Since 2016, the Stovall Award has honored innovative pioneers in patient-centered care. Below, find out how each Stovall Award recipient has improved the cancer care system.
Phuong Gallagher
2023 Patient Advocate Award
“Phuong’s dedication to infusing the research process with the patient experience has been transformative. She firmly believes that by incorporating the perspectives and needs of cancer patients, we can dramatically improve research and expedite the translation of research results into standard practice. This philosophy has been the driving force behind her advocacy efforts, and she has proven to be a catalyst for change.”
— Anjee Davis President, Fight Colorectal Cancer
Video: Hear about Phuong’s work to improve the patient experience through research advocacy.
Phuong Gallagher exemplifies the tireless advocacy of Ellen Stovall. Like Ellen, Phuong was diagnosed with cancer as a young adult and used her experience to help others, offering hope and support to newly diagnosed cancer survivors and advocating for patient-centered cancer care. She has a collaborative approach, with a relentless focus on the patient experience, and a special emphasis on young onset colorectal cancer. As a research advocate, she has contributed to research on topics such as sexual health, fertility preservation, palliative care, and quality of life. She draws on her experience as a refugee immigrant, addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as financial toxicity and effective communication. Phuong is passionate, dedicated, and determined, and she is truly deserving of the Stovall Award.Shelley Fuld Nasso, NCCS CEO
Phuong Gallagher was originally diagnosed with stage IIIC colorectal cancer at the age of 29. Phuong was newly-married, and busy balancing life between being a stepmom and working as a corporate executive.
Within a year, she was stage IV. She remembers the first two years as a time of medical confusion and loneliness, following doctors’ orders without information and feeling like the only young person with this awful disease. Then she happened to come across the Colon Club and their chat forum, Colon Talk. This chance meeting changed her life and began her advocacy.
In the fourteen years since, Phuong has emerged as a leading national advocate, collaborating with doctors, advocacy and support organizations, and researchers to promote awareness, self-advocacy, and research. She focuses on outreach to and education of adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients, empowering them to become knowledgeable self-advocates, while also facilitating improved communication between doctors, researchers, and the larger patient community.
Phuong actively collaborates with doctors internationally, contributing to over a dozen publications that shed light on the unaddressed needs of the community. Additionally, she speaks to medical students, imparting valuable insights on effective communication with cancer patients and addressing common misunderstandings.
Her impactful work has led to numerous affiliations and engagements with prestigious institutions and events. She serves as a committee member of the Cancer Survivorship Advisory Council at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. Furthermore, she actively contributes as a patient representative and advocate for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), guiding research and industry on recognizing and meeting patient needs. Phuong recently completed her three-year tenure as the Colon Club Present and currently heads Fight Colorectal Cancer’s Research Advocacy Training & Support (RATS) program and was recently appointed a Member of the NCI’s Patient Advocacy Steering Committee as a Task Force Advocate.
As a panelist and speaker, Phuong participates in discussions with researchers and groups emphasizing the patient perspective. Notably, she was a panelist at the White House for the 2023 Cancer Moonshot Colorectal Cancer Forum, where she urged proper communication surrounding palliative treatment and inclusion of underserved populations in clinical trials, challenging misconceptions to ensure patients receive the care they need.
Phuong’s unwavering dedication to the colorectal cancer community has made her an influential voice in the fight against this devastating disease. Through her advocacy, she offers hope, support, and valuable insights to countless patients and healthcare professionals alike, fostering a brighter future for those affected by colorectal cancer.
“Mary’s work has changed the national landscape of how cancer care is understood and delivered. Building on her clinical experience as a nurse and years as a nurse educator, she lent insight and acumen to promote clinical research and educational programs at the National Cancer Institute for over 14 years. The scope of her work in effect has shaped emerging survivorship programs and a new generation of nurses, physicians and related health care professionals now delivering quality care for cancer survivors.”
— Susan L. Weiner, PhD Founder, Children’s Cancer Cause
Video: Learn how Mary’s holistic approach has helped transform the field of cancer survivorship.
Over the course of her distinguished career as a clinician and researcher, Mary McCabe embraced a holistic approach to helping cancer survivors live well during and after cancer treatment. She developed comprehensive survivorship programs and advanced the field of survivorship through research, clinical care, professional training, and education. As a thought leader, she collaborated with professional societies to set standards for survivorship care. She influenced public policy and inspired the next generation of survivorship clinicians and researchers. Even in retirement, Mary continues to share her wisdom and talents, partnering with NCCS to create the Elevating Survivorship program in 2019 and serving as a mentor and coach to Elevate Ambassadors as they work to improve survivorship care in their communities. We are deeply grateful for Mary’s devotion to cancer survivorship and are thrilled to honor Mary with the Stovall Award.Shelley Fuld Nasso, NCCS CEO
Mary S. McCabe, RN, MA, is currently a consultant in Cancer Survivorship and Medical Ethics. She is the past Clinical Director of the Cancer Survivorship Center at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSK). From 2003 through 2016, she was responsible for developing and implementing a center-wide program and services for cancer survivors focused on research, clinical care, professional training and education. She was also a faculty member in the Division of Medical Ethics at the Cornell Weill Medical College and Chair of the MSK Ethics Committee.
A graduate of Trinity College, Emory University, and Catholic University, she was previously the nursing director at the Lombardi Cancer Center, Georgetown University in Washington, DC, and held several senior positions at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) before joining MSK. Mary is currently a member of the Survivorship Advisory Committee at the Lombardi Cancer Center, Georgetown University, a member of the boards of Children’s Cancer Cause and the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, and advisor to the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship.
She has served on many committees, including the Committee on Improving the Quality of Cancer Care and Guiding Cancer Control: A Path to Transformation at the National Academy of Medicine, the Survivorship Steering Committee of the American Cancer Society, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Survivorship Panel, the NCI Clinical Trials and Translational Research Advisory Committee, and is the past chair of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Survivorship Committee. Mary is the author of over 130 scientific publications and has received numerous national awards. These include the American Cancer Society Merit Award, Oncology Nursing Society Leadership Award, NIH Outstanding Performance Award, NIH Director’s Award, the Outstanding Alumnae Award, Emory University School of Nursing, and the Leonard Rosen Memorial Research Award given by Children’s Cause for excellence in Cancer Survivorship research. In 2020, she received the Emory University President’s Medal, the highest award given to an Emory alumnus. Currently, Mary serves as a cancer survivor advisor and navigator for immigration groups working to resettle families in the DC area.
Distinguished Professor of Medicine
David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA
“As one of the original members of the cancer survivorship ‘movement,’ Dr. Ganz has been instrumental in driving the field toward where it is today. Through her own groundbreaking research, compassionate clinical care, and dedication to mentoring countless individuals, Dr. Patti Ganz has built, guided, and supported the field of patient-centered cancer survivorship care.”
— Larissa Nekhlyudov, MD, MPH Professor, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School Clinical Director, Internal Medicine for Cancer Survivors, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Patricia A. Ganz, MD
Patricia A. Ganz, MD, a medical oncologist, has been a member of the faculty of the UCLA School of Medicine since 1978 and the UCLA School of Public Health since 1992. She was a founding member of the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) in 1986. Since 1993 she has been the Associate Director for Population Science at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. In 1999 she was awarded an American Cancer Society Clinical Research Professorship for “Enhancing Patient Outcomes across the Cancer Control Continuum.” Dr. Ganz was elected to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 2007, now National Academy of Medicine (NAM). She served on the National Cancer Institute Board of Scientific Advisors from 2002-2007 and on the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Board of Directors from 2003-2006. She received the American Cancer Society Medal of Honor in 2010. Dr. Ganz received the Komen Professor of Survivorship Award 1999-2000, and was a Komen Scholar from 2009 to 2019.
Dr. Ganz was privileged to work closely with the late Ellen Stovall in multiple activities including as co-chairs of the Cancer Quality Alliance (2005-2010) and as members of the IOM/NAM National Cancer Policy Forum, co-leading several workshops. Dr. Ganz has served on three NAM consensus committees: From Cancer Patient to Cancer Survivor, 2005; Cancer Care for the Whole Patient, 2008; Delivering High-quality Cancer Care, 2013; and Diagnosing and Treating Adult Cancers and Associated Impairments, 2021. Dr. Ganz is a pioneer in the assessment of quality of life in cancer patients, and has focused much of her clinical and research efforts in the areas of breast cancer and its prevention. At the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, she leads Cancer Control and Survivorship Program. Her major areas of research include cancer survivorship and the late effects of cancer treatment, measurement of patient reported outcomes in clinical treatment trials, and quality of care for cancer patients. In July 2017, Dr. Ganz became Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI).
“While Alicia maintains an active role locally, her influence as a leader is well beyond her geographic location. Her advocacy reaches a national and, in fact, a global audience. Alicia has been and continues to be highly effective as a community builder, a collaborator, and a facilitator within groups of people seeking to improve care for cancer patients and their families. Her first-hand knowledge of cancer care and delivery after three separate primary diagnoses spanning several decades has afforded her a unique perspective and a variety of experiences which she infuses into everything she does.”
— Anne Marie Mercurio Patient Research Advocate
Alicia Staley serves as vice president of Patient Engagement at Medidata. She oversees the Patient Insights Program and the Patient Insights Board. She works to infuse the patient perspective throughout the product development lifecycle and help engage patients in novel ways. She created Patient Centricity by Design (PCbD) in 2018 as a way to provide structure and governance for developing patient-centric technical solutions.
Alicia is also a three-time cancer survivor, first diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease as a sophomore during college. With an extensive network of patient advocates and non-profit organizations, she collaborates with a wide range of stakeholders to help improve processes and policies that impact cancer care.
As a champion of patient advocacy and engagement, she understands the critical issues facing patients seeking to engage in clinical research.
Alicia has over 20 years of experience in software design and information systems management. Prior to joining Medidata, Alicia worked at Cure Forward leading their patient engagement and community initiatives to help advance clinical research. An early adopter of social media, she co-founded #BCSM, which attracts over 250 global participants each week to its scheduled online discussions. Since its launch in July 2011, #BCSM has been showcased at SXSW in 2013, 2014, 2015, and again in 2017. This foundational online social media support channel is recognized as the gold standard for disease-specific social media networks.
She is the 2019 eyeforpharma Patient Champion award winner for her extensive patient advocacy and engagement work. She truly understands the critical issues facing patients seeking to engage in clinical research. With a keen focus on improving access to clinical trials, Alicia is passionate about making a difference for patients seeking clinical trials.
In 2021, Alicia won the CHI SCOPE Participant Engagement award for her work on Medidata’s Patient Centricity by Design initiative. Leveraging the classic design thinking framework, Alicia and her team developed a methodology for surfacing key insights from a patient’s clinical trial journey and transforming those insights into software development elements. This methodology is utilized to deliver world class experiences to patients on Medidata supported clinical trials.
She has co-led numerous research studies on how patients share information in online forums and has published numerous research papers on patient engagement and the need for patient-centric approaches to the design and development of clinical trials. She has a Mechanical Engineering Degree from Syracuse University and a Masters of Information Systems and an MBA from Boston University.
Frances Hill Fox Distinguished Professor
UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
“What I find most impressive about Dr. Mayer is how she marries real-world pragmatism with a deep knowledge of both theory and data. Quite simply, she has impeccable judgment with respect to survivorship program development, training initiatives and policy development. Her career-long involvement in cancer care and contributions to survivorship science and care have left Dr. Mayer with a rich and unique perspective on cancer care in this country and around the world.”
— Donald L. Rosenstein, MD
Director, Comprehensive Cancer Support Program
Division Head, General Adult Psychiatry
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Deborah K. Mayer, PhD, RN, AOCN, FAAN is the Frances Hill Fox Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Nursing at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Nursing. Dr. Mayer is an advanced practice oncology nurse who has more than 45 years of cancer nursing practice, education, research, and management experience. She earned a PhD from the University of Utah, her MSN from Yale University, her BSN from Excelsior College, her Nurse Practitioner Certificate from the University of Maryland, and her diploma from Pennsylvania Hospital School of Nursing.
Dr. Mayer is past president of the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS), was a member of the National Cancer Institute’s National Cancer Advisory Board (a Presidential appointment) and Board of Scientific Advisors. Dr. Mayer was elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. She is active in ONS and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and is a Past Chair of the ASCO Survivorship Committee. She served as Editor for the ONS’ Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing (CJON) from 2007-2015 and has published over 200 articles, book chapters, and editorials on cancer-related issues. She was awarded the ONS Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015 and, in 2016, was appointed as the only nurse to Vice President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot Blue Ribbon Panel. She was the Interim Director of the Office of Cancer Survivorship at NCI from 2018-2020.
At UNC School of Nursing, she was the coordinator for the oncology focus of the adult and gerotonology nurse practitioner program. Her program of research focuses on the issues facing cancer survivors and improving cancer care. She was the Director of Cancer Survivorship at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center. As a nurse who worked on the “frontline” with cancer survivors, and as a cancer survivor herself, she brings a unique perspective to her clinical, research, and health policy collaborations with the cancer community.
“Kimberly is a true champion of the patient perspective with a deep understanding of how all stakeholders interact within cancer communities. She approaches her work with a fierce dedication to honor, integrity, and empathy. Her approach to working with all stakeholders is a master class of diplomacy and collaboration. She understands the problems facing the industry and has a creative and tactful way of navigating some of the toughest conversations around access, equity, and equality for cancer care.”
— Alicia C. Staley
VP, Patient Engagement
Medidata
Kimberly D. Richardson is a two-time cancer survivor of both ovarian and breast cancer and has been active as a patient advocate since her first diagnosis in 2013. She was a member of the inaugural group of NCCS Elevate Ambassadors in 2019. As an Elevate Ambassador, she partnered with University of Illinois College of Medicine students to launch an educational program for scientists and cancer survivors called, “Survivors Advising Scientists Educational Program” (SASEP). The mission of SASEP is to create a bidirectional educational platform that connects young investigators with cancer patients, survivors, research advocates and allies to increase scientific literacy and engagement across the community.
Ms. Richardson is a member of several advisory groups on disparities in ovarian and breast cancer, serves on patient expert councils for global organizations striving for better patient outcomes in clinical trials, and advocates at the state and federal level for funding for cancer research. She is the co-Chair of the Patient Advocacy Committee of the Society of Integrative Oncology, where she sits on the Disparities committee. Her most recent appointments are to the NCI Moonshot IMPACT program, the American Board of Emergency Medicine, and the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance Industry Council on Disparities.
Ms. Richardson is Founder and Organizer of Chicago’s first researcher/survivor summit, including six major teaching hospitals and universities to bring key stakeholders together to discuss current gynecological research. She has written and spoken about her perspective on health inequity related to COVID-19 through blogs, webinars, and podcasts. Prior to her cancer diagnosis, Ms. Richardson had 30 years of urban planning and community economic development experience, serving as the Director of Planning and Development for the City of Harvey, Illinois and managing a community-based non-profit organization.
“Across her career as a clinician, researcher, and teacher in the area of psychosocial aspects of cancer, Dr. Rowland has promoted patient-centeredness, engaged patients, families, and caregivers to inform the process of improving the delivery of quality cancer care and collaborated effectively with others to improve quality within the cancer care system.”
— Deborah K. Mayer, PhD, RN, AOCN, FAAN
Frances Hill Fox Distinguished Professor
Director of Cancer Survivorship
UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
Julia H. Rowland, PhD is a long-time clinician, researcher, and teacher in the area of psychosocial aspects of cancer. She has worked with and conducted competitively funded research among both pediatric and adult cancer survivors, and published broadly in psycho-oncology.
She was recruited to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to become the first, full-time Director of the Office of Cancer Survivorship (OCS). After 18 years in this role, Dr. Rowland retired from service at the NCI in September 2017 and assumed the role of Senior Strategic Advisor at Smith Center for Healing and the Arts, a small non-profit organization that has been providing integrative support services to cancer patients and their families for over twenty years.
“Dr. Smith provides total and compassionate care to improve the quality of life of all suffering from their illness. He creates a calm environment which is unhurried, allowing the patient to be empowered to have critical conversations. Dr. Smith has taught hundreds how to improve their own skills and thereby the quality of care they deliver.”
— Patrick J. Coyne, MSN, ACHPN, ACNS-BC, FAAN, FPCN
Palliative Care Director
Medical University of South Carolina
Thomas J. Smith, M.D., is a professor of oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, director of Palliative Medicine for Johns Hopkins Medicine and the Harry J. Duffey Family Professor of Palliative Care. He is a medical oncologist and a palliative care specialist with a lifelong interest in better symptom management, communication, and improving access to high quality affordable care. Dr. Smith began Johns Hopkins’ hospital-wide palliative care consult service as well as an inpatient unit, and he is dedicated to accelerating palliative care research and education.
Dr. Smith is also a prostate cancer survivor, experiencing first hand surgery, recurrence, “salvage” radiation therapy and androgen deprivation therapy with many significant side effects. He knows all too well the experience of living and working while waiting for the other shoe to drop.
“Perhaps one of the most impactful collaborations in Dr. Brereton’s extraordinary career remains his early work and long friendship with Ellen Stovall. Through him, and in turn through the thousands of lives he has touched, Ellen’s work continues, and her mission lives on.”
—Karen M. Saunders
President, Northeast Regional Cancer Institute
Dr. Brereton is a graduate of Yale University and earned a medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh. Subsequent training in Internal Medicine took him to Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Brereton spent the next six years at the National Cancer Institute doing clinical and basic research and obtained certification in both Medical Oncology and Hematology. He completed additional training at Johns Hopkins for Radiation Oncology and was board certified.
Dr. Brereton served on the staff at Georgetown University for two years and then entered private practice where he spent thirty-three years developing cancer services by founding the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute in his community of Scranton, Pennsylvania. At the end of his private practice career, he was involved in the development of a new school, The Commonwealth Medical College, now the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine, where he continues to serve on the faculty as a Clinical Professor of Medicine. In addition to also teaching at the Weill Cornell School of Medicine, he is also a leadership team member of the International Cancer Expert Corps.
“Patient reimbursements and engagement are key, and Ms. Dornsife had the vision to understand that and the leadership to make it happen. Lazarex provides a key to hope…a key to life. I cherish every moment with my grandkids and my daughters, and I get that opportunity because of Dana Dornsife.”
—Jackie Hinckley, Stage 4 Metastatic Breast Cancer Patient
Dana Dornsife is Chair of the Board and Founder of Lazarex Cancer Foundation, a nationwide public non-profit organization she began in 2006. The unique mission of Lazarex is to improve the outcome of cancer care—giving hope, dignity and life to advanced stage cancer patients and the medically underserved by providing assistance with costs for FDA clinical trial participation, identification of clinical trial options, community outreach and engagement.
Dana has recently expanded the mission at Lazarex to bring transformational change to the bench to bedside process of clinical trial enrollment, retention, minority participation and equitable access with IMPACT (IMproving Patient Access to Cancer Clinical Trials). She is a graduate of Drexel University in Philadelphia and serves as a board member of the USC Brain and Creativity Institute at University of Southern California, the UCSF Cancer Leadership Council, and the MGH Presidents Council.
Associate Director, Radiation Research Program
Senior Investigator, Radiation Oncology Branch
National Cancer Institute
“Ms. Stovall had a clear and beautiful concept of what needed to be done to improve the quality of cancer care. Much like when Ms. Stovall recognized a problem in need of remedy, Dr. Coleman is a shining example that Ellen’s passion for this goal lives on.”
—Larry Roth
President, International Cancer Expert Corps
Dr. Coleman, a radiation oncologist, is a leading provider advocate for patient-centeredness; emphasizing access to care, respect for patient preferences, and coordination and integration of care.
For more than 45 years, he has provided cancer care and conducted research, including roles as a tenured faculty member in medical and radiation oncology at Stanford, Professor and Chair of Radiation Oncology at Harvard Medical School, and currently Senior Investigator and Associate Director of the Radiation Research Program at the National Cancer Institute (NCI). In recent years, he helped to establish the International Cancer Expert Corps (ICEC), which aims to increase capacity in developing countries to provide high-quality cancer care.
Dr. Coleman graduated from the University of Vermont with a B.A. summa cum laude in mathematics, and from Yale University School of Medicine in 1970. He completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, medical oncology at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and radiation oncology at Stanford. He served in the US Public Health Service (O-4, ret).
Board certified in these three specialties, Dr. Coleman was a tenured faculty member at the Stanford University School of Medicine before joining Harvard Medical School in 1985 as Fuller-American Cancer Society Professor and Chairman, Joint Center for Radiation Therapy.
In 1999, Dr. Coleman returned to the NCI as director of the new Radiation Oncology Sciences Program that he created to coordinate all radiation oncology and related science activities. He served as chief of the Radiation Oncology Branch from 1999–2004 and is now an adjunct member of ROB in the Center for Cancer Research where he has his laboratory currently focusing on radiation-induced molecular- and immunotherapy targets. He serves the NCI as associate director of the Radiation Research Program in the Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis.
Since 2004 Dr. Coleman has also been Senior Medical Advisor in the Office of Emergency Management, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), Department of Health and Human Services. He has written extensively in the fields of radiation modifiers, molecular radiation oncology and, more recently, on health and medical preparedness and planning for radiological or nuclear emergencies, and global health.
Dr. Coleman has been affiliated with NCCS since working with Ellen Stovall on the NCAB/Senate Subcommittee to Evaluate the National Cancer Program in 1993. He helped form the New England Coalition for Cancer Survivorship while at Harvard. He is Senior Scientific Advisor to the International Cancer Expert Corps (ICEC), a non-government organization focusing on global disparities in cancer care.
Dr. Coleman is a Fellow of the American Society of Radiation Oncology, American Society of Clinical Oncology, American College of Radiology and American College of Physicians. Among his awards are the Gold Medal from ASTRO in 2006, the Partnership for Public Service, Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Homeland Security Medal in 2011, the Failla Medal from the Radiation Research Society in 2016 and Doctor of Science (h.c.) from the University of Vermont in 2015.
“As founder of Cancer CAREpoint, Gay conducted a community needs assessment over two years where she facilitated focus groups with over 200 community members to develop programs that would serve as the foundation of Cancer CAREpoint.”
—Rob Tufel, MSW, MPH, Executive Director Cancer CAREpoint
For the past 44 years, Gay Crawford has actively counseled thousands of patients and families and played a major leadership role in working toward better and more complete patient-focused cancer care.
She helped found many cancer programs, including: Hospice of the Valley, the second non-profit hospice in California; Courageous Kids, an American Cancer Society program for children with cancer; the California Cancer Registry; the Colon Cancer Free Zone, advocating for colon cancer screening; and was successful in lobbying the insurance industry to get them to pay for breast reconstructions for patients. In 2011 she was invited to serve as the first chair of Stanford’s new South Bay Cancer Center Patient and Family Advisory Council, helping to develop the program and keep the focus on “patient-focused care.”
Gay’s life’s work culminated in 2013 when she founded a Silicon Valley based non-profit organization called Cancer CAREpoint. Cancer CAREpoint has served over four thousand patients and families with a wide-range of free support services. Cancer CAREpoint is the only community-based organization in Silicon Valley providing direct services to anyone impacted by cancer no matter what type of cancer a patient has, where the patient is treated, or ability to pay. Gay succeeded in getting public recognition from all the major medical centers in Silicon Valley about the need for non-medical support for cancer patients and their families.
Gay, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 30 and then with lymphoma at age 60, says “I have been able to live long enough to learn how to be of service, to advocate for those who are not able to do so for themselves, to see gaps in health care and to make a difference in bringing programs to those who need them. I am buoyed and blessed by a network of people who have believed that change is possible and have enabled me to make a difference.”
Director, Palliative Care Program
Medical University of South Carolina
“Pat has been instrumental in advancing concurrent palliative care alongside usual cancer care, especially in the inpatient setting, and in advancing palliative care worldwide. Pat is a nurse first and foremost and has assumed national and international leadership in nursing and in health care in general.”
– Thomas J. Smith, MD
Director of Palliative Care
Johns Hopkins Medicine
Patrick Coyne, an advanced practice nurse, has devoted his career to the advancement of the field of palliative care. Mr. Coyne is the Director of the Palliative Care Program at Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). He is one of the founders of ELNEC (End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium), which has educated more than 21,000 nurses in over 90 countries, and he has published over 100 papers on a variety of symptom management and policy issues.
“She is an individual who, drawing upon a personal commitment to championing the individual rights of those diagnosed and treated for life-threatening illness, and those of their family members, created an innovative resource that is transforming cancer care daily for scores of patients and families.”
– Julia Rowland, PhD
Former Director,
Office of Cancer Survivorship
National Cancer Institute
Meg Gaines is a lawyer by training, a cancer survivor, and one of the founders of the Center for Patient Partnerships at the University of Wisconsin. The Center trains students in the fields of law, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and social work to provide advocacy to cancer patients. Interdisciplinary teams help cancer patients understand their diagnoses, get the information necessary to make critical treatment decisions, and support patients’ efforts to get the treatment they need.
Professor of Medicine
Stanford Comprehensive Cancer Center
Douglas W. Blayney, MD, who worked closely with Ellen Stovall, was chosen in 2016 as the inaugural recipient of the Stovall Award. Since 2017, Dr. Blayney has served as the co-chair of the Stovall Award Selection Committee. Read more about Dr. Blayney and the 2016 award below.
NCCS Presents the Inaugural Ellen Stovall Award to Douglas W. Blayney, MD, FACP (Video)
Posted: October 18, 2016
From left to right: Jonathan Stovall, Douglas W. Blayney, and Shelley Fuld Nasso
At the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship’s (NCCS) 30th Anniversary Reception on October 13, 2016, NCCS presented the inaugural Ellen Stovall Award for Leadership in Patient-Centered Care. The award was created to honor former NCCS CEO Ellen Stovall, who led the organization for more than twenty years and passed away in January 2016 from complications related to her cancer treatments.The award recipient was Douglas W. Blayney, MD, FACP, past president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and who worked closely with Ellen Stovall for many years. Together they helped initiate the ASCO Quality Symposium, which has become the leading cancer quality meeting in the world.
Shelley Fuld Nasso Remembers Ellen Stovall
NCCS CEO Shelley Fuld Nasso thanked the attendees to the NCCS 30th anniversary reception, many of them current and former NCCS staff and colleagues of Ms. Stovall, for their contributions to the field of cancer survivorship. “Everyone in this room today has helped in some way have an impact on our work over the past 30 years and on the lives of people with cancer,” Ms. Fuld Nasso said.
She continued, “As we commemorate this milestone in our history, we also, of course, have to recognize the devastating loss that we at NCCS felt, and all of us in the cancer community, when Ellen Stovall passed away earlier this year–our former CEO, dear friend, and mentor… Ellen left an indelible mark on all of us… She’s really our guiding light at NCCS and I often find myself thinking, ‘What would Ellen do?’” After a short video tribute to Ellen’s life and advocacy, Shelley invited Ellen Stovall’s son, Jonathan Stovall, on stage to present the award named in his mother’s honor.
Dr. Blayney Accepts the Ellen Stovall Award
In her introduction, Shelley Fuld Nasso highlighted the collaborative efforts of Dr. Blayney and Ms. Stovall. “Dr. Blayney did not shy away from Ellen’s demands that much more needed to be done to ensure access to patient-centered care, or her insistence that patient satisfaction with their cancer care really did matter. Instead, he was a dedicated partner in these efforts.” She continued, “When Ellen and Doug were working shoulder to shoulder on a wide range of cancer quality improvement efforts, they were pioneers. Not all their peers supported, or even saw the point of all their dogged efforts to improve quality.”
Dr. Blayney accepted the inaugural award and honored Ms. Stovall’s work and advocacy for cancer survivors in his remarks. “Ellen was a living reminder of cancer survivorship,” said Dr. Blayney. “She lived her life with purpose and never-failing grace. She articulated for so many audiences, the purpose of our work, and reminded us that it was always about the patient. I am honored with the Stovall award.”
Douglas W. Blayney, MD, FACP is a professor of medicine at the Stanford Comprehensive Cancer Center. His clinical interest is breast cancer, and his operational interests and research focuses on quality improvement in cancer care systems, improvement of the patient experience, and the optimum use of information technology to enhance these missions. He is past president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), and was the founding editor-in-chief of ASCO’s Journal of Oncology Practice.
The Ellen Stovall Award: 2017 and Beyond
At the reception, NCCS announced that beginning in 2017, the Ellen Stovall Award will be an annual, nationwide competition. It will be the first call to action that specifically urges cancer survivors and caregivers to nominate providers who are making dramatic improvements in how they care for cancer patients and their families. With recent changes in care towards value-based reimbursements and the Oncology Care Model, NCCS seeks to highlight providers who are proactively and successfully embracing patient-focused care that is recognized by the very patients they are serving. Dr. Blayney will serve as co-chair of an advisory committee to establish the award’s criteria and evaluate nominations.
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Harmar Brereton, MD
Founder
Northeast Regional Cancer Institute
“Perhaps one of the most impactful collaborations in Dr. Brereton’s extraordinary career remains his early work and long friendship with Ellen Stovall. Through him, and in turn through the thousands of lives he has touched, Ellen’s work continues, and her mission lives on.”
—Karen M. Saunders
President, Northeast Regional Cancer Institute
