HOPA Publications Committee

Christan M. Thomas, PharmD, BCOP, Editor

Lisa Cordes, PharmD, BCOP, BCACP, Associate Editor

Renee McAlister, PharmD BCOP, Associate Editor

Lydia Benitez, PharmD, BCOP

Alexandra Della Pia, PharmD, MBA, BCOP

Jeff Engle, PharmD, MS

Karen M. Fancher, PharmD, BCOP

Chung-Shien Lee, PharmD, BCOP, BCPS

Robert Steven Mancini, PharmD, BCOP, FHOPA

Bernard L. Marini, PharmD, BCOP

Alan L. Myers, PharmD, PhD

Gregory T. Sneed, PharmD

Diana Tamer, PharmD, BCOP

Kristin Held Wheatley, PharmD, BCOP

HOPA News Staff

David DeRemer, PharmD, BCOP, FCCP, FHOPA, Board Liaison

Michelle Sieg, Communications Director

Joan Dadian, Marketing Manager

View PDF of HOPA News, Vol. 19, no. 2

Board Update: Four Focus Areas for 2022-2023

Heidi D. Finnes, PharmD, BCOP, FHOPA
HOPA President (2022–2023)
Senior Manager, Pharmacy Cancer Research
Director, Pharmacy Shared Resources, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center
Assistant Professor of Pharmacy, Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine
Rochester, MN

During a time of unprecedented professional burnout, HOPA leaders, members, and staff continue to work together to fulfill the mission of supporting the hematology/oncology pharmacy profession. More than 1,400 of us gathered in Boston at the end of March for Annual Conference 2022 (AC22), our first in-person learning event since COVID-19 began. Another 200 professionals participated in AC22 Encore in May. That sets a new record for annual conference attendance in our nearly 20-year history.

You Matter
I want to thank Larry Buie, Immediate Past-President, and the 2021-2022 HOPA Board of Directors for their continued leadership. I also want to thank David DeRemer, Past-President, and Patrick Medina, Treasurer, for their years of service on the HOPA Board of Directors.

Mostly, I want to thank all of you, our HOPA members, for continuing to persevere through a public health crisis and related loss and exhaustion. Your work has inspired four focus areas for the coming year.

Build on Novel COVID-19 Practices
“Pivot” is a word often used to describe what we as pharmacists and technicians had to do at the onset of COVID-19. We all pivoted to telemedicine and video visits, and many of us transitioned patients to oral treatments or extended cycle dosing of traditional chemotherapy. For some of us, the necessity of going remote has led to monitoring patient laboratory values and vitals with wearable technology.

It is important that we all continue to expand these practices – especially those that make cancer care more accessible and efficient. Can we offer telehealth for follow-ups that don’t require physical exams? Could video visits help patients on oral cancer therapies prevent toxicity? Can electronic consultations and medication reconciliation further the use of precision oncology and pharmacogenetics?

I encourage you to share your innovations in care and publish your quality and research projects! Your examples of patient advocacy throughout a global pandemic help elevate the role of the hematology oncology pharmacist in the long-run.

Expand Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Initiatives
When HOPA’s official DEI Statement was published late last year, it was just the beginning of our formalized commitment to patients and each other. Our DEI focus is demonstrated by how we advocate for equitable health policies and more inclusive research studies. It is seen in how we diversify our educational products and resources to reflect the needs of all members.

Thanks to the hard work of the DEI Task Force, the tenets of DEI are embedded in HOPA policies and procedures, committee and leadership requirements, and strategic planning for 2023 and beyond. The DEI Task Force, which was a time-limited initiate, is now a full committee with new members as of June 1 of this year.

Improve the Health of HOPA and our Members
The health of an association can be measured in a couple of ways – growth and stability of the organization itself, and the health, wellness, and productivity of our members. Some initiatives allow us to improve the health of both the organization and individuals.

This year, a Wellness Task Force (to combat burnout) and the HOPAmbassadors Task Force, which makes members into spokespeople, have been added to the list of volunteer engagement opportunities. Members also can still volunteer for roles in Advocacy, Student Engagement, and the Patient Advisory Panel.

Recognize and Manage Burnout
While we have all felt the fatigue of COVID-19, as hematology/oncology pharmacists, we were feeling burned out from patient care activities long before the pandemic began. Research, including from HOPA member Allison Golbach from the University of Kansas, has shown us the extent of burnout’s prevalence and impact.

Now, HOPA is poised to take the next step, which is to combat burnout with health and wellness activities to support ourselves and one another. The new Wellness Task Force will glean and share insights and recommendations from wellness consultants, including AC22 Keynote speaker J. Bryan Sexton, PhD, from the Duke Center for Healthcare Safety & Quality.

Perhaps most notably, the Wellness Task Force is charged with developing tools and resources to recognize and manage burnout.

I look forward to a productive year of leading – and learning from – each of you. Thank you for all you do to help ensure all individuals affected by cancer have a hematology/oncology pharmacist as an integral member of their care team.