of our work but also for the
space NCCN holds for the voice of patients most impacted by
race-based health inequities in cancer care and the social
inequalities that impact access to and the quality of cancer care.
It is an honor to be a part of this network. I look forward to our
continuing partnership."
The Excellence in Engagement Award goes to an NCCN Guidelines
Panel Member who exemplifies leadership, drive, and commitment. Dr.
Kumar's leadership as Chair of the NCCN Guidelines Panel for Plasma
Cell Neoplasms showcases that and more. He is being honored for his
role in significantly expanding the guidelines that he oversees. He
is also actively involved with NCCN's Global Program and Continuing
Education Program. Dr. Kumar's recognition highlighted his
dedication, responsiveness, thoughtfulness, and collegiality.
"This is truly an amazing honor, one that belongs to the entire
panel," said Dr. Kumar. "The NCCN role has been a highlight of
my career, and I always look forward to the meetings with my
friends and colleagues, the in-depth discussions, and the ability
to come to a consensus on virtually every issue. The opportunity to
make a difference to the patients is at the same time a humbling
experience as well as a great honor and privilege. I am very
grateful for the constant help and guidance from the amazing NCCN
staff, who makes it all possible."
NCCN Senior Guidelines Administrative Manager, Donna Black, was voted Employee of the Year by
her peers. Black serves in a leadership role for the administrative
team for the NCCN Guidelines Program. She provides essential
support for the NCCN Guidelines, including scheduling panel
meetings, coordinating institutional reviews, overseeing submission
requests, and much more.
Black said: "I am honored to be selected as the recipient of the
Employee of the Year Award. It is a privilege to be a member of the
Clinical Information Team that assists clinicians, patients, and
caregivers to navigate the cancer care continuum. I am immensely
thankful for this recognition, and in turn want to express my
appreciation for the dedication and tremendous work of all my team
members."
"We are so grateful for everyone who helps NCCN achieve our
mission of improving and facilitating quality, effective,
equitable, and accessible cancer care so all patients can live
better lives," said Crystal S.
Denlinger, MD, Chief Executive Officer, NCCN. "All of
this year's award recipients have demonstrated incredible
leadership, commitment, and dedication in service to people with
cancer everywhere. We thank them for everything they do to
encourage and uphold the values of NCCN."
The awards were given out during the NCCN 2024 Annual Conference
in Orlando, Florida. Visit
NCCN.org/conference to learn more.
About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network
The
National Comprehensive Cancer Network®
(NCCN®) is a not-for-profit alliance of
leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research,
and education. NCCN is dedicated to improving and facilitating
quality, effective, equitable, and accessible cancer care so all
patients can live better lives. The NCCN Clinical Practice
Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines®) provide
transparent, evidence-based, expert consensus recommendations for
cancer treatment, prevention, and supportive services; they are the
recognized standard for clinical direction and policy in cancer
management and the most thorough and frequently-updated clinical
practice guidelines available in any area of medicine. The NCCN
Guidelines for Patients® provide expert cancer treatment
information to inform and empower patients and caregivers, through
support from the NCCN Foundation®. NCCN also
advances continuing education, global initiatives, policy, and
research collaboration and publication in oncology. Visit
NCCN.org for more information.
Media Contact:
Rachel
Darwin
267-622-6624
darwin@nccn.org
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SOURCE National Comprehensive Cancer Network