Elekta Acknowledges Cancer Registrars' Contribution to Human Care at NCRA Education Conference

ATLANTA, May 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- At the National Cancer Registrars Association's (NCRA) 37th Annual Education Conference in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Elekta joined the Journal of Registry Management (JRM) to announce recipients of the Elekta / JRM Best Paper Award. Elekta and JRM, the official journal of NCRA, collaborate on this award to recognize exemplary work in the cancer registration field.

Published in the winter 2010 issue of JRM, the Elekta Award for Journal of Registry Management: Best Paper of the Year 2010 went to: "Impact of Automated Data Collection from Urology Offices: Improving Incidence and Treatment Reporting in Urologic Cancers." Lynne T. Penberthy, MD, MPH; Donna McClish, PhD; Pamela Agovino, MPH co-authored this paper.

The 2010 Honorable Mention was awarded to: "Including Self-reported Race to Improve Cancer Surveillance Data for American Indians and Alaska Natives in Washington State," which was published in the summer 2010 issue of JRM. Megan J. Hoopes, MPH; Maile Taualii, PhD, MPH; Thomas M. Weiser, MD, MPH; Rachel Brucker, RN, MPH; and Thomas M. Becker, MD, PhD co-authored this paper.

"We are proud of Elekta's sponsorship for recognition of a continually informative publication," says Michael Hechter, NCRA's Director of Membership and Certification. "The Journal of Registry Management, published by NCRA, properly showcases the relevant work of cancer registry professionals."

"Elekta is honored to have the opportunity to work with the Journal of Registry Management and to sponsor the Best Paper Award," says George Rugg, Elekta's Senior Vice President for LIS and Decision Support Products. "It is interesting to learn how registry professionals are working to advance the cancer registry data collection and analytics science. We would like to join the JRM in congratulating the 2010 publication winners."

To learn more about National Cancer Registrars Association's JRM, go to http://www.ncra-usa.org/jrm.

Elekta selects Cancer Registrar of the Year

During the conference, Elekta also paid tribute to the 2011 Registrar of the Year. Honoring registrars who make valuable contributions to the success of their registry, as well as extend those contributions to benefit the broader medical facility and community, Becky Wheeler, Certified Tumor Registrar (CTR®) at both The Ohio State University Medical Center (Columbus, Ohio) and Southeastern Ohio Regional Medical Center (Cambridge, Ohio) was recognized as Registrar of the Year.

Recognized for 25 years of service, Wheeler was nominated for the passion she brings to the profession, from compiling data that provides valuable information for monitoring and improving cancer treatments to conducting research and targeting prevention and screening programs. Board President of the Guernsey County American Cancer Society, Becky is involved in the Tar Wars program, where she has visited almost every fifth-grade class in Guernsey and Noble counties to educate students on the dangers of smoking. In addition, Becky spearheaded an awareness program, Think Pink, to increase the number of women receiving breast cancer screenings.

"A kind and generous mentor to fellow registrars, Becky manages all aspects of her registry and still finds the time to volunteer, coordinate a variety of screening programs and remain active in NCRA, the Ohio Cancer Registrars Association and the Cancer Registrars Association of Central Ohio," says Bonnie Bolyard, office manager, Genesis Hematology & Cancer Treatment Center. "Truly patient focused, Becky has the kindest heart of anyone I know."

An honorable mention also was awarded to Dolores McCord, RHIT, CTR, a veteran with more than 25 years in the cancer registry field and the manager of cancer analytics at Atlanta's Piedmont Hospital.

"What better honor than recognition from one's colleagues?" asks Rugg. "We at Elekta would like to congratulate Becky and Dolores for their tireless efforts and contribution to their registry programs."  

To learn more about Elekta's solutions for decision support, visit www.elekta.com/METRIQ.  

About Elekta

Elekta is a human care company pioneering significant innovations and clinical solutions for treating cancer and brain disorders. The company develops sophisticated, state-of-the-art tools and treatment planning systems for radiation therapy and radiosurgery, as well as workflow enhancing software systems across the spectrum of cancer care.

Stretching the boundaries of science and technology, providing intelligent and resource-efficient solutions that offer confidence to both healthcare providers and patients, Elekta aims to improve, prolong and even save patient lives, making the future possible today.

Today, Elekta solutions in oncology and neurosurgery are used in over 5,000 hospitals globally, and every day more than 100,000 patients receive diagnosis, treatment or follow-up with the help of a solution from the Elekta Group.

Elekta employs around 2,500 employees globally. The corporate headquarter is located in Stockholm, Sweden, and the company is listed on the Nordic Exchange under the ticker EKTAb. For more information about Elekta, please visit www.elekta.com.

SOURCE Elekta