Duke Cancer Wins 2014 Innovator Award

The Association of Community Cancer Centers named a palliative care initiative led by the Duke Cancer Institute’s Cancer Network among this year’s recipients of its 2014 Innovator Award. The association cited the Carolinas Palliative Care Database Consortium, a partnership between the Duke Cancer Network (DCN) and the community, for developing an innovative web-based data collection tool.

The consortium is led by Arif Kamal, M.D., medical oncologist and palliative medicine specialist with the Duke Cancer Institute; Amy Abernethy, M.D., Ph.D., Center for Learning Health Care at Duke University; and Janet Bull, M.D., Four Seasons, a palliative care and hospice organization in Flat Rock, N.C.

“Our highly successful data collection tool is used by clinicians at the point-of-care to track quality and outcomes in palliative care,” Kamal said. “This tracking enables immediate feedback and highlights areas of concern.”

The Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) serves as the leading advocacy and education organization for the multidisciplinary cancer care team. Established in 2011, the ACCC Innovator Award honors excellence in cancer programs raising the bar in quality cancer care delivery. The Duke consortium was among six groups honored this year for forward-thinking, replicable programs.

“The ACCC is proud of our 2014 Innovators Award winners,” said Becky L. DeKay, ACCC president. “They have demonstrated exceptional commitment to enhancing quality cancer care in their communities.”

Award recipients will present details and outcomes at the ACCC 31st National Oncology Conference in San Diego, Calif., Oct. 8 through Oct. 10.