NCRA Conference Preview

Join the NCRA at its Annual Education Conference

The National Cancer Registrars Association’s (NCRA) Annual Education Conference will be held May 15 to 18 at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Orlando, Fla. The 2011 conference theme—“Enchantment, Enrichment & Education”—captures the NCRA’s goals of creating a program that meets the training needs of cancer registrars who are just beginning their careers as well as seasoned professionals who are leading the ever-changing cancer registry field.

The conference is packed with informative and timely educational sessions. Special emphasis has been given to CSv2, including three site-specific sessions that will be offered several times on Tuesday, May 17 so all registrants can attend each session in a small-group setting. The special CSv2 sessions include breast and gynecological, genitourinary (bladder, kidney, prostate, and testes), and upper and lower gastrointestinal.

A highlight of the conference and a great way to meet colleagues from across the United States is the exhibit hall that will showcase the newest in cancer registry products and services.

Several workshops have also been designed to meet specific training needs, including the following:

Central Cancer Registry: Design, Management & Use Workshop (preconference)
Saturday, May 14, 1 pm to 5 pm
Sunday, May 15, 8 am to 5 pm
This workshop provides an executive summary of all functions and processes of the central registry and is aimed at new or current cancer registry staff and users of cancer registry data.

National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers (NAPBC) Workshop (preconference)
Saturday, May 14, 8 am to 4 pm
Workshop participants will be able to understand the historic development and need for multidisciplinary breast care, the multidisciplinary requirements as defined in the NAPBC components and standards, what is needed to apply for NAPBC accreditation, and how to navigate the NAPBC preapplication and Survey Application Record.

Survey Savvy Review Workshop (preconference)
Sunday, May 15, 8 am to 5 pm
This workshop will examine the new Commission on Cancer standards and Cancer Program Standards 2012 and provide participants with tools to facilitate implementation of and enhanced performance with these standards.

Fundamentals of Abstracting Workshop (runs concurrent with the NCRA conference)
Monday, May 16 to Wednesday, May 18, 7 am to 5 pm
This workshop is an intensive, three-day training program designed to focus on the concepts of quality abstracting and data reporting practices for new cancer registrars. (The training program is suitable for cancer registry employees with fewer than two years of experience.)

To register for the NCRA conference and to learn more about the program, go to www.ncra-usa.org. The NCRA has arranged a special rate of $162 per night at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort. To make hotel reservations, call 407-939-4686 and mention the NCRA convention. Reservations also can be made online at www.mydisneymeetings.com/ncra2011.

— Source: National Cancer Registrars Association