Tricia Strusowski, RN, MS
Turnkey OncologyWith over 34 years of experience in the oncology field, Mrs. Strusowski has worked in a variety of roles including an oncology nurse, nurse manager, case management, and most recently a clinical director overseeing a multitude of departments, including chemotherapy infusion, rehabilitation program, navigation, survivorship, multidisciplinary disease site centers, thoracic surgery, palliative care, oncology medical home program, wellness programs and bone marrow coordinators and accreditation program. Her passion is in navigation and patient and family centered care in the oncology landscape and in conjunction with serving on multiple advisory boards, she implemented 15 multidisciplinary cancer centers including breast, lung, head and neck, pancreatic and various other tumor site specific teams. Mrs. Strusowski puts this rich work history to practice in consulting on the strategic development and implementation of oncology clinical programs within private practices, hospitals, and health systems across the country. She has presented and published nationally and has participated in the development of oncology nurse navigator core competencies and the AONN+ navigation metrics.
Authored Items
December 16, 2021 | November 2021 Vol 12, No 11 | Professional Roles and Responsibilities
Tools that help to characterize patient acuity have been used in healthcare for decades and have proved successful as a means of determining staffing needs, improving patient care, and controlling costs.
January 8, 2021 | Video Library | Standardized Metrics, Tools & Resources
AONN+ leaders explain how the team developed the metrics toolkit to better assist oncology and patient navigators in regard to patient experience, clinical outcomes, and return on investment.
January 8, 2021 | Video Library | Standardized Metrics, Tools & Resources
Oncology navigators face many challenges when it comes to collecting data, measuring success, and explaining the importance of metrics to the cancer care team.
January 8, 2021 | Video Library | Standardized Metrics, Tools & Resources
AONN+'s Metrics Toolkit provides practical guidance for navigation programs. Hear from AONN+ leaders on how the toolkit can help create and manage your navigation program.
January 8, 2021 | Video Library | Standardized Metrics, Tools & Resources
AONN+ leaders share their tips behind beginning the conversation around implementing metrics into your oncology navigation program.
January 8, 2021 | Video Library | Standardized Metrics, Tools & Resources
Gathering metrics that evalutate the patient experience, clinical outcomes, and return on investment help showcase the success and growth of an oncology navigation program.
Nicole Messier, RN, BSN, ONN-CG, OCN, Linda Burhansstipanov, MSPH, DrPH, Tricia Strusowski, RN, MS, Beth High, MSN, RN, OCN, CBCN, CN-BN
September 17, 2020 | Navigation Tools
The AONN+ Navigation Metrics Subcommittee created a Provider Educational Fact Sheet to help educate physicians and their office staff on the role of the navigator.
July 17, 2020 | Video Library | Standardized Metrics
Danelle Johnston, MSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer, The Lynx Group, explains the concept behind the metrics study and the 35 barriers to care identified by the study.
July 17, 2020 | Video Library | Standardized Metrics
Leslie Watson, PhD, Principal Scientist, Statistics & Evaluation, American Cancer Society, discusses some of the challenges of narrowing down the navigation metrics due to differences among healthcare work sites.
July 17, 2020 | Video Library | Standardized Metrics
Danelle Johnston and Tricia Strusowski, MS, RN, Manager, The Chartis Group, discuss some opportunities to broaden navigation education and training that emerged in the process of collecting metrics.
July 17, 2020 | Video Library | Standardized Metrics
Danelle Johnston, MSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer, The Lynx Group; Leslie Watson, PhD, Principal Scientist, Statistics & Evaluation, American Cancer Society; and Tricia Strusowski, MS, RN, Manager, The Chartis Group, say key takeaways include the importance of simplifying metrics collection and ensuring that metrics are pertinent to the navigators' experiences.
July 17, 2020 | Video Library | Standardized Metrics
Danelle Johnston, MSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer, The Lynx Group; Leslie Watson, PhD, Principal Scientist, Statistics & Evaluation, American Cancer Society; and Tricia Strusowski, MS, RN, Manager, The Chartis Group, review some of the exciting avenues the metrics study opens. Taking these insights to the next level will help with empowering navigators to improve performance and to identify opportunities for change.
July 17, 2020 | Video Library | Standardized Metrics
Danelle Johnston, MSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer, The Lynx Group; Leslie Watson, PhD, Principal Scientist, Statistics & Evaluation, American Cancer Society; and Tricia Strusowski, MS, RN, Manager, The Chartis Group, suggest ways in which administrators can learn from and implement some of the insights gleaned from the study.
July 17, 2020 | Video Library | Standardized Metrics
Danelle Johnston, MSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer, The Lynx Group; Leslie Watson, PhD, Principal Scientist, Statistics & Evaluation, American Cancer Society; and Tricia Strusowski, MS, RN, Manager, The Chartis Group, discuss the possibilities that the metrics study presents for individual navigation programs, the ways in which navigation programs can apply the metrics, and in turn, share what they have learned with the larger navigation community.
July 17, 2020 | Video Library | Standardized Metrics
Danelle Johnston, MSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer, The Lynx Group; Leslie Watson, PhD, Principal Scientist, Statistics & Evaluation, American Cancer Society; and Tricia Strusowski, MS, RN, Manager, The Chartis Group, say that while metrics data collection can seem dry, metrics can lead to better outcomes for their patients and improvements in their programs.
March 21, 2019 | Video Library | Best Practices, CoC Standards, Oncology Care Model, Standardized Metrics
AONN+ Metrics Subcommittee Co-Chairs Danelle Johnston and Tricia Strusowski describe how the AONN+ National Navigation Metrics study attempts to find a way to measure progams and performance in order to demonstrate the ways in which oncology navigators impact patient experience and outcomes, and providers' return on investment.
March 21, 2019 | Video Library | Best Practices, CoC Standards, Oncology Care Model, Standardized Metrics
AONN+ Metrics Subcommittee Co-Chairs Danelle Johnston and Tricia Strusowski describe the oncology navigation metrics and qualitative study they worked on with the American Cancer Society. Looking at all models of oncology navigation and at their standardization, their barriers, and their tools has led to a number of insights and breakthroughs for the AONN+ metrics study team.
March 21, 2019 | Video Library | Best Practices, Standardized Metrics
AONN+ Metrics Subcommittee Co-Chairs Danelle Johnston and Tricia Strusowski suggest ways to use your metrics once you have them. Use the "gems" within your grasp and start slowly, with a focused story.
March 21, 2019 | Video Library | Best Practices, Standardized Metrics
AONN+ Metrics Subcommittee Co-Chairs Danelle Johnston and Tricia Strusowski give a quick overview on the best way to begin collecting oncology navigation metrics, and why to do so. They offer strategies for getting the data out in front of the people who need to hear the oncology navigator's story through the data.
March 21, 2019 | Video Library | Committees, Local Navigator Networks, Networking and Community
AONN+ Standardized Metrics Subcommittee Chairs/Members Danelle Johnston and Tricia Strusowski encourage members to get involved in national committee work as well as local navigator networks (LNN). These methods of engagement with peers are among the best opportunities to get involved.
March 21, 2019 | Video Library | Committees, Networking and Community
Co-Chairs Danelle Johnston and Tricia Strusowski describe some of the work that the AONN+ Metrics Subcommittee does in creating new tools for oncology navigators to use in their work. Ms Strusowski describes the outreach efforts of the subcommittee, including their version of TED Talks and plans to collaborate with other subcommittees of the Academy. Ms Johnston speaks more broadly to the work of all the subcommittees and encourages members to become involved.
March 21, 2019 | Video Library | AONN+ Memories, Navigator Anecdotes
AONN+ Metrics Subcommittee Co-Chairs Danelle Johnston and Tricia Strusowski reflect on the origins of the Academy, and the early days of creating an oncology navigation metrics program a decade ago.
July 6, 2018 | AONN+ Blog
A well-crafted intake assessment tool establishes a patient-centered approach and lays the groundwork for a strong bond between the patient, family, navigator, and the support services.
May 23, 2018 | AONN+ Blog | Patient Navigators
AONN+ Navigation Metrics Subcommittee Chair Tricia Strusowski talks about how clerical tasks take navigators away from their primary functions, and outlines practical ways for administrators to support navigators’ roles at their cancer programs.
January 9, 2018 | AONN+ Blog | Standardized Metrics
As the move to value-based care and Alternative Payment Models (APMs) continues, oncology patient navigators must become more business savvy and have a full understanding about value-based cancer care metrics.
November 6, 2017 | AONN+ Blog | Role of the Navigator
Although patient navigation services are becoming more common at cancer programs nationwide, physicians and administrators still frequently ask, “What are the responsibilities of the navigator?”
September 26, 2017 | AONN+ Blog | Standardized Metrics
Ms. Strusowski recently co-authored an article on “Patient Navigation Metrics” for Oncology Issues, the journal of the Association of Community Cancer Centers. In this guest blog post, she explores this topic in the context of value-based care.
August 31, 2017 | AONN+ Blog | CoC Standards, Tools & Resources
Documentation by oncology patient navigators can play an important role in your cancer program’s efforts to comply with the new Commission on Cancer (CoC) Standards that became effective in 2015. This blog reviews documentation-tool compliance—in other words—how your documentation tools can help you demonstrate compliance with CoC Standard 3.1 Patient Navigation Process and Standard 3.2 Psychosocial Distress Screening.
August 10, 2017 | Video Library | Membership Testimonials
Tricia Strusowski takes a look back on how AONN+ has evolved from its early days and explains how it's helped her to grow.
August 10, 2017 | Video Library | Committees, Evidence into Practice
Tricia Strusowski believes it's important for both novice and seasoned navigators to collaborate in order to learn and help further the profession.
August 10, 2017 | Video Library | Committees, Evidence into Practice
Tricia Strusowski describes some of the goals of the AONN+ Evidence into Practice Committee and expands upon the potential of what the committee can accomplish.
August 10, 2017 | Video Library | Standardized Metrics
Tricia Strusowski explains why metrics are so important to the navigation profession.
Danelle Johnston, MSN, RN, HON-ONN, OCN, Vicki Kennedy, LCSW, Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, HON-ONN-CG, Tricia Strusowski, RN, MS
July 26, 2017 | Video Library | Role of the Navigator, Standardized Metrics, Town Hall & Panel Discussions
Danelle Johnston, Vicki Kennedy, and Tricia Strusowski agree that administrators often don't understand what navigators do. They provide information on resources that support the role of the navigator.
Danelle Johnston, MSN, RN, HON-ONN, OCN, Vicki Kennedy, LCSW, Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, HON-ONN-CG, Tricia Strusowski, RN, MS
July 26, 2017 | Video Library | Clinical Pearls, Town Hall & Panel Discussions
Lillie Shockney outlines some of the initial questions she asks her patients upon meeting them.
Danelle Johnston, MSN, RN, HON-ONN, OCN, Vicki Kennedy, LCSW, Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, HON-ONN-CG, Tricia Strusowski, RN, MS
July 26, 2017 | Video Library | Navigator Anecdotes, Survivorship, Town Hall & Panel Discussions
Lillie Shockney addresses when survivorship begins, how to assess patients' life goals, and how to ensure that their treatment plan aligns with their priorities and passions. She goes on to share a touching anecdote regarding a former patient and her survivorship plan.
Danelle Johnston, MSN, RN, HON-ONN, OCN, Vicki Kennedy, LCSW, Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, HON-ONN-CG, Tricia Strusowski, RN, MS
July 26, 2017 | Video Library | Best Practices, Role of the Navigator, Town Hall & Panel Discussions
The metrics panel provides practical advice for starting and maintaining successful navigation programs and for using the AONN+ standardized metrics to define and streamline processes across multiple disease states.
Danelle Johnston, MSN, RN, HON-ONN, OCN, Vicki Kennedy, LCSW, Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, HON-ONN-CG, Tricia Strusowski, RN, MS
July 26, 2017 | Video Library | Standardized Metrics, Town Hall & Panel Discussions
Tricia Strusowski and Danelle Johnston agree that, when talking to physicians, it's important to note that the AONN+ standardized metrics align with national standards. They also recommend having multiple elevator pitches tailored to different audiences.
Danelle Johnston, MSN, RN, HON-ONN, OCN, Vicki Kennedy, LCSW, Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, HON-ONN-CG, Tricia Strusowski, RN, MS
July 26, 2017 | Video Library | Standardized Metrics, Town Hall & Panel Discussions
Danelle Johnston talks about applying timeliness of care and retention metrics to various disease states.
Danelle Johnston, MSN, RN, HON-ONN, OCN, Vicki Kennedy, LCSW, Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, HON-ONN-CG, Tricia Strusowski, RN, MS
July 26, 2017 | Video Library | Best Practices, Navigator FAQs, Role of the Navigator, Town Hall & Panel Discussions
Lillie Shockney notes that are many assessment tools available to navigators. Tricia Strusowski goes on to provide examples of how her institution handles key points of contact and process mapping.
Danelle Johnston, MSN, RN, HON-ONN, OCN, Vicki Kennedy, LCSW, Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, HON-ONN-CG, Tricia Strusowski, RN, MS
July 26, 2017 | Video Library | Role of the Navigator, Standardized Metrics, Town Hall & Panel Discussions
Lillie Shockney asks AONN+ conference attendees if physicians understand the role of the navigator, and one navigator says the standardized metrics really help to communicate roles and responsibilities.
Danelle Johnston, MSN, RN, HON-ONN, OCN, Vicki Kennedy, LCSW, Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, HON-ONN-CG, Tricia Strusowski, RN, MS
July 26, 2017 | Video Library | Role of the Navigator, Standardized Metrics, Town Hall & Panel Discussions
Tricia Strusowski refers to the standardized metrics source document to help navigators determine their caseload. The metrics panel then addresses how navigators can set their patients' expectations regarding treatment and boundaries.
Danelle Johnston, MSN, RN, HON-ONN, OCN, Vicki Kennedy, LCSW, Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, HON-ONN-CG, Tricia Strusowski, RN, MS
July 26, 2017 | Video Library | Standardized Metrics, Town Hall & Panel Discussions
Tricia Strusowski notes that determining appropriate caseloads is a challenge and provides insight into the steps the AONN+ Metrics Subcommittee is taking to establish benchmarks.
Danelle Johnston, MSN, RN, HON-ONN, OCN, Vicki Kennedy, LCSW, Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, HON-ONN-CG, Tricia Strusowski, RN, MS
July 26, 2017 | Video Library | Standardized Metrics, Town Hall & Panel Discussions
The metrics panel provides an AONN+ member with suggestions on how to work within restrictive parameters to track patients and measure ROI.
Danelle Johnston, MSN, RN, HON-ONN, OCN, Vicki Kennedy, LCSW, Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, HON-ONN-CG, Tricia Strusowski, RN, MS
July 26, 2017 | Video Library | CoC Standards, Standardized Metrics, Town Hall & Panel Discussions
Vicki Kennedy, Danelle Johnston, and Tricia Strusowski reflect on when and how to best begin implementing standardized metrics, suggesting it might be best to start small and to build relationships in order to build a tangible case to make about the value of the navigator.
Danelle Johnston, MSN, RN, HON-ONN, OCN, Vicki Kennedy, LCSW, Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, HON-ONN-CG, Tricia Strusowski, RN, MS
July 26, 2017 | Video Library | Standardized Metrics, Town Hall & Panel Discussions
Vicki Kennedy, Danelle Johnston, and Tricia Strusowski understand that navigators are continually faced with different demands regarding what to measure, and they explain how to incorporate the AONN+ navigation metrics into existing processes.
Danelle Johnston, MSN, RN, HON-ONN, OCN, Vicki Kennedy, LCSW, Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, HON-ONN-CG, Tricia Strusowski, RN, MS
July 26, 2017 | Video Library | Standardized Metrics, Town Hall & Panel Discussions
Tricia Strusowski identifies a few different examples of simple metrics that are also a part of value-based cancer care.
July 25, 2017 | Webinars | Survivorship
This webinar, which is part of a collaboration between AONN+ and Oncology Solutions, was presented by Tricia Strusowski, MS, RN, Manager at Oncology Solutions, Project Leader on the AONN+ Evidence into Practice Navigation Metrics Subcommittee.
Linda Burhansstipanov, MSPH, DrPH, Sharon S. Gentry, MSN, RN, HON-ONN-CG, AOCN, CBCN, Danelle Johnston, MSN, RN, HON-ONN, OCN, Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, HON-ONN-CG, Tricia Strusowski, RN, MS
July 20, 2017 | Video Library | CoC Standards, Survivorship, Town Hall & Panel Discussions
Lillie Shockney explains how she and AONN+ are working towards encouraging the reevaluation of CoC standard 3.3 (on survivorship care plans) in order to measure compliance and success more accurately.
Linda Burhansstipanov, MSPH, DrPH, Sharon S. Gentry, MSN, RN, HON-ONN-CG, AOCN, CBCN, Danelle Johnston, MSN, RN, HON-ONN, OCN, Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, HON-ONN-CG, Tricia Strusowski, RN, MS
July 20, 2017 | Video Library | Standardized Metrics, Town Hall & Panel Discussions
Tricia Strusowski, Danelle Johnston, Lillie Shockney, and Linda Burhansstipanov discuss the need for navigators to become more business savvy. They explain how the AONN+ standardized metrics will help navigators demonstrate ROI and help administrators identify how well processes are working.
Linda Burhansstipanov, MSPH, DrPH, Sharon S. Gentry, MSN, RN, HON-ONN-CG, AOCN, CBCN, Danelle Johnston, MSN, RN, HON-ONN, OCN, Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, HON-ONN-CG, Tricia Strusowski, RN, MS
July 20, 2017 | Video Library | Standardized Metrics, Town Hall & Panel Discussions
Tricia Strusowski and Linda Burhansstipanov outline the goals of the Metrics Subcommittee and explain how achieving these goals will help to define what navigators do, track productivity, and measure the success of navigation programs.
July 5, 2017 | Video Library | Distress Screening, Navigator Anecdotes
Tricia Strusowski shares a personal story about how a patient caused her to look at distress screenings in a different light.
July 5, 2017 | Video Library | Membership Testimonials, Networking and Community
Tricia Strusowski finds the synergy between like-minded colleagues and the positive environment to be a very powerful aspects of AONN+.
July 5, 2017 | Video Library | Role of the Navigator, Standardized Metrics
Tricia Strusowski stresses the importance of getting navigators involved in a patient's cancer care as soon as possible and believes the AONN+ standardized metrics can help navigators take patient care to the next level.
July 5, 2017 | Video Library | CoC Standards, Standardized Metrics
Tricia Strusowski explains how the AONN+ standardized navigation metrics perfectly complement and support CoC standards.
July 5, 2017 | Video Library | Standardized Metrics
Tricia Strusowski provides an overview on how she and the Metrics Subcommittee developed the AONN+ standardized navigation metrics.
July 5, 2017 | Video Library | Networking and Community
Tricia Strusowski believes navigators need to work together to suuport the success of navigation programs and to further the role of the navigator.
July 5, 2017 | Video Library | Standardized Metrics
Tricia Strusowski reflects on why the AONN+ standardized metrics are needed in navigation.
July 5, 2017 | Video Library | Committees, Standardized Metrics
Tricia Strusowski, Chair of the AONN+ Metrics Subcommittee, explains the catalysts behind the development of standardized navigation metrics.
June 6, 2017 | Webinars | Role of the Navigator
This webinar is part of a collaboration between Cordata Healthcare Innovations, Oncology Solutions, and the Miami Cancer Institute.
March 10, 2017 | Articles & White Papers | Standardized Metrics
AONN+ is proud to announce the release of its white paper, Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators Announces Standardized Navigation Metrics. The white paper addresses the history of navigation, the motivation for creating the standardized metrics, and how it is going to be applied.
February 28, 2017 | Webinars | Patient Navigators, Role of the Navigator
This is part one of a free, interactive three-part webinar series on Survivorship hosted by the American Cancer Society. The webinars will include information about the Commission on Cancer survivorship care planning standard and the role of National Cancer Database data, review of the newly released American Cancer Society cancer survivorship care guidelines and a presentation by healthcare systems implementing survivorship programs.
Cheryl Bellomo, MSN, RN, HON-ONN-CG, OCN, Deborah Christensen, RN, BSN, HNB-BC, Tricia Strusowski, RN, MS
April 19, 2016 | Articles & White Papers | Breast Cancer, Evidence into Practice
Along with the diagnosis of breast cancer comes many decisions regarding treatment options. Oncotype DX, a genomic/gene expression assay, provides quantitative assessment of chemotherapy benefit and risk of distant recurrence in early-stage estrogen receptor–positive (ER+), HER2/neu-negative breast cancer to assist in developing individualized treatment plans.
Last modified: December 8, 2022
