Press Releases

ATLANTA —April 12, 2010—Ten outstanding cancer care providers from a variety of backgrounds and regions have been chosen to receive the 2010 American Cancer Society Lane W. Adams Quality of Life Award, a prestigious national prize for cancer caregiving. The Lane W. Adams Quality of Life Award recognizes individuals who have made a difference through innovation, leadership, and consistent excellence in providing compassionate, skilled care and counsel to persons living with cancer and their families. The awards will be presented in a ceremony in Atlanta on Thursday, May 6, 2010. This year, the Society honors:

• Roger W. Crawford, director of radiation oncology, OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, Peoria, Ill. Mr. Crawford has worked in the field of radiation oncology for nearly 40 years, and continues to ensure that each patient he interacts with receives the highest quality of care possible. He is known for his compassionate delivery of cancer care services, and for delivering patient education at the level of the patient’s understanding.
• Stefan Balan, M.D., clinical director, hematology and oncology, Dartmouth- Hitchcock's Norris Cotton Cancer Center • Manchester, Manchester, New Hampshire. Dr. Balan has created and led a multidisciplinary team to ensure comprehensive mental health care for his patients with cancer. He is known for his caring nature, and his high investment in his patients’ understanding of their disease and their treatment options.
• Sister Rita J. Jarrell, O.S.U., M.A., B.C.C., hospice chaplain, Hosparus, Louisville, Ky. Sister Rita is a true advocate for survivorship and for compassionate hospice care. In addition to her job as a hospice chaplain, she has also served as an American Cancer Society volunteer in numerous roles for 26 years. Through her work, she advocates for the underserved and provides information and spiritual support to cancer patients with special needs.
• Peg Nelson, M.S.N., A.P.R.N., A.C.H.P.N., director of pain and palliative care service, St. Joseph Mercy Oakland Hospital, Pontiac, Mich. Ms. Nelson has made it her life mission to provide compassionate palliative and hospice care. She is known for her work educating doctors, nurses, patients and patient families on pain management, spiritual needs and end-of-life issues.
• Pam G. Hodges, B.S.N., M.S.N., clinician, North Mississippi Medical Center, Tupelo, Miss. Ms. Hodges has been an oncology nurse for more than 25 years, and she continues to provide compassion and the gift of hope to every patient. She is known for going to great lengths to deliver hands-on care and counsels cancer patients and their families about palliative care.
• Linda Bulone, R.N., O.C.N., C.C.R.C., clinical trials manager, Queens Cancer Center of Queens Hospital, Jamaica, N.Y. Ms. Bulone is a strong believer in community education on prevention to underserved populations, and is known for her assistance in preparing patients physically, emotionally and psychologically for clinical trials. Her efforts in the recruitment of patients to clinical trials have increased participation significantly in her area.
• Ahmed Nadeem, M.D., medical director, outpatient infusion cancer center, Landmark Medical Center, Woonsocket, R.I. Dr. Nadeem is known for his compassionate care for his patients, innovative ideas to improve cancer programs, and hands-on treatment of the “whole” patient and their family – from diagnosis and throughout treatment.
• Frederick J. Meyers, M.D., M.A.C.P., executive associate dean, University of California-Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, Calif. Dr. Meyers is a leader in the field of pain management and palliative care, and recognizes and incorporates patient culture, values and beliefs as part of patient care. He is known for his innovative medical education programs and mentoring, and his programs are now models for compassionate end-of-life care at the national level.
• Julissa Rios, case manager, Westside Community Health Services, St. Paul, Minn. Ms. Rios is an advocate for providing cancer education services to Latina women, specifically with the creation of La Nueva Esperanza (The New Hope) cancer support group. She is known for her assistance with cancer care resources for the underserved and uninsured and has played an important role in educating surgeons and medical providers when consulting with and delivering a new diagnosis to Latina women.
• Gwen Carriere, A.R.N.P., C.H.P.N., cancer program coordinator, North Florida Regional Medical Center, Gainesville, Fla. Ms. Carriere is known for helping cancer patients and their families connect with resources in the community to help them get well. She was instrumental in establishing a cancer resource center in her hospital’s new cancer center to provide a more positive experience for patients.

“Going above and beyond the call of duty to extend the ‘warm hand of service’ to cancer patients is a top priority for these dedicated individuals,” said Alan G. Thorson, M.D., F.A.C.S., national volunteer president of the American Cancer Society. “These extraordinary awardees deserve to be recognized for their efforts to provide hope to those touched by cancer, and for helping us create a world with less cancer and more birthdays.”

Individuals like this year’s Lane Adams recipients are critical to helping the American Cancer Society save lives from cancer. The Society has recognized cancer caregivers through the Lane Adams Quality of Life Award since 1988. The awards committee includes longtime national Society volunteers, including Vicki Adams Quan, the daughter of Lane W. Adams, the former executive vice president of the Society who coined the term the “warm hand of service” and made attention to compassionate care a legacy of his service.

The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end cancer for good. As a global grassroots force of three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping you stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early, helping you get well by being there for you during and after a diagnosis, by finding cures through groundbreaking discovery and fighting back through public policy. As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing about $3.4 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.

Claire Greenwell

American Cancer Society

Phone: (404) 417-5883

Email: claire.greenwell@cancer.org