ONS and City Cancer Challenge Foundation Collaborate to Improve Access to Quality Cancer Care Around the World
PITTSBURGH, PA—November 16, 2023—The Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) engaged in a new collaboration with City Cancer Challenge Foundation (C/CAN) that will transform and improve access to quality cancer care at the local, regional, and global levels. The two organizations signed a collaborative agreement in October 2023 to support and sustain their joint work.
“I am looking forward to what ONS and C/CAN will achieve with this new collaboration,” ONS Chief Clinical Officer Erica Fischer-Cartlidge, DNP, CNS, AOCNS®, EBP-C, said. “Many of our members have a passion for sharing their experience and expertise with nurses in other countries that are committed to improving patient outcomes. We expect there will be bidirectional learning and growth in our engagement with C/CAN and the communities they serve.”
C/CAN is a city-based partnership initiative based in Geneva, Switzerland, that supports cities around the world as they work to improve access to quality, equitable cancer care in countries around the world by transforming how public and private stakeholders collectively design, plan, and implement cancer care solutions. C/CAN’s approach embraces its core principle that cities can drive impact at the national level by crafting data-driven solutions with the support of a network of global, regional, and local partners that reflect an understanding of the unique local context.
“The collaboration with ONS provides a unique opportunity for knowledge and expertise exchange for nurses around the world to improve clinical practice,” Alfredo Polo, MD, PhD, director of technical cooperation and capacity development at C/CAN, said. “This collaboration will leverage resources to up-scale leadership skills for nurses working at different levels in the healthcare system, from bedside care to hospital administration roles, with the ultimate goal of improving cancer care.”
In its collaboration with C/CAN, ONS will:
- Advise on global oncology nursing projects and activities that pertain to C/CAN’s initiative
- Nominate and sponsor relevant oncology nursing experts to facilitate and participate in capacity development interventions and provide remote expert guidance
- Nominate and sponsor nurses with specialty oncology expertise to assist countries in the development of guidelines, policies, and resources at international levels
- Collaborate with C/CAN on research activities that explore challenges, barriers, and improvements to nursing interventions
ONS is a professional association that represents more than 100,000 nurses and is the professional home to more than 35,000 members. ONS is committed to promoting excellence in oncology nursing and the transformation of cancer care. Since 1975, ONS has provided a professional community for oncology nurses, developed evidence-based education programs and treatment information, and advocated for patient care, all in an effort to improve quality of life and outcomes for patients with cancer and their families. Learn more at ons.org/global-initiatives (https://www.ons.org/global-initiatives).