COA Administrators Network and Community Oncology Pharmacy Association Announce New Co-Chairs and Advisory Board Members

COA Professional Networks for Practice Administrators and Pharmacy Teams Welcome New Co-Chairs and Advisory Board Member Leaders

WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES, January 17, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The COA Administrators’ Network (CAN)¹ and Community Oncology Pharmacy Association (COPA)², two Community Oncology Alliance (COA)³ member-driven professional networks, are pleased to announce the election of new co-chairs and members to their advisory boards for 2024.

COA maintains a robust array of networks for oncology professionals. Our peer-to-peer networks for administrators, pharmacists, and others have thousands of participants from practices across the country. Through them, professionals in all roles connect at COA events, meetings, and webinars to advance their practices.

“Professional networks are vital to COA’s mission of bringing together and ensuring the success of our broad community of independent oncology practices,” said Nicolas Ferreyros, managing director of policy, advocacy, and communications of COA. “We are pleased to welcome these volunteer leaders who are dedicating their time to helping practices share learnings and face new challenges.”

COA’s initiatives are voluntary, self-governing entities that advise, report to, and serve at the direction of the COA Board of Directors. Their volunteer members and leaders serve as representatives and champions for the individual initiatives, provide valuable insight into the ongoing perspectives of practices and challenges they face, and share their knowledge and best practices with their peers.

CAN Co-Chairs and Advisory Board Members:

The COA Administrators’ Network Advisory Board is a peer-to-peer network for community oncology practice administrators and management team members. Members can find solutions to their biggest operational challenges, share organizational strategies, and access valuable resources to maximize practice operations. CAN membership is free and exclusively available to administrators, managers, and affiliated team leaders from every level of community oncology practices.

The CAN Advisory Board is pleased to welcome two new co-chairs, Ann Marie Rainey, MSN, RN, CHC, CPHQ, and Susan Sabo-Wagner, MSN, RN, OCN, NEA-BC, who currently serve as director of value-based care and vice president of clinical innovation for the American Oncology Network, LLC, respectively.

Joining the CAN Advisory Board this year is Jeff Hunnicutt, CEO of Highlands Oncology Group in Fayetteville, Arkansas. A longtime and active member of CAN, he has served as CEO for five years.

With the new members, the current CAN co-chairs and Advisory Board include:
- Anne Marie Rainey, MSN, RN, CHC, CPHQ; Clearview Cancer Institute, CAN co-chair
- Susan Sabo-Wagner, MSN, RN, OCN, NEA-BC; American Oncology Network, LLC; CAN co-chair
- Amy Ellis, Northwest Medical Specialties, CAN advisory board member
- Danielle Geiger, MSN, APRN-NP, AOCNP; Nebraska Cancer Specialists, CAN advisory board member
- Jeff Hunnicutt, Highlands Oncology Group, CAN advisory board member
- Maryann Roefaro, MS, FACMPE; Hematology-Oncology Associates of CNY, CAN advisory board member
- Phil Stover, JD, MBA; Mission Cancer + Blood, CAN advisory board member
- Dennis Zoet, MBA; Cancer And Hematology Centers Of Western Michigan, CAN advisory board member

Shiela Plasencia, COA’s director of practice support and staff liaison for CAN, said, “CAN is run for and by practice leaders, and that’s why it’s so important that the CAN Advisory Board be keyed into the latest happenings in community oncology. We’re excited to welcome our new leadership to help their peers get a leg up in a competitive and ever evolving oncology environment.”

Powered by the collective knowledge of its 1,000+ members, CAN is run by and for practice leaders, ensuring that strategies for navigating regulatory, operational, and organizational pressures are actively shared. The virtual, peer-to-peer network fosters a resource-rich and welcoming environment for both seasoned and new practice team members.

COPA Advisory Board Co-Chair and Members:

The Community Oncology Pharmacy Association is a network for medically integrated pharmacies—pharmacies within medical centers that provide patient-centered and multidisciplinary care—in independent community oncology and urology practices. COPA breaks down regulatory and operational barriers to ensure patients have timely and unrestricted access to pharmacy services as an integral part of their care. As an active peer-to-peer network, members share resources and strategies to help manage and maximize pharmacy operations.

This year, COPA welcomes Jonas Congelli, RPh, as co-chair of the network. As chief strategy officer for Hematology-Oncology Associates of Central New York, Congelli has been a steadfast supporter of COPA and an Advisory Board member for a number of years.

With the new members, the current COPA co-chairs and Advisory Board include:
- Josh Cox, PharmD, BCPS; Dayton Physicians Network, COPA co-chair
- Jonas Congelli, RPh; Hematology-Oncology Associates of CNY, COPA co-chair
- John Clagg, RPh; The Center For Cancer And Blood Disorders, COPA advisory board member
- Steven D’Amato, BScPharm, BCOP; New England Cancer Specialists, COPA advisory board member
- Wendalee Hemmen, US Oncology, Texas Oncology; COPA advisory board member
- Howard Levine, PharmD; Queens Medical Associates, COPA advisory board member
- Jeff Lombardo, PharmD, BCOP; CCS Oncology, COPA advisory board member
- Mark Nelson, PharmD; Northwest Medical Specialties, COPA advisory board member
- Yen Nguyen, PharmD; Oncology Consultants, COPA advisory board member
- Tom Ollis, MS, RPh; Regional Cancer Care Associates, LLC, COPA advisory board member
- Christine Pfaff, RPh; The Mark H. Zangmeister Cancer Center, A Division of American Oncology Partners, COPA advisory board member
- Bob Phelan, Cancer Specialists Of North Florida, COPA advisory board member
- Darrell Willyard, PharmD; Oklahoma Cancer Specialists And Research Institute, COPA advisory board member
- Austin Cox, PharmD; Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute, COPA advisory board member

“Pharmacy teams are hungry for the best information and tools from COPA to better serve their patients. Our COPA Advisory Board and co-chairs ensure we will continue to provide first-rate support for our members. Thanks to our leaders and members of COPA, we are continuing to provide critical support to the challenges of our diverse community,” said COA’s Director of Clinical Initiatives and staff liaison for COPA, Judy Alberto, MHA, RPh, BCOP.

A network of pharmacists, pharmacy staff, practice administrators, and other affiliated practice professionals, COPA is a powerful peer-to-peer collaboration network that helps them navigate an increasingly complicated oncology environment and improve pharmacy operations. By sharing insights, COPA offers a forum for the advancement of integral cancer treatment dispensing clinics.

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About the Community Oncology Alliance: COA is a non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for community oncology practices and, most importantly, the patients they serve. COA is the only organization dedicated solely to community oncology where the majority of Americans with cancer are treated. The mission of COA is to ensure that patients with cancer receive quality, affordable, and accessible cancer care in their own communities. More than 5,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with cancer every day and deaths from the disease have been steadily declining due to earlier detection, diagnosis, and treatment. Learn more at www.CommunityOncology.org. Follow COA on Twitter at www.twitter.com/oncologyCOA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CommunityOncologyAlliance.

Drew Lovejoy
Community Oncology Alliance
info@coacancer.org

¹ https://coacan.org/
² https://coapharmacy.com/
³ https://communityoncology.org/