Shifting Gears: Rethinking Survivorship

How can our health systems adapt to better meet the needs of the growing community of people living with and beyond cancer? What are the recent advances in cancer survivorship research and care? What are the changes to practice and new models of care resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic?

These questions will be considered at the 4th Victorian Cancer Survivorship Conference, Shifting Gears: Rethinking Survivorship to be presented by the VCCC Alliance and the Australian Cancer Survivorship Centre (ACSC) on 24-25 March 2022 in Melbourne.

If not for the patient, then who?

Research Australia is a national alliance representing the entire health and medical research pipeline from the laboratory through to the patient.  

In the September issue of their publication, INSPIRE, researchers nationwide shared examples of how involving consumers enriches research. Two projects from the VCCC Alliance are featured in INSPIRE as examples of consumer partnership and consumer-led initiative. 

New VCCC Alliance Head of Quality and Strategic Initiatives

Strategic, system level thinking and an inclusive mindset are some of the qualities that our new Head of Quality and Strategic Initiatives will bring to the table when she starts in November.

Lisa Somerville GAICD, formerly Director Allied Health and Chief Allied Health Officer at Alfred Health and Adjunct Associate Professor at Latrobe University, is a strong addition to the VCCC Alliance Senior Leadership team.

VCCC Alliance Research and Education Lead Gynae-Oncology

Expressions of interest are sought for a research and education leader in gynae-oncology.

We are looking for an enthusiastic and driven specialist in the field from within a VCCC Alliance member organisation to join our expert Distributed Leadership group. 

Help us to champion the systematisation of collaboration across the alliance and the broader cancer sector and to integrate cancer research, education and clinical care in the continuous improvement of patient outcomes.

Unseen financial impact of cancer treatment

Almost 150,000 Australians are diagnosed with cancer each year. While the medical impact of the disease is well documented, the financial pain is perhaps less well understood.
 
Three people, including Professor Jon Emery, VCCC Alliance Research & Education Lead, Primary Care Integration and Academic Lead – who commented from a primary care researcher perspective – recently provided their unique personal view on the issue to newsGP about how to address the hidden ‘toxic’ costs of cancer treatment.

Boom in cancer education to meet workforce need

With the rising incidence of cancer across the globe, there is a projected shortage of skilled practitioners in the oncology workforce. The Master of Cancer Sciences, Australia’s first cancer-specific, multidisciplinary, and wholly online program, was designed to meet this growing need.

In addition to the Masters program, new short courses that provide access to leading oncological experts have just come online through the University of Melbourne. The first subjects in the Melbourne Microcerts Emerging Topics in Oncology series are Clinical Trial Protocol Design and Drug Commercialisation Fundamentals. They are designed to provide skill-based credentialled learning, completed in six weeks. You can finish one before 2022!

E-Learning recognised internationally

In November 2020, experts from the VCCC Alliance launched a new online education program for clinical staff to practice and refine their patient communications skills.

The education program - Effective Communication in End of Life Care virtual reality training module has received an Honorable Mention in the 2021 International E-Learning Awards  from the International E-Learning Association. 

This is the second E-Learning recognition for VCCC Alliance education, with the Master of Cancer Sciences receiving an Honorable Mention in 2019.