Clinical Practice

ONS Chapters
Many ONS chapters have appointed legislative liaisons. Their responsibilities involve monitoring local, state, and national legislative issues as they relate to health policy and informing the local membership. They also may be responsible for establishing contact with their local representatives and staff.

ONS Health Policy Liaisons
Health policy liaisons are responsible for responding to health-policy initiatives in their home states. On behalf of ONS, they visit chapters and seek out and develop relationships with the state specialty nursing organizations and state board of nursing to monitor legislative proposals. They also represent ONS on state committees, coalitions, task forces, and work groups pertaining to nursing, cancer, or related issues. Health policy liaisons also promote involvement of oncology nurses in regulatory and legislative issues at the federal and state levels and serve as a resource for ONS members in their state. One of the most important tasks for health policy liaisons is to establish contact with state legislators and their staff. By building these relationships, liaisons are able to educate, discuss proposed legislation on issues of interest to ONS, and establish relationships for future contact.

ONStat Program
You have the power to make a difference! ONStat, the ONS grass roots response network, is a great way to support ONS's activities in Washington, DC, where your society is continuously working to advance the ONS Health Policy Agenda at the national level.

Review ONS Legislative Updates
The Oncology Nursing Society continues to work closely with Congress, government agencies, and cancer care advocacy organizations to help assure patient access to quality cancer care. Currently, some of the issues we are working on is more funding to address the nursing shortage and better access to cancer drugs.

Coalition for Patients' Rights
The Coalition for Patients’ Rights (CPR) consists of 25 organizations representing a variety of licensed health care professionals. In the face of organized medicine’s latest divisive efforts to limit these professionals’ abilities to provide the care they are qualified to give, the CPR was formed for the sake of patients—to ensure that the growing needs of the American health system can be met and that patients everywhere have access to quality health care providers of their choice.

The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
health08.org is part of a broad effort by the Kaiser Family Foundation to provide a central hub for resources and information about health policy issues in the 2008 election. The site provides analysis of policy issues, regular public opinion surveys, daily news updates, video of speeches and debates from the campaign trail, original interviews and resources for journalists covering the election.

From Cancer Patient to Cancer Survivor: Lost in Transition
The Institute of Medicine serves as adviser to the nation to improve health. Established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine provides independent, objective, evidence-based advice to policymakers, health professionals, the private sector, and the public.

National Cancer Institute
The President's Cancer panel is charged with monitoring the development and execution of the activities of the National Cancer Program. In 2006-2007 the President's Cancer Panel held a series of public meetings that focused on Promoting Healthy Lifestyles to Reduce the Risk of Cancer. The final report, Promoting Healthy Lifestyles: Policy, Program, and Personal Recommendations to Reduce Cancer Risk is now available. http://pcp.cancer.gov.

National Comprehensive Cancer Network
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), a not-for-profit alliance of 20 of the world’s leading cancer centers, is dedicated to improving the quality and effectiveness of care provided to patients with cancer. Through the leadership and expertise of clinical professionals at NCCN member institutions, NCCN develops resources that present valuable information to the numerous stakeholders in the health care delivery system. As the arbiter of high-quality cancer care, NCCN promotes the importance of continuous quality improvement and recognizes the significance of creating clinical practice guidelines appropriate for use by patients, clinicians, and other health care decision-makers. The primary goal of all NCCN initiatives is to improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of oncology practice so patients can live better lives.

Vital Options
Vital Options International is a not-for-profit cancer communications, support, and advocacy organization with a mission, to facilitate a global cancer dialogue. Vital operations produces a live weekly, call in cancer talk radio show that airs every Sunday, 4-6 pm ET, on select radio stations around the nation, and simulcast on XM Satellite Radio's 165 channel, as well as online at this site.

Quality Cancer Care Clinical Resource Area