HOPA Publications Committee
Ashley Glode, PharmD BCOP, Editor
Megan Bodge, PharmD BCOP, Associate Editor
Christan Thomas, PharmD BCOP, Associate Editor
Edward Li, PharmD, Board Liaison
Lindsey Amerine, PharmD MS BCPS
Brandi Anders, PharmD BCOP
Lisa M. Cordes, PharmD BCOP BCACP
Morgan Culver, PharmD BCOP
Karen Fancher, PharmD BCOP
Craig W. Freyer, PharmD BCOP
Robert Mancini, PharmD, BCOP
Sarah Newman, PharmD BCPS
Sarah Ussery, PharmD BCOP
Board Update: Members on the Move
From Ryan Bookout, PharmD BCOP BCPS, HOPA President (2018–2019)
Blood and Marrow Transplantation Pharmacy Supervisor
Moffitt Cancer Center
Tampa, FL
It is hard to believe (at the time of writing) that summer 2018 has just begun and that by the time this issue of HOPA News reaches your mailboxes, it will be coming to a close. Where did the last 6 months go? Do oncology pharmacists really get the summer off? For me, working at the Moffitt Cancer Center on the campus of the University of South Florida, summer means just less traffic as I travel to and from the hospital every day. But a perk is a perk! For the rest of the working world (and for many of you), summer usually means that the kids are out of school, vacations are being planned and taken, and rain dodging and puddle jumping are actual exercises among a host of fun outdoor activities. However, HOPA members do not take summers off but are continuing their efforts to move the association forward on many avenues.
In response to our members’ interest in the value and quality of care for cancer patients, the HOPA Quality Oversight Task Force (QOTC) was established. This task force will help us identify ways to incorporate healthcare quality and value into HOPA’s strategic plan and its current and future initiatives. All parts of the HOPA structure—our committees, subcommittees, work groups, and task forces—will engage with the QOTC. The QOTC members are Emily Mackler (chair), Amy Seung (vice chair), George Carro, Steve D’Amato, Evelyn Handel, Julianne Orr, and Judith Smith. Watch for HOPA e-mails requesting volunteers, and be ready for many opportunities to develop from this group’s work over the next year and beyond.
Another area of burgeoning excitement at HOPA relates to the continuation of our “Time to Talk” series. Our first venture in this area was “Time to Talk CINV.” This patient-focused program on dealing with chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting was so well received that we reached out to our membership and industry partners to develop the next idea: “Time to Talk Immuno-Oncology.” The Time to Talk Immuno-Oncology Task Force, chaired by Heidi Finnes, will be formulating ideas and generating projects over the next year. Other members are Amber Proctor (vice chair), Christopher Campen, Jessica Davis, Sara Fleszar, Kelly Fritz, Mimi Lo, Kristoffer Martinson, Brenna Rowen, and Chrystia Zobniw. Be on the lookout for opportunities generated by this task force as well.
Many of you have been asking whether the time has come for HOPA to have its own peer-reviewed journal. After much preliminary work by members of HOPA’s Publications Committee and at-large board member Edward Li, a Journal Task Force has been formed to address this question and determine the best way for HOPA to accomplish this goal. The Journal Task Force is composed of Ashley Glode (chair), Megan Bodge (vice chair), Robert Mancini, Scott Soefje, Marisela Tan, and Christan Thomas. The excitement among this group is palpable, and we foresee many opportunities for our entire membership stemming from this group’s efforts.
On HOPA Hill Day, June 13, 2018, HOPA members went to Washington, DC, to advocate for our oncology patients and their access to cancer and pain medications. HOPA members urged congressional leaders to support the Cancer Drug Parity Act (HR 1409), and in cooperation with the Patient Access to Pharmacists’ Care Coalition, they advocated for passage of the Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act (HR 592 and S 109). Because of the midterm elections being held this year, the Public Policy Committee and our partners in the District Policy Group decided that our best efforts would be to concentrate on one HOPA Hill Day this year. Those attending were Public Policy Committee members Timothy Tyler (chair), Sarah Hudson-DiSalle (vice chair), Justin Arnall, Megan Hartranft, Taylor Monson, Kathryn Schiavo, and Rebecca Tombleson. Twelve HOPA members applied through the Volunteer Activity Center and received travel grants: Brooke Bernhardt, Ashley Glode, LeAnne Kennedy, Sarah Kraus, Houry Leblebjian, Jeremiah Moore, Ginah Nightingale, Alexander Quesenberry, Jeff Reichard, Michelle Rockey, Katherine Saunders, and Philip Schwieterman. HOPA’s board of directors were among this large HOPA contingent walking around DC and visiting many congressional offices throughout the day. Because of the wonderful turnout and excitement from such a large group, HOPA plans to make travel grants to attend HOPA Hill Day a yearly offering.
Finally, I want to say thanks to all of you for the dedication, energy, excitement, hard work, time, and thoughts that you pour into HOPA each day. You make HOPA the phenomenal association that it has become and push the boundaries for what HOPA will be tomorrow. Knowing this about you, I hope that you also took time to enjoy your summer! I hope that you took a break from the patient care, educational offerings, journal articles, oncology pharmacy research, and all that occupies so much of your time. That you went to the park and enjoyed a picnic with the cherished people in your life, saw a baseball game, watched the fireworks, hugged your kids, petted your animals, slapped on sunscreen and enjoyed some time outside of work. And right now, pat yourself on the back for doing a great job (you really do deserve it). Remember: if you do not re-energize and recharge your batteries, you cannot keep being the incredible HOPA members that you are!