MOQC held its January Biannual Meeting virtually on Friday, January 17, 2025. The meeting focused on Reclaiming Joy in Your Oncology Practice. The meeting was well attended, and engagement remained high throughout. If you were unable to attend, please review the summary below and visit https://moqc.org/resources/past-meeting-library/ to watch recordings from the day.
The meeting began with POQC updates from POQC member Tammy Cedo. Tammy highlighted recruitment and retention efforts, the launching of The POQC Post, an online community forum for POQC members, and new patient and caregiver resources were also discussed. Dr. Dawn Severson then shared a Steering Committee update, highlighting MOQC Excellence in Quality Certification and celebrating that 14 practices have earned certification. Keli DeVries then shared updates on YesRx, Michigan’s cancer drug repository. Since its startup in 2023, YesRx has had incredible success in redistributing donated cancer medications to patients in need, free of cost. Meeting attendees shared what a great program this is and look forward to seeing it continue to expand.
Dr. Jennifer Griggs reviewed performance data on all MOQC measures for the entire collaborative. Along with presenting the data for each measure, Dr. Griggs also highlighted some of the many resources that are available to practices related to each measure. Dr. Griggs then provided an update on MOQC Excellence in Quality Certification (MEQC), sharing that 14 practices have achieved certification and encouraged all practices interested in pursuing certification to reach out
to the coordinating center for more information on how to get started.
Erika Lojko, representing POQC and the Palliative Care and End-of-Life Task Force, announced the launch of the Palliative Care Certificate Program. This virtual training program will cover a multitude of topics to equip healthcare providers with resources, training, and support to enhance services for patients with serious illnesses. This announcement was met with enthusiasm and excitement from meeting participants.
Dan Phillips, practice administrator of The Herbert-Herman Cancer Center at UMH-Sparrow presented on The Voice of Your Practice/Stories from the Field. He emphasized the value of providing compassionate and quality care as families navigate the stressful and life changing news of a cancer diagnosis. The keynote presentation, Finding Hope Through Practice (R)evoloution, was given by Dr. Julie Gralow, Chief Medical Officer of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Dr. Gralow gave an engaging presentation on workforce burnout in oncology practice and what is being done to help improve the overall well-being of the oncology workforce.
Updates were shared regarding current MOQC initiatives, highlighting key developments and progress in ongoing projects. Suzanne Fadley, PharmD, and member of the Centering Equity Task Force provided an update on the process of developing the Equity Strategic Plan. POQC member Mike Harrison provided an update on financial navigation. MOQC Project Manager Dilhara Muthukuda highlighted the Michigan 2-1-1 collaboration. An update on the food access & meal delivery program was given by MOQC Project Manager Ashley Bowen. Dr. Jennifer Griggs shared the key elements of creating an equity action plan.
We look forward to seeing you at our next biannual meeting on June 20, which will be our first ever combined medical and gynecologic oncology meeting.