TUMOR REGISTRARS ASSOCIATION of CONNECTICUT NEWSLETTER

SUMMER, 2015 Edition II

Colleagues and Friends:

Welcome to the summer Tumor Registrars Association of Connecticut newsletter created to update members on professional and personal announcements. The newsletter has summer scenes that we hope you can all appreciate after a cold and snowy winter. The warm weather is finally here and our thoughts turn to fun in the sun, activities with friends and family. We hope you enjoy a well deserved break this summer and we’ll see you in the fall.

News and Announcements

The Officers continue the selection of committee team members. Tammy Smith volunteered to serve on the nominating committee but we still do not have a Chair to lead the committee. It is important for members to participate to keep our organization strong so please consider serving on this committee.

A survey of three questions regarding a new website, education, and fundraiser activity was sent to members in April. We were encouraged with the 88% (38/43) response rate. The high rate tells us that members are interested in moving TRAC forward. Thank you for your time and suggestions.

The members of TRAC have wanted an updated website for some time. After exploring a few options, we decided to use Vistaprint as a web host. As part of the decision-making process, a survey that listed the available options was sent to members.

The results were surprising because the members were divided among the three choices. *45.71% (16) $162 annually, designed and maintained by TRAC VP without online payments; *28.57% (10) $229.00 one-time fee and $30 monthly, designed and maintained by someone else and *25.71% (9) $270 annually, designed and maintained by TRAC VP, with payment options.

Since most members opted for a website designed and maintained by the TRAC VP, a standard website with PayPal was purchased at a low promotional rate. We are proud to announce that our new website is up and running. The website is really beautiful and Amy has many great ideas to expand and enhance content. Please visit trac-ct.org to view. Our old website expires on June 12th.

The President of the Cancer Registrars Association of New England recently began a regional recruitment initiative to educate individuals about the registry profession. The plan is to identify individuals who might have an interest in the field of cancer registration and offer education and practical experience. The goal is to provide information for people to decide if employment in the registry is a good fit. The initiative is a cooperative venture between hospital and central registries. The effort is in response to the shortage of registrars and projected retirements in the profession.

Treasurer/Membership Committee:

TRAC currently has 43 active members. The membership drive has been extended until June 30th. A membership roster has been emailed to members. At our TRAC meeting in March, it was decided to raise the conference fee to $50 for nonmembers at our September meeting. A permanent increase would have to be voted on by TRAC membership.

Ways and Means Committee:

A survey to determine if members would purchase faux leather folios (blue with white TRAC logo) for $14 at meetings as a fundraiser was sent to members. The majority of members (24) said they would purchase the folios; five respondents said they would not. Twelve participants suggested: raise the 50/50 split, insulated lunch bags, tote bags, mugs, magnets, mouse pads, calendars, light jackets, pins, raffle, and DVD of the PBS 6-hour documentary on the history of cancer based on the book Cancer—The Emperor of all Maladies. If the folios were purchased on sale, we could charge $12 and still reach our goal of $5 profit for each. Amy has also found a fundraiser through Yankee Candle that would require no money upfront. Decisions will be finalized at our next TRAC meeting.

Bylaws Committee:

Cathy, Mary Jeanne and Brooke have reviewed the bylaws and have made several recommendations. They have provided a report that lists the current bylaws, the proposed bylaws change, and the rationale. The Board agrees with the proposed changes and will send the report to members for review before our annual meeting. Please be prepared to discuss the bylaws and vote on the amendments. Thank you to the bylaws committee for their hard work.

Education Committee:

The education committee's goal is to provide more educational choices that include national speakers. A survey to evaluate member support for this initiative was sent to members. The result was 100% of members (38 respondents) would like to have a national speaker each year. Suggestions for content included information on advanced abstracting, emerging treatments, 8th edition AJCC staging, hematopoietic diseases, and ACOS standards. Ideas for speakers included Frederick Greene MD from the COC and Brenda Elsagar, author and humorist, who has been a speaker at NCRA in the past. TRAC officers will discuss this further at our annual meeting.

The annual TRAC meeting on September 9th at Yale New Haven will feature April Fritz for an all-day conference/workshop. April will present some of the suggested topics.

The focus of the NCRA educational meeting in San Antonio was changes in the cancer registry field. Discussions included AJCC stage, concurrent abstracting, data usage, RQRS, and central registry topics. PDFs of the presentations were sent to attendees and I will forward some of the best ones to members in the near future.

In an effort to expand education opportunities, the TRAC President and education committee now collaborate with the New York Cancer Registrars Association (NYCRA) education board. If two or more states plan and participate in a meeting, it can be classified as regional. That is the goal for NYCRA and it could be a goal for TRAC if we wanted to go in that direction. It would be great if New York registrars attend our meeting and Connecticut registrars attend their meeting.

The following is a list of educational offerings this year:

Cancer Registrars Association New England, Nashua, New Hampshire, postponed until August

Tumor Registrars Association of Connecticut, New Haven, Connecticut, September 9

New York Cancer Registrars Association, Saratoga Springs, New York, October 7-9

Cancer Registrars Association New England, Framingham, Massachusetts, October 19-20

Please consider hosting a TRAC meeting. Upcoming meetings will be placed on our website. TRAC also has the option to post meetings on the NCRA website.

Nominating Committee:

The nominating committee still needs a Chair to lead the team; please consider volunteering for this important position. TRAC cannot continue as an organization without a fully-staffed nominating committee. According to the bylaws, officers shall be elected annually or until their successors are elected. The Committee is required to submit a list of nominees to the President at least seven weeks prior to the annual meeting. The established deadline for nominations is fast approaching.

Great News:

We await the birth of a daughter to Brooke and Cal Chang due on June 29, 2015. Brooke will be returning to work in the fall. Congratulations.

Sad News:

Robert (Bob) Lincoln passed away on April 4, 2015.

Job Postings:

Middlesex Hospital: Certified Tumor Registrar

Miami Cancer Institute, Certified Tumor Registrar for new 305,000 square foot cancer center with 90,000 square foot research facility opening in the fall, 2016; no remote option for Connecticut residents

That is all for now. Have a safe and happy summer, everyone...

Donna M. Lanphear, President

Amy Baldwin-Stephens, Vice President Michele Wojewodzki, Treasurer

Rosemary Crawford, Secretary

Public Relations/Communication Committee Chair: Donna M. Lanphear

Education/Liaison Committee Chair; Webmaster: Amy Baldwin-Stephens

Education: Mike Kuhland, Donna Goss

Membership/Ways and Means Committees Chair: Michele Wojewodzki

Ways and Means: Eliza Cleaveland

Bylaws Committee: Cathryn Phillips, Mary Jeanne Pierce, Brooke Chang

Nominating Committee: Jennifer Cantillo-Mena, Tammy Smith