HOPA Publications Committee
Lisa Cordes, PharmD, BCOP, BCACP, Editor
Renee McAlister, PharmD BCOP, Associate Editor
Christan Thomas, PharmD, BCOP, Past Editor
Karen Abboud, PharmD, BCPS
Benjamin Andrick, PharmD, BCOP
Lydia Benitez, PharmD, BCOP
Alexandra Della Pia, PharmD, MBA, BCOP
Karen M. Fancher, PharmD, BCOP
Erin Kelley, PharmD
Chung-Shien Lee, PharmD, BCOP, BCPS
Robert Steven Mancini, PharmD, BCOP, FHOPA
Bernard L. Marini, PharmD, BCOP
Danielle Murphy, PharmD, BCOP, BCPS
Alan L. Myers, PharmD, PhD
Gregory T. Sneed, PharmD, BCOP
Kristin Held Wheatley, PharmD, BCOP
Spencer Yingling, PharmD, BCOP
HOPA News Staff
Lisa Davis, PharmD, FCCP, BCPS, BCOP, Board Liaison
Michelle Sieg, Communications Director
Joan Dadian, Marketing Manager
View PDF of HOPA News, Vol. 19, no. 4
Board Update: Time to Celebrate and Look Ahead
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
It’s hard to believe I’m writing an end-of-the-year letter already! It feels like I blinked and we went from being in Washington DC in September to the last month of the year. A brief recap of recent HOPA initiatives follows.
“The Practice of Perseverance,” our fall Practice Management Program, was held in Washington DC on September 22. There were more than 130 attendees. Sessions included “Navigating the Balance Between Being a Caregiver and Oncology Pharmacist,” “A Guide to Preventing Medical Necessity Denials,” and “Results, Realizations, and Recommendations from the 2021 Oncology Pharmacy Workforce Survey”.
HOPA had our largest in-person Hill Day to date on September 20, also in Washington DC. Twenty-two HOPA participants, including three from our Patient Advisory Panel, held 43 meetings with elected officials from 16 states. We met with the staff of a number of House and Senate cosponsors of the Cancer Drug Parity Act and secured an additional cosponsor from the House of Representatives. Along with the Oncology Nursing Society, who were also on the Hill that day, we picked up substantial support for the bill to Improve Access to Cancer Care.
Hill Day and other Advocacy efforts were highlighted during October’s Town Hall. On October 18, we gathered via Zoom with our Advocacy and Public Policy team. I was pleased to hear so many members ask how to get more involved during the live Q&A! To learn more about our grassroots advocacy, please go to hoparx.org/advocacy and click Get Involved. There, you can learn to set up meetings with policy makers, start using use our Legislative Action Center, and more.
HOPA’s Wellness Task Force is committed to supporting HOPA members. They have created a Wellness and Burnout Statement to acknowledge the critical need and commitment from HOPA to mitigate risk factors of burnout and support well-being initiatives. Please read the statement on our website. It is currently featured in the homepage banner at hoparx.org. You’re your calendars for the next Quarterly Town Hall with HOPA’s Wellness Task Force on Tuesday, January 17 at 2 pm CST.
The HOPA-ASCO 6-Month Quality Training Program is nearing its half-way point as 10 teams of HOPA members gain hands-on experience designing and implementing quality projects. The training culminates with an overview of the projects during Annual Conference 2023, which brings me to my next point . . .
Our Annual Conference will be held in Phoenix March 29-April 1, 2023. The Annual Conference Committee has chosen “Reconnect. Rebuild. Reimagine.” as a theme that reframes the aftermath of COVID-19, burnout, and loss as opportunities for growth and empowerment. I look forward to reconnecting with all of you in Phoenix. Watch for registration to open soon!
Even with everything we have accomplished recently, there is still a lot to look forward to. Early next year, we will roll out the 2023-2026 Strategic Plan, which builds upon our mission and vision. The plan will challenge us all to dig deeper to ensure the hematology/oncology profession remains healthy and patients have access to the best care possible.
Thank you for all you do. See you in the New Year!