Conference Highlights

Chock full of informative sessions, product theaters, and time to peruse the exhibit hall, Saturday also gave attendees the opportunity to choose from among 4 breakout sessions. One recognized winning poster presenters for their valuable work, while others explored the role of navigators in clinical trial accrual, especially among underrepresented populations; navigating cancer of unknown primary origin; and the complex world of value-based care and alternative payment models. Truly offering something for everyone in attendance, Saturday’s events imparted an abundance of knowledge to navigators.
Despite the inability to meet in person, navigators from throughout the country and beyond once again gathered for 5 days of valuable education and insights offered through the AONN+ Virtual Annual Conference. Rising to meet the changing role of navigators, along with new patient concerns in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, sessions provided a wealth of offerings.

This is part 3 of our 3-part conference recap and session highlights. Sunday, the final day of the conference, offered more opportunities for education, social connection, and career enhancement. Other highlights included on-demand access to breakout sessions, which allowed attendees to follow their interests independently. Ample time to visit the virtual Exhibit Hall offered another chance to gather information and make connections.

The Inaugural Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN+) Virtual Conference was a rousing success, gathering oncology navigators from around the globe!
If you were one of the 400+ attendees at our first-ever virtual conference, you were part of history in the making! Navigators from around the world tuned in, made new connections, and reconnected with AONN+ leadership and peers. In this first part of the 2-part conference recap, we present some of the weekend’s highlights. If you were not able to attend the conference, here’s a sample of what attendees experienced.
AONN+ members near and far had an opportunity to engage with leadership and ask questions during our Facebook Live Town Hall on Sunday morning.
Discussion of landmark national study of evidence-based oncology navigation metrics draws large number of attendees to the Tennessee Ballroom to learn more.

On this full day, the conference opened with an agenda full of opportunities for learning about the latest advances in oncology care, developments in the AONN+ acuity project, and an inspiring keynote speech.

AONN+ offered 4 preconference events for attendees. These ever-popular special interest events included a side trip and a preconference workshop on a crucial topic in oncology navigation—the Commission on Cancer (CoC) program standards.

Although Sunday only allowed for a half-day of events, its bounty of sessions provided a grand finale to the conference. General sessions focused on hot topics such as cancer legal issues, sexuality and cancer, and cancer nutrition. Four breakout sessions gave attendees opportunities to learn more about new developments in hematologic cancers, primary prevention, improving collaboration among disciplines, and understanding neuroendocrine and colorectal cancers.