NCC names 2023 Summit Award winners

Nevada Cancer Coalition this month named five recipients of the nonprofit’s annual Summit Awards. The awardees are a mix of clinical, public health and community professionals who’ve helped to reduce the impact of cancer in Nevada.

This year’s award recipients are:

• Dora Garcia, Access Medical Director at Access to Healthcare Network: Healthcare Partner of the Year – Health Leader. Garcia has worked with NCC to connect Nevadans to cancer screening and diagnosis through a patient assistance fund, reinvigorating the partnership between the two organizations and improving health access for under- and uninsured patients. Garcia said family cancer diagnoses and deaths have fostered her passion for affordable cancer care.

• Jenna Hughes, Oncology Nurse Navigator at Summerlin Hospital Medical Center: Healthcare Partner of the Year – Patient Navigator. Hughes began her navigation career as the sole oncology nurse navigator at her facility. She focuses on connecting with other navigators and breaking down silos, sharing resources, and learning from others to improve care for all Nevadans. She is involved with the Oncology Nursing Society in southern Nevada took a leadership role in NCC’s statewide Oncology Navigation Network after it earned recognition as a Local Navigation Network by AONN+.

• Senator Roberta Lange, Nevada Legislature: Advocacy Award. Sen. Lange has advocated for improving access to cancer early detection and treatments starting in 2021 as the primary sponsor of a bill to allow for exemptions to step therapy requirements for stage 3 & 4 cancer patients and co-sponsoring bills to create a public option health plan for Nevadans and increase access to genetic testing for BRCA gene mutation. This year, she was the primary sponsor for SB330, which expanded access to breast cancer screening for Nevadans. She also co-sponsored a successful bill to extend step-therapy exemption requests to all patients.

• Diane Klassen, Radiologic Technologist, Humboldt General Hospital: Unsung Hero. Klassen, an imaging specialist, launched the lung cancer screening program at Humboldt General, identified barriers, and worked to overcome them to get the program off the ground. She is a passionate advocate and partner, sharing her resources and lessons learned with other healthcare professionals and demonstrating that a quality lung screening program CAN work in a rural critical access hospital.

• Molly Rose Lewis, Regional Representative, Sen. Jacky Rosen, Community Champion: Lewis’ approach to her work is one of boots on the ground and she is often visible at community events. She is a wizard at connecting the right people at the right time and for important reasons – that’s at the heart of Nevada Cancer Coalition’s. She sees the big picture and helps to elevate Nevada’s priorities beyond the state’s borders and onto a national stage.