Developing and Retaining a Robust and Diverse Cancer Workforce: Challenges and Opportunities Across the National Cancer Program | September 12-13, 2024

Meeting Overview and Summary

On September 12-13, 2024, the President's Cancer Panel hosted a 2-day virtual meeting to assess workforce challenges and identify approaches to improve training, recruitment, and retention of a diverse workforce for cancer clinical care and research. The results from this meeting will inform the Panel's report to the President of the United States, highlighting opportunities to improve implementation of the National Cancer Plan's goal of optimizing the cancer workforce and supporting the development of the next generation of clinicians, researchers, and other healthcare professionals critical to shaping the future of cancer care. Check out the summary below for key themes from this event.

Download the full meeting summary (PDF).

Part 1: Clinical Care Workforce

Date: September 12, 2024
Time: 11:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. EDT
Recording: View Part 1

Part 2: Research Workforce

Date: September 13, 2024
Time: 11:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. EDT
Recording: View Part 2

September 12, Part 1: Agenda

Time	Agenda Item
11:00 - 11:45 a.m.	Welcome & Introductions
11:45 - 11:55 a.m.	Innovation In Partnerships/Retaining A Diverse Cancer Workforce Springboard Presenter: Laura Long, Kaiser Permanente VP Of Operations, Performance, And Compliance With National Equity, Inclusion, And Diversity
11:55 – 12:45 p.m.	Investing & Supporting Health-Sector Careers (Focus: Physicians, Nurses And Advanced Practice Providers) Springboard Presenter: Larissa Nekhlyudov, Harvard Medical School/Brigham And Women’s Hospital
12:45 – 1:10 p.m.	Break
1:10 – 2:00 p.m.	Investing & Supporting Health-Sector Careers (Focus: Allied Health Professionals, Lab Techs, Medical Assistants, Navigators, And Others) Springboard Presenter: Kevin Sowers, Johns Hopkins Health System
2:00 – 2:50 p.m.	Strengthening Healthcare Environments To Promote Workforce Retention & Well-Being Springboard Presenter: Ishawaria Subbiah, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, Executive Director For Cancer Care Equity And Professional Wellness
2:50 – 3:15 p.m.	Break
3:15 – 4:05 p.m.	Leveraging Technology to Improve Care Delivery Springboard Presenter: Othman Laraki, CEO Of Color Health
4:05 – 4:15 p.m.	Public Comments
4:15 – 4:30 p.m.	Meeting Close

September 12, Part 1: Participants

Name	Title & Affiliations
Elizabeth M. Jaffee, MD, FAACR, FACP, FAAAS, FAIO President’s Cancer Panel Chair	Deputy Director, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center Co-Director, Gastrointestinal Cancers Program Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD
Mitchel S. Berger, MD, FACS, FAANS President’s Cancer Panel Member	Director, Brain Tumor Research Center School of Medicine University of California, San Francisco San Francisco, CA
Carol L. Brown, MD, FACOG, FACS President’s Cancer Panel Member	Senior Vice President Chief Health Equity Officer Nicholls-Biondi Chair for Health Equity Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York, NY
Samantha Finstad, PhD Executive Secretary	Program Director Center for Strategic Scientific Initiatives National Cancer Institute Bethesda, MD
Elisa Arespacochaga, MBA	Vice President, Clinical Affairs and Workforce American Hospital Association Washington, D.C.
Alexandra Brown, MD	Chief Officer of Medical Quality American Society for Clinical Pathology Chicago, IL
Colleen A. Campbell, PhD, MS, LGC	President National Society of Genetic Counselors Assistant Director Iowa Institute of Human Genetics UIHC Director of Genetic Counseling Operations Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Internal Medicine University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Iowa City, IA
Candice Chen, MD, MPH	Acting Associate Administrator for Health Workforce Health Resources and Services Administration U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Washington, D.C.
James Fitzgibbon, DPT, MBA	President, Regional School Administrator Kaiser Permanente School of Allied Health Sciences Richmond, CA
Atul Grover, MD, PhD, FACP, FCCP	Inaugural Executive Director Research and Action Institute Washington, D.C.
Clifford Hudis, MD, FASCP, FASCO	Chief Executive Officer American Society of Clinical Oncology and Association for Clinical Oncology Executive Vice Chair Conquer Cancer, The ASCO Foundation Alexandria, VA
Kim Jay	Training Manager and Senior Community Health Worker Sinai Urban Health Institute Chicago, IL
Michele L. Johnson, MPA, MA	Senior Manager Corning Community Impact and Investment Corning Incorporated Corning, NY
Othman Laraki	Chief Executive Officer Color Health Burlingame, CA
Jessica MacIntyre, DNP, MBA, APRN, AOCNP	President Oncology Nursing Society Executive Director, Clinical Operations Nurse Practitioner Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center Miami, FL
William McDade, MD, PhD	Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Adjunct Professor of Anesthesiology Rush Medical College Chicago, IL
Larissa Nekhlyudov, MD, MPH	Professor of Medicine Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School Clinical Director, Internal Medicine for Cancer Survivors Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Boston, MA
Christine Schuyler, BSN, RN, MHA	Program Director, Health Care Initiatives, Workforce Development Jamestown Community College Jamestown, NY
Jolynn Sessions, PharmD, BCOP, CCP, FHOPA	President Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association EXCLAIM Pharmacogenomics Oncology Pharmacy Manager Oncology Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner Western North Carolina Veterans Affairs Health Care System and Charles George Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) Medical Center Asheville, NC
Lawrence N. Shulman, MD, MACP, FASCO	Professor of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine Director, Center for Global Cancer Medicine Associate Director, Abramson Cancer Center University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA
Kevin Sowers, MSN, RN, FAAN	President, Johns Hopkins Health System Executive Vice President Johns Hopkins Medicine Baltimore City, MD
Beth Steinberg, PhD, RN, NEA-BC	Associate Director of Research Center for Integrative Health The Ohio State University College of Medicine Columbus, OH
Ishwaria Subbiah, MD, MS, FASCO	Executive Director Cancer Care Equity and Professional Wellness Sarah Cannon Research Institute Medical Director, Supportive Care Oncology, Health Equity & Professional Well-being US Oncology Network Nashville, TN
Caroline Sutter, RN, DNP-BC	Co-Director Center for Health Workforce at Mason Professor of Nursing George Mason University College of Public Health School of Nursing Fairfax, VA
Arti Patel Varanasi, PhD, MPH, CPH	President and Chief Executive Officer Advancing Synergy Baltimore, MD
Robert A. Winn, MD	Director and Lipman Chair in Oncology VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center Senior Associate Dean for Cancer Innovation and Professor of Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine VCU School of Medicine Richmond, VA

September 13, Part 2: Agenda

Time	Agenda Item
11:00 - 11:45 a.m.	Welcome & Introductions
11:45 - 11:55 a.m.	Creative Partnerships/Diversity In Clinical Trials Awards Program Springboard Presenter: Robert Winn, VCU Massey Cancer Center Director
11:55 – 12:45 p.m.	Entry To The Research Workforce & Career Advancements Springboard Presenter: Nathan Vanderford, University Of Kentucky Medical School
12:45 – 1:10 p.m.	Break
1:10 – 2:00 p.m.	Supporting Research Training Springboard Presenter: Oliver Bogler, National Cancer Institute, Center For Cancer Training CCT
2:00 – 2:50 p.m.	Perspectives For The Research Workforce In Non-Academic Settings Springboard Presenter: Johanna Bendell, Roche and Quita Highsmith, Genentech
2:50 – 3:15 p.m.	Break
3:15 – 4:05 p.m.	Collaborative Cross-Sector Opportunities For Improving Oncology Research Training
4:05 – 4:15 p.m.	Public Comments
4:15 – 4:30 p.m.	Meeting Close

September 13, Part 2: Participants

Name	Title & Affiliations
Elizabeth M. Jaffee, MD, FAACR, FACP, FAAAS, FAIO President’s Cancer Panel Chair	Deputy Director, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center Co-Director, Gastrointestinal Cancers Program Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD
Mitchel S. Berger, MD, FACS, FAANS President’s Cancer Panel Member	Director, Brain Tumor Research Center School of Medicine University of California, San Francisco San Francisco, CA
Carol L. Brown, MD, FACOG, FACS President’s Cancer Panel Member	Senior Vice President Chief Health Equity Officer Nicholls-Biondi Chair for Health Equity Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York, NY
Samantha Finstad, PhD Executive Secretary	Program Director Center for Strategic Scientific Initiatives National Cancer Institute Bethesda, MD
Johanna Bendell, MD	Global Head Pharma Research and Early Development Oncology Roche Basel, Switzerland
Oliver Bogler, PhD	Director, Center for Cancer Training National Cancer Institute Bethesda, MD
Callisia Clarke, MD, MS, FACS	Chief, Division of Surgical Oncology Associate Professor of Surgery Medical College of Wisconsin Milwaukee, WI
Behrous Davani, PhD	Branch Director, Diversity Training and Biomedical Workforce Center for Cancer Health Equity, National Cancer Institute Bethesda, MD
Julie Louise Gerberding, MD, MPH	President and Chief Executive Officer Foundation for the National Institutes of Health North Bethesda, MD
Jennifer M. Gillette, PhD	Regents’ Lecturer Peter A. Winograd Professor & Senior Director for Research Department of Pathology Associate Director, Cancer Research Training and Education Director, University of New Mexico Cancer-PREP University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center Director, Undergraduate Pipeline Network School of Medicine Research Education Office University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center Albuquerque, NM
Steve Grambow, PhD	Director, Duke Clinical Research Training Program Co-Director, Duke Clinical and Translational Science Institute Workforce Development Pillar Associate Chair of Education and Associate Professor Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Duke University School of Medicine Durham, NC
Quita Highsmith, MBA	Vice President Chief Equity Officer Genentech San Francisco, CA
Bianca Islam, MD, PhD, MSc	National Institute of Health T32 Research Fellow Case Western Reserve University Harrington Physician Scientist Program Gastroenterology and Hepatology Fellow, Division of Gastroenterology & Liver Disease Department of Medicine University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center Cleveland, OH
Heather H. Pierce, JD, MPH	Senior Director for Science Policy Regulatory Counsel Association of American Medical Colleges Washington, D.C.
Brian M. Rivers, PhD, MPH	Director, Cancer Health Equity Institute Professor, Community Health and Preventive Medicine Morehouse School of Medicine Atlanta, GA
Gadi Saarony, MBA	Chief Executive Officer Advarra Newton Centre, MA
Joel Schildbach, PhD	Program Director, Division of Graduate Education National Science Foundation Professor of Biology Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD
Carolyn Seyss, PharmD, RUCIF	Fellowship Director and RPIF Alumna Institute for Pharmaceutical Industry Fellowships Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Piscataway, NJ
Mariana Stern, PhD	Professor of Population and Public Health Sciences & Urology Ira Goodman Chair in Cancer Research Associate Director of Population Sciences, Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center Program Director, Master’s Degree Programs in Epidemiology Program Director, CaRE2 Health Equity Center Los Angeles, CA
Nathan L. Vanderford, PhD, MBA	Associate Professor, Department of Toxicology and Cancer Biology Director, Appalachian Career Training in Oncology Program Director of Administration, Center for Cancer and Metabolism Assistant Director of Pathway Programs and Student Success, Markey Cancer Center University of Kentucky College of Medicine Lexington, KY
Eric Winer, MD, FASCO	Alfred Gilman Professor of Pharmacology Professor of Medicine Director, Yale Cancer Center President and Physician-in Chief, Smilow Cancer Hospital Deputy Dean for Cancer Research, Yale School of Medicine New Haven, CT
Robert A. Winn, MD	Director and Lipman Chair in Oncology VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center Senior Associate Dean for Cancer Innovation and Professor of Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine VCU School of Medicine Richmond, VA

Get Involved

The National Cancer Plan underscores the significant role of every organization and individual in our shared mission to end cancer as we know it. We encourage you to take part in this important initiative by sharing with us how your organization is committed to achieving the goals of the National Cancer Plan. Please email us at PresCancerPanel@mail.nih.gov or share your activities on social media by tagging your posts with #NationalCancerPlan and #Every1HasARole.