Greetings AVAHO members and supporters,

In this edition of the AVAHO newsletter I hope that you notice the dramatic increase in educational offerings that AVAHO is bringing to it’s members!  For years we have wanted to move beyond being just a “once a year annual meeting” organization and have a more year-round approach to the organization, and in particular the specific educational needs of our members.

MARK your calendars, for the first time AVAHO will be sponsoring and offering THREE “regional conferences” to be held exclusively for AVAHO members that addresses some of the major issues VA oncology is dealing with in 2023.  In March a symposium was conducted in Nashville discussing CAR-T therapy in the VA, on May 6 one is scheduled in Indianapolis on the VA LPOP program and lung cancer in the VA, and in July in Seattle we will focus on female malignancies (non-breast) and their management within the VA.  These programs have all been developed between the AVAHO education committee and AVAHO members providing care in the field, and we believe the information and skills you learn will translate into improved understanding and patient care being provided to the veteran.  Keep an eye on the AVAHO website for announcements and registration information for these educational offerings being sponsored through AVAHO.

You will also notice a piece regarding the newly formulated AVAHO Advocacy Committee, and its day spent “on the hill” in Washington D.C.  The goal of this committee is to have a voice in Washington D.C. on issues related to veterans and cancer care, and I am excited to see this committee get off the ground!

Finally, none of these changes would occur without the commitment and contributions of our volunteer committee members, who listen to memberships needs and continue to strive to make AVAHO THE organization for VA employees involved in cancer care to belong to.  If you are interested in helping form the future of AVAHO, please see the article on membership engagement to determine which of these opportunities you may be best suited for.

Remember:  An organization is only as good as the input and contributions from its members, we need and want you to be involved in AVAHO and its growth for years to come.

Rusty