Lighting a Fire Under Your Cancer Liaison Physician

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Lighting a Fire Under Your Cancer Liaison
Physician
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CoC Cancer Liaison Program

• A grassroots network of physician volunteers
  willing to manage clinically-related cancer
  activities in their local facilities and
  surrounding communities.

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CLP MATCH.COM
The key to a successful Liaison is finding
someone who is compatible to your cancer
program. WARNING One Size Does Not Fit All
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CLP Qualities

• Passionate
• Energetic
• Dedicated
• Professional
• Proactive
• Innovative
• Driven
• Committed

• Influential
• Diplomatic
• Knowledgeable
• Involved
• Concerned
• Interested
• Available
• Supportive

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Backbone of the Oncology Program

• A Physician Champion
• A Catalyst
• An Agent of Change
• A Communicator
• A Facilitator
• An Advocate

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Liaison Key Activities

• Serve as the Physician Champion within the cancer
  program.
• Serve as the liaison between the CoC and the
  cancer program.
• Serve as an agent of change within the community.
  

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1. Physician Champion within the Cancer Program

• Promote CoC Approval
• Serve on the facility cancer committee (2.5)
• Advocate for the cancer registry (2.10)
• Ensure accurate physician staging (4.3)
• Support compliance with guidelines (4.6)
• Promote participation in clinical trials (5.1,
  5.2)
• Improve the quality of care delivered (8.1, 8.2)

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Physician Champion

• Promote participation in clinical trials
• 60 of CLPs enroll patients in clinical trials
• Encourage the CLP to become a member of a
  Cooperative Group (e.g. ACOSOG).
• Block time on the cancer committee agenda for the
  CLP to present open trials to medical staff.
• Ask the CLP to work with research staff and the
  cancer committee to set a goal and strategies to
  increase accruals.

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Physician Champion

• Improve the quality of care delivered
• 61 of CLPs access NCDB Hospital Comparison
  Benchmark Reports.
• Work with the CLP to focus on a priority every
  quarter (e.g. 1st quarter colorectal
  cancer).
• Determine specific variables to research, and
  compare your facilitys data to national, state,
  and regional data.
• Work with the CLP to present NCDB reports to the
  cancer committee and identify gaps in care (e.g.
  disparities in diagnosis, early detection, and
  treatment).

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2. Liaison between the CoC and the Cancer Program

• Regularly report to the cancer committee
• Review and act on CP3Rs
• Support participation in special studies
• Support participation in FIPS
• Ensure quality submission of NCDB data
• Play a role in the CoC survey
• Attend meetings held by State Chair

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CoC Liaison

• Regularly report on CoC activities to the cancer
  committee
• Encourage the CLP to use CoC resources to extract
  key items to report on to the committee.
• CoC Flash
• News CLiPs
• CoC Meetings/Events
• ACS Collaborations
• State Cancer Plan Activities
• Ensure that the CLP has a regular time slot on
  the agenda to provide updates on CoC initiatives.

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CoC Liaison

• Assist in preparation for CoC survey
• Ask the CLP to chair a workgroup charged with
  preparing for survey.
• Assign the CLP a specific role at the on-site
  review (lead the tour, set the agenda).
• Work with the CLP to develop a plan for
  completion of the SAR.
• Encourage your CLP to challenge your medical
  staff to receive commendation for the eligible
  standards.

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3. Agent of Change in the Community

• Facilitate provision of support services and
  prevention and early detection programs
• Facilitate the relationship with ACS
• Invite ACS staff to cancer committee meetings
• Become involved in the state cancer plan
• Become engaged in the community

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Community

• Facilitate the relationship with the ACS
• Encourage the CLP to meet with local ACS staff.
• Help to identify a common set of objectives and
  projects of interest to the facility and the
  community.
• Determine how the CLP can leverage his/her role
  to increase ACS programs and services within the
  facility.
• Ask the liaison to invite ACS staff to attend
  cancer committee meetings.

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Community

• Become involved in the state comprehensive cancer
  control plan
• Encourage your CLP to become a member of the
  state cancer partnership or serve on a workgroup.
• Ask that your CLP present the plan to your cancer
  committee.
• Discuss goals and objectives with your CLP in
  which your facility can participate.
• Encourage your CLP to connect with the State
  Chair regarding implementation activities.

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Cancer Liaison Physician Activity Report

• Completed annually by the CLP
• Ensure that the CLP has his/ her own User ID and
  Password to log into CoC Datalinks
• Contributes to evaluation of CLP performance
• Review the Activity Report with the CLP to
  determine areas for improvement or focus.
• Use the CLP Activity Report as a primer to
  introduce new CLPs to their role.

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Meetings/Communications

• Monthly Newsletter
• CoCFlash
• Quarterly Update
• News CLiPs
• Annual CLP Breakfast Meeting
• Clinical Congress - October
• State Meeting of CLPs

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Benefits of the CLP Role

• Elevates importance of physician engagement in
  CoC-approved programs
• Facilitates strategic evaluation of cancer
  program activities
• Increases leadership and your visibility in
  cancer program and community
• Increases collaboration and partnership with ACS
  and other community agencies

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Perfect Match

• Cancer Liaison Physician
• Cancer Registrar
• Success!

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Strategies for Success

• Review the role and responsibilities with the CLP
• Participate in a Web conference with your CLP.
• Identify priority areas where the CLP can become
  involved
• Ask the CLP to identify his/her cancer hobby.
• Passion or Interests (e.g. data, special studies,
  community outreach)

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Strategies for Success

• Identify a problem area (e.g physician staging)
• Ask the CLP to become the spokesperson or
  advocate for a specific issue.
• Gain buy-in from other medical staff through
  CLPs influence
• Ask the CLP to endorse a memo sent to medical
  staff to present an issue or change.

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Strategies for Success

• Identify tangible tasks to assign to the liaison
• Develop a timeline of activities for the CLP to
  concentrate on throughout the year.
• Be explicit
• Ensure that the CLP is aware of how much time is
  required of him/her and the expected outcome of
  each task.

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Strategies for Success

• Time for an Oil-Change
• Set up quarterly meetings to check in on your
  CLPs progress with on-going activities.
• Make adjustments where needed.
• Recharge the Battery
• Find your CLPs energy.
• Ensure that the CLP sees the positive results
  from his/her involvement.

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Strategies for Success

• Highlight the perks of the job
• Emphasize the benefits to the CLP role (e.g.
  recognition among peers and the community)
• Provide opportunities for recognition
• Obtain a copy of the press release when a new CLP
  is appointed.
• Ask the CLP to submit an article in the Annual
  Report.

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Strategies for Success

• Encourage your CLP to establish a relationship
  with the State Chair
• Suggest that the CLP send an e-mail of
  introduction to the State Chair.
• Encourage your CLP to attend CoC meetings and
  those held by the State Chair
• Help your CLP obtain funding to attend the Annual
  CLP Breakfast

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Avoid CLP Burnout

• How to spot a rotten egg
• Set short term objectives for a CLP who is
  floundering.
• Work with the cancer committee to replace a CLP
  even its mid three-year term.
• Change is GOOD
• Ask the cancer committee to set limits on the
  number of terms a CLP can serve.

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Conclusions

• Screen your candidates
• Elevate the importance of the role and youll
  elevate the work you get in return.
• Establish a trusting partnership with your CLP
• Set boundaries and separate your work from that
  of the CLP
• Steer your CLP in the right direction
• Dont be afraid to give your CLP a friendly nudge
• Conduct frequent Well-Visits
• Dont wait for a trip the ER

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Sharing Ideas

• Whats your story?

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Contacts

• CoC Staff
• Kate Phair, MPH
• kphair_at_facs.org
• 312.202.5529
• Carolyn Jones
• cjones_at_facs.org
• 312.202.5183

CLP Applications are on-line!
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Thank You!