Dear Navigators, Social Workers, Administrators, and Clinical Staff,
I am simply thrilled to write to you today in acknowledgment of the 10th anniversary of the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN+)! We have made tremendous progress over the past decade in promoting navigation as an integral part of a successful cancer care team. This progress is in no small part due to the outstanding contributions from our members, committees, and Leadership Council. Over these 10 years, with true collaborative spirit, we have established the following:
- AONN+ Standardized Metrics for all navigation programs
- Core competencies and certification exams specifically designed for navigators
- Local navigator networks
- The presence of AONN+ on national oncology boards
- The Journal of Oncology Navigation & Survivorship to promote original navigation research
- CONQUER: the patient voice magazine
- The textbook Team-Based Oncology Care
And we’re not done yet. We’ve turned our attention to these projects:
- Standardized and validated evidence-based acuity tool
- The Cancer Advocacy & Patient Education (CAPE) initiative
- Metrics Implementation Toolkit in collaboration with the American Cancer Society
- The BRIDGE Program, which links navigators and genetic/genomic professionals to deliver timely and relevant genetic and genomic education to patients
This month, we host our 10th Annual Meeting in Nashville, TN, where we can celebrate our progress together. Over 1000 people are expected to attend this event—quite a difference from our first meeting of under 100! We are delighted to welcome our keynote speaker, Ms Nancy G. Brinker, Founder of Susan G. Komen and the Promise Fund of Florida.
In recognition of all you do as a navigator, thank you. I am grateful you decided to join AONN+ to further advance the cause of navigation. Congratulations to you on an incredible 10 years. Here’s to 10 more!
Sincerely,
Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, HON-ONN-CG
Editor-in-Chief, JONS
University Distinguished Service Professor of Breast Cancer; Professor of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Co-Developer of Work Stride: Managing Cancer at Work, Johns Hopkins Healthcare Solutions; Program Director and Co-Founder of AONN+.
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