Journal publishes SGO position paper on APPs
SGO releases 2017 Annual Report
Apply by Dec. 16 for SGO Board positions
Late-breaking abstract submissions open for SGO Annual Meeting
Deadlines approaching for SGO Winter Meeting
Remember ALL IN campaign for holiday giving
Deadline to nominate colleagues for SGO Awards Dec. 21
SGO Issues on hiatus until Jan. 10
Journal publishes SGO position paper on APPs
Advanced practice providers (APPs) possess multiple skill sets utilized for gynecologic oncology care and add value to a gynecologic oncology practice, according to an SGO paper published in the December 2018 issue of Gynecologic Oncology. “Delivery of gynecologic oncology care: Optimizing scope of advanced practice providers to enhance patient care: A Society of Gynecologic Oncology Position Paper,” by Joanne K. Rash, Karen D. Lyle, Arati Jairam-Thodla, and Yevgeniya Ioffe, is a product of SGO’s Advanced Practice Provider Committee and sets the foundation for additional work by the committee in 2019.
In addition to exploring the APPs scope of work, the article noted that with the aging population and future physician shortage, APPs are critical to providing gynecologic oncology care. The article’s authors noted that among SGO members, understanding of the delivery of care by APPs was “mixed,” and the scope of practice by APPs in GYN oncology varied throughout the country.
“When APPs joined SGO in 2011, Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners were able to network and compare practices,” explained lead author Joanne K. Rash, PA, MPAS from the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center in Madison, WI. “I was surprised at how much variation existed. Some APPs were performing phone triage, while others were seeing patients independently and writing chemotherapy orders. Others were the first assist in the OR and rounding on inpatients, while others were trying to educate local systems of their ability to write for opioids. Some APPs ran colposcopy clinics for dysplasia and others ran survivorship clinics independently.”
“The practices of APPs in gynecologic oncology continue to evolve and adapt as our local health care systems increase the awareness of how to utilize both PAs and NPs fully,” she said. “It is my hope that this publication can start conversations within the specialty on how to best utilize all team members skill sets.”
As far as adding value to gynecologic oncology practices, Rash described several ways that APPs help gynecologic oncologists focus on billable surgical procedures and help with the overall workflow of the practice.
“APPs are able to bill as the first assistant in the OR,” she said. “If a medical practice is unaware of this billable service it is important to review with the coding department. Other billable services of APPs include procedures – office biopsies, IUD placement, paracentesis, thoracentesis and wound debridement.”
Rash added that It is equally important to recognize that the APPs work as members of the gynecologic oncology team to free up the physician to use their high level skill sets.
“For example, while the physician partner is in the OR an APP could be seeing patients in the clinic, rounding on the floor, prescribing chemotherapy, supporting RN triage, working on quality improvement projects and providing the practice administrative support,” she said. “Having an APP partner allows practices to improve patient access and provide a larger range of inpatient and outpatient cancer care, such as symptom management, survivorship care, pre-op counseling, sexual health, chemotherapy, palliative care and urgent post op visits.”
Rash said that she hopes that a partnership of physicians and APPs will allow for the distribution of work that allows everyone to work to their highest level to take the best care of patients, thus decreasing the burden on one person to provide all aspects of care.
“Our APPs add a dimension of care that would otherwise be unavailable to our patients. I’m not afraid to ‘go there’ during clinic visits or inpatient admissions—such as asking questions about sexual health, end-of-life goals, safety at home—because I know I am part of a team that will help our patients navigate their next steps. Our APPs make the overwhelming manageable – both for physicians and for patients,” said Lisa Barroilhet, MD, from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, WI. Dr. Barroilhet also serves as the SGO Payment Reform Committee member and Co-Director of the SGO Curriculum for Emerging Clinical Trialists.
A pre-recorded SGO education webinar is planned to be in development in 2019 to share the work of the APP position paper.
SGO releases 2017 Annual Report
Looking back on the presidential term of Laurel W. Rice, MD, the Society of Gynecologic Oncology has released the 2017 SGO Annual Report. In addition to coverage of the 2017 Annual Meeting in National Harbor, MD, this Annual Report features SGO’s clinical trials advocacy and resources, the updated Chemotherapy Handbook, and other SGO statements and white papers that were released during the last calendar year. The SGO Annual Report also includes a financial report of revenue and expenses documenting the financial health of the organization.
Apply by Dec. 16 for SGO Board positions
There is a Sunday, Dec. 16 deadline to apply for the leadership positions listed below on the Society of Gynecologic Oncology Board of Directors. SGO members who are interested in serving should review the board service and election FAQs and must complete the self-nomination form.
- President Elect II (one-year term; total time commitment of four years)
- Four (4) Board member positions (three-year term)
- Fellow-in-Training (FIT) Representative (one-year term)
Late-breaking abstract submissions open for SGO Annual Meeting
The Society of Gynecologic Oncology is now accepting Late-breaking Abstract submissions that may be considered for presentation at the 2019 SGO Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer. The Late-Breaking Abstract session will focus on scientific data that has become available since the original 2019 Annual Meeting abstract submission deadline. The submission deadline for late-breaking abstracts is Jan. 7, 2019.
Deadlines approaching for SGO Winter Meeting
Registration is still open for the SGO 2019 Annual Winter Meeting on Jan. Jan. 17-19, 2019, which will be held at The Resort at Squaw Creek in Olympic Valley, CA. This year’s topics will include clinical updates on ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, developmental therapeutics, and survivorship. Room rates are guaranteed through this Saturday, Dec. 15, and the last day for refunds on registration fees is Monday, Dec. 17. New this year, there will be a dinner for attendees on the evening of Jan. 17. New this year, there will be a dinner symposium, “Personalized Medicine for Ovarian Cancer: The Time has Arrived,” on the evening of Jan. 17. One hour of CE credit will be provided.
Remember ALL IN campaign for holiday giving
The Foundation for Women’s Cancer’s ALL IN campaign supports mission-based funding for the Society of Gynecologic Oncology and the Foundation with a fundraising goal of $1 million by 2019, the 50th anniversary of SGO. SGO leadership intends to solidify a robust SGO endowment that will ensure the viability of the Society for years to come and will support the SGO and FWC’s scientific research, public awareness and education initiatives. Please keep the ALL IN campaign in mind when considering donations during the holiday season.
Deadline to nominate colleagues for SGO Awards Dec. 21
The Society of Gynecologic Oncology seeks nominees for two awards to be presented at the 2019 Annual Meeting on Women’s Cancer® in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Harry Long Multidisciplinary Award recognizes contributions to multidisciplinary mentorship, collegiality or teaching in the field of gynecologic oncology. The Humanitarianism and Volunteerism Award will recognize individuals for their exemplary volunteer outreach efforts in women’s cancer care, research or teaching. If you know someone who is deserving of the Harry Long Award or the Humanitarianism and Volunteerism Award, please submit a nomination form to SGO Headquarters by Dec. 21.
SGO Issues on hiatus until Jan. 10
The Society of Gynecologic Oncology staff wishes all SGO members, their families and their patients a joyful holiday season and a happy new year. SGO Issues will be on hiatus for the rest of December and resume on Jan. 10, 2019.