Nevada Cancer Control Summit

Summit support and exhibit opportunities are now open! 

Being an exhibitor or sponsor at the Nevada Cancer Control Summit gives your organization the opportunity to support cancer control in Nevada and education and networking for cancer control professionals throughout the state. 

Register and pay by May 1, 2024 to ensure inclusion in our printed materials.
Please note, our exhibitor space is limited and we will sell out. Those who have made payment on their commitment will receive priority.

Friday, Aug. 23

Saturday, Aug. 24 - Clinical Oncology Focus

Arash Asher, MD
Dr. Arash Asher has served as the Director of Cancer Survivorship & Rehabilitation at Cedars-Sinai Cancer since 2008. He has a special interest in the physical and rehabilitative needs of cancer survivors who continue to experience the effects of their cancer or its treatment. Dr. Asher has led the development a number of unique cancer survivorship programs with his colleagues, including Emerging from the Haze, GRACE and others with the goal of optimizing physical, psychological, and spiritual resilience for patients with cancer. Dr. Asher completed a physical medicine and rehabilitation residency at the UCLA/Greater Los Angeles VA, and a cancer rehabilitation fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.

Kristie Howlett, MS, CNS, NP-C, AOCNP
Kristie is a Nurse Practitioner and owner of Howlett Integrative Cancer Care, a telemedicine practice serving patients across the country. In this role she helps patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, and into survivorship, increase immune function and decrease toxicity of treatment with a focus on a terrain centric approach that looks at the whole person.

She originally attended University of Nevada, Reno where she received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing. She then worked as a bedside nurse and later moved into a
clinical manager role for the next eight years. During this time, she completed her Master of Science with a focus in Oncology Nursing, graduating from University of California, San Francisco in 2008 as an Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist. She then worked as an Oncology CNS in both the inpatient and outpatient setting for six years. In 2012, she went on to complete a post-master’s Nurse Practitioner Certificate in Adult-Geriatric Care from University of Massachusetts, Boston. She has obtained education through the Institute for Functional Medicine. She has completed the Metabolic Approach to Cancer Master Course for practitioners. She is Board Certified as an Adult Nurse Practitioner, maintains her Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse Practitioner Certification, and is licensed in the states of California, Idaho, Nevada and Washington. She is currently pursuing her Society of Metabolic Health Practitioners Accreditation.

Andy Pasternak, MD, MS
Dr. Andy Pasternak graduated from the University of Michigan Inteflex program (combined BS/MD) in 1993. He completed his family medicine residency and primary care research fellowship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He moved to Reno in 1998 and started Silver Sage Center for Family Medicine in 2005. Dr. Pasternak is a community clinical professor at the University of Nevada Reno School of Medicine and research director for the Sports Medicine fellowship. He is the medical director for the Tahoe Rim Trail Endurance Races and the Western States 100. Since 2012, he has been a board member of Access to Health Care. Starting in 2022, he was named as an Associate Editor for the Annals of Family Medicine. Finally, he was proud to serve as the 117th President of the Nevada State Medical Association.

In his free time, he enjoys trail running, bicycling, cross-country skiing, and traveling with his lovely and talented wife, Dr. JoAnn Ellero. He is also the lead tuba player and
started the Jibboom Street Marching band which has won multiple awards in the Truckee 4th of July parade.

Scout, MA, PhD
Scout (they/he) is the Executive Director of the National LGBTQI+ Cancer Network and the principal investigator of both the CDC-funded LGBTQI+ tobacco-related cancer disparity network and Out: The National Cancer Survey. They spend much of their time providing technical assistance for tobacco and cancer focusing agencies expanding their reach and engagement with LGBTQ+ populations. Scout has a long history in health policy analysis and a particular interest in expanding LGBTQI+ surveillance and research. They have faculty appointments at both Brown University and Boston Universities’ Schools of Public Health. They are a member of FDA’s Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee, a longtime
member of the NIH Council of Councils, on the Advisory Panel for NIH’s All of Us initiative, and the former Co-Chair of the NIH Sexual and Gender Minority Research Office Work Group. Their work has won them recognition from the U.S. House of Representatives, two state governments, and many city governments. Scout is an openly nonbinary and trans father of three, a vegetarian, an avid hiker and climber.

Erin Sullivan Wagner
Erin is a 16-year survivor of anal cancer. As a result of her radiation treatment, she experienced sexual health side effects that went untreated until 6 months after treatment and the issues became permanent. After her cancer experience, she facilitated support groups, trained as a life coach, and started a coaching business for patients: After Cancer, Solutions for Sexual Health. Her advocacy work continued through the Iowa Cancer Consortium, where she has been a member since 2014, and served as the co-chair of the Quality-of-Life Implementation group.

After collaborating with sexual medicine clinicians about the common side effects and treatments for sexual health side effects from cancer, Erin started the All of Me project in 2016, a grant funded project through the Iowa Cancer Consortium. The All of Me team developed patient handouts and educational materials, hosted conferences, and conducted accredited workshops across Iowa for oncology providers and care team members on an implementation framework for addressing sexual health in cancer care. In November of 2022, After Cancer transitioned to a non-profit organization, where Erin serves as the Executive Director, and continue to develop educational resources to close the communication gap between patients and providers, related to sexual health in cancer care. After Cancer is committed to delivering affordable and accessible resources to assist facilities in developing sexual health programs within their organization.

John Westhoff, MD, MPH
John Westhoff, MD, MPH, is a retired Army Colonel with 25 years of active-duty service. He is residency-trained and board-certified in emergency medicine, public health and general preventive medicine, and occupational and environmental medicine. He is a graduate of Munich American High School (’89), Brigham Young University (BS ‘95), the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (MD ‘99), and the University of Washington (MPH ’11). Dr. Westhoff teaches epidemiology, biostatistics, and health systems science
at the UNR School of Medicine, where he serves as Director of Evidence and Systems-based Practice and Assistant Dean for Student Research. An artificial intelligence aficionado, he incorporates AI into his daily workflow and represents the School of Medicine on the UNR AI Task Force.

Since retiring from the military and moving to Reno in 2020, Dr. Westhoff and his wife Rachel have enjoyed exploring the wilds of the western United States in their camper van. They have been married for 31 years and have five children and five grandchildren. Dr. Westhoff is a follower of German professional soccer, an avid skier, and a mediocre trail runner. Dr. Westhoff practices clinically in the Emergency Departments of Banner Churchill Community Hospital in Fallon, NV, and Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center in Carson City, NV.

We are pleased to invite you to submit abstracts for posters for the 2024 Nevada Cancer Control Summit in Reno, Nevada. This event represents an opportunity to showcase projects and programs in cancer control, including evidence-based cancer prevention and screening initiatives, innovative cancer research and use of data, and advances in treatment of patients with cancer. Posters will be on display Friday afternoon/evening during the Awards and Poster Reception, and Saturday.

General Information:

1. All abstracts must be submitted no later than June 14, 2024
2. Submit abstracts electronically to kristen@nevadacancercoalition.org
3. One page document with 1 inch margins
4. Preferred limit of 300 words not including project/program name, organization and author/contact information.

Abstract Format:

1. Project/program name
2. Organization
3. List of author(s) and/or contact person(s)
4. Background

• Purpose or intent of the project or program
• Problem or issue addressed
• Target population
• Any project partners

5. Methods

• Study design
• Key activities and timelines

6. Results
7. Conclusion

• Include any lessons learned and opportunities for replication

Please direct questions to Kristen Hackbarth at (775) 451-1670 x 105 or via email at kristen@nevadacancercoalition.org. Thank you!

Download Instructions here.

Whitney Peak Hotel, 255 N Virginia St Reno, Nevada 89501 USA
Reserve your room by July 22, 2024 in the Summit Room Block: $139 + taxes & fees

BOOK HERE

Stay at Whitney Peak Hotel, our conference location, which offers a 100% smoke-free experience, restaurant and bar, modern rooms, and free self-parking in the hotel garage. Room rate is $139.00, plus 13.5 % current tax plus a $2 tourism surcharge (subject to change without notice). All reservations must be accompanied by a first-night room deposit, or guaranteed with a major credit card. Direct link: Nevada Cancer Control Summit or call 775-398-5400 and mention group code: NCC24.

The room rate is good for Thursday, August 22, 2024 and Friday, August 23, 2024. Room block expires on Monday, July 22, 2024

Parking: Waived for self-parking in the hotel garage. Discounted valet parking fee is $15 per vehicle for overnight guests.

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint providership of the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine and the Nevada Cancer Coalition. The University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education in physicians. 

The University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 9 hours AMA PRA Category 1 Credits. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. 

Continuing Education Credit

The University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine approves this program for 6 hours of nursing continuing education credit.

Learning Objectives

Following participation in this course, participants should be able to:

• Understand a whole-person approach to survivorship care
• Describe two co-morbidities that affect survivors
• List three lifestyle changes that can improve overall health and wellness In a cancer survivor
• Describe the various etiologies implicated in Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment (CRCI)
• Summarize potential lifestyle treatment strategies for CRCI among cancer survivors
• Recognize opportunities for research of lifestyle strategies for CRCI
• Review barriers to cancer screening in primary care
• Discuss solutions to improve cancer screening
• Describe cancer and health disparities experienced by LGBTQI+ communities
• Identify health system changes that can be made to improve health outcomes for LGBTQI+ patients
• Develop strategies for promoting LGBTQI+ inclusivity in their own hospitals and cancer centers
• Review the current screening recommendations for breast, cervical, colorectal, prostate, and lung cancers and the screening methods available for each.
• Discuss emerging cancer early detection tests, such as MCED, including their advantages, disadvantages, accuracy, utility, and cost-effectiveness.
• Describe emerging and existing screening options as part of patient counseling for cancer early detection in a primary care setting.
• Discuss the workings, limitations, and capabilities of artificial intelligence technologies, differentiating generative AI and traditional machine learning methods.
• Describe current applications of AI in medicine, and discuss emerging trends that will influence future developments in the field.
• Explore the Current Impact of AI on Administrative Workflow, Medical Practice, and Research 
• Discuss 4 of the 6 components of the 30-Second message to normalize the conversation the sexual health topic with patients
• Identify topics covered by After Cancer’s educational handouts for patients
• Describe 3 cancer treatment-related side effects that can negatively impact sexual health