CHICAGO (PRWEB)
April 15, 2021
As the nation braces for a rise in advanced stage cancer diagnoses due to the COVID-19 pandemic, two leading health systems will share how they are using CancerIQ’s precision prevention platform and telehealth to equitably prioritize high-risk patients for screening and identify cancer in its earliest stages. Clinicians from Adventist Health and OSF HealthCare will present in three sessions at the NCoBC 30th Annual Interdisciplinary Breast Center Conference — a global, interdisciplinary conference organized by the National Consortium of Breast Centers being held online April 16-19.
Breast cancer screenings dropped 94% at the beginning of the pandemic and many health systems are still playing catch up. “That drop off may have delayed tens of thousands of breast cancer diagnoses,” said Feyi Olopade Ayodele, CEO, CancerIQ. “But technology — including CancerIQ’s platform and telehealth — is helping breast centers across the country expand access to cancer risk assessment and genetic testing/counseling, prioritize high-risk patients for screening, and provide personalized care management to better predict, preempt, and prevent this disease.”
These sessions will explore how breast centers responded to the pandemic, expediting the adoption of virtual care to better serve high-risk patients who may have been missed otherwise due to COVID-19 restrictions or other barriers. Clinicians will share new data, real-life patient stories, and lessons learned to help illuminate strategies for a more equitable, value-based future.
“When it comes to breast cancer care, doing nothing is doing harm,” said Candace T. Westgate, DO, medical director, AHEAD Program, Adventist Health St. Helena. “Instead of leaving huge holes in preventive care, we found virtual care, supported by CancerIQ, could help us ensure high-risk patients received appropriate care throughout the pandemic. Even during lock down, we were able to identify and justify screenings for high-risk patients, which enabled us to diagnose multiple women with breast cancer while their disease was still curable.”
Access to risk assessments and genetic testing and counseling expands when these services are offered virtually. It gives people the flexibility to complete assessments and testing at home, which reduces barriers like transportation and time availability. It also improves quality because people have more time to put thought into their responses and call family members to confirm information, leading to a more accurate picture of their risk. It also helps health systems facing a shortage of genetic counselors by enabling nurse practitioners to champion the process.
“Transitioning to virtual care helped us conduct risk assessments and provide genetic testing and counseling to more patients, especially those living in rural areas, far from our clinic,” said Michele Settelmyer, APN, OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria, Ill. “Once we identify at-risk patients, the CancerIQ platform also helps us navigate and manage long-term care, which is essential to cancer prevention, early detection, and improved outcomes.”
Don’t miss the following opportunities to learn more about virtual high-risk breast clinics:
Transitioning to a Virtual High-Risk Program: Success and Opportunities
Sunday, April 18, 5:00 – 5:30 p.m. CST
Presenter:
Candace T. Westgate, DO, MPH, FACOG, Medical Director, AHEAD Program, Adventist Health St. Helena
The High-Risk Clinic in a Telemedicine Environment: Tales from the Front Lines
Monday, April 19, 10:30 – 11:00 a.m. CST
Presenters:
Candace T. Westgate, DO, MPH, FACOG, Medical Director, AHEAD Program, Adventist Health St. Helena
Michele Settelmyer, APN, MSN, WHNP-BC, OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center
Role of the High-Risk Nurse Practitioner as “High Risk Quarterback”
Monday, April 19, 12:15 – 12:45 p.m. CST
Presenter:
Michele Settelmyer, APN, MSN, WHNP-BC, OSF St. Francis Medical Center
The sessions are available to registered attendees only. Register here. CancerIQ is also exhibiting at the Virtual NCoBC2021 in Booth #701.
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About Adventist Health
Adventist Health is a faith-based, nonprofit integrated health system serving more than 80 communities on the West Coast and Hawaii as well as others across the U.S. through its Blue Zones company, a pioneer in taking a systemic and environmental approach to improving the health of entire cities and communities. Through this work, Adventist Health is leading a 21st century well-being transformation movement. Founded on Seventh-day Adventist heritage and values, Adventist Health provides care in hospitals, clinics, its innovative Adventist Health Hospital@Home program that provides virtual in-patient care at home, home care agencies, hospice agencies and joint-venture retirement centers in both rural and urban communities. Our compassionate and talented team of 37,000 includes associates, medical staff physicians, allied health professionals and volunteers driven in pursuit of one mission: living God’s love by inspiring health, wholeness and hope. Together, we are transforming the American healthcare experience with an innovative, yet timeless, whole-person focus on physical, mental, spiritual and social healing to support community well-being.
About OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center
With 649 beds, OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center is the fifth-largest medical center in Illinois. A major teaching affiliate of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, it is the area’s only Level I Trauma Center and is part of OSF HealthCare, an integrated health system owned and operated by The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, headquartered in Peoria, Illinois. OSF Saint Francis has been designated Magnet Status for excellence in nursing care since 2004. Learn more at .
About Cancer IQ
CancerIQ’s precision health platform enables hospitals to identify, evaluate and manage entire patient populations based on individual genetic risk factors. By analyzing family history, running predictive risk models and automating NCCN guidelines, CancerIQ empowers providers with the genetic expertise to prevent cancer or catch it early. The platform has been rapidly adopted by some of the top health systems in the country and fully integrates with genetics laboratories, EHRs, and specialty software vendors to streamline workflow, guide clinician decision making, achieve cost savings, and — most importantly — improve patient outcomes.
Contact: Patty Keiler, patty@collaborate.health, 312-550-5394