NewsLetters

Wow, I cannot believe we are in October already.  I feel like I have been in limbo most of the year and often times cannot even remember what day of the week it is!  😊  I hope I’m not the only one with this problem.  Three quarters of the year is gone and with just a couple months left, I wanted to let you know that the

Executive Committee has still been meeting every other month.  We will have some suggested changes to the OCRA By-Laws for your approval and those will be sent out soon for the membership to review.  We will be scheduling a virtual general membership meeting so please be on the lookout for that meeting news and invitation.  We will need to have the majority of members in attendance for voting on suggested changes to the By-Laws.  I hope most of you were able to attend the virtual NCRA and SEER Workshop Conferences.  It was hard for me to take it all in and will plan on watching/reviewing some of the presentations later.  A lot of information was shared and the SEER Workshop gave me some ideas to discuss focused quality assurance activities with the OSCaR QA team.

Presidents Message

Wow, what a way to start a year!  Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I’d ever write an article containing the words pandemic, COVID-19, social distancing (what?).  That being said, I sincerely hope you and all your loved ones are safe and healthy.

The OCRA Executive committee have already met twice this year.  We will be reviewing the OCRA By-laws closely to ensure the By-laws align with the scholarship and other OCRA specific forms.  We will also be re-visiting the different levels of OCRA membership.  This was discussed at the OCRA Business meeting last year and at that time no decisions were made to make any changes.  We would like to simplify the different levels of membership. Expect to hear more on this topic.  We are also doing an intensive review of the OCRA website to ensure accuracy and continuity. Read More

Presidents Message
Dear OCRA members,
As my tenure as OCRA President nears an end, I leave with excitement and hope. This past
year has indeed been a wonderful experience. I was blessed to lead an organization with
guidance from some truly exceptional people. I learned from the many experiences of
others and gained new knowledge. I now understand what it takes for an organization be
successful. John F. Kennedy once said, “One person can make a difference, and everyone
should try”. While this is true, I learned that it takes everyone working together
intentionally to accomplish the mission, constantly strive to achieve new goals, and prepare
for the future. Read More

Presidents Message

Hello OCRA members,

A lot has been happening in the past few months.  The NCRA conference was chock full of information and I’m still trying to process it all.  The weather in Denver went from warm to cold and it even snowed.  The Education Committee has been continuing their tireless work to deliver another great Fall Workshop.  I want to give a shout out to Kelly Denniston, Education Committee Chair, for her exceptional efforts.  The Nomination Committee has also worked tirelessly, to ensure OCRA’s future.  Another shout out to Kelly Bonafede, Nominating Committee Chair, for the hours spent making phone calls and sending emails.  The Communications Committee, Veronica Bourbeau, Laura Wallace, and Carol Funk, have been working with great effort to make sure you receive this newsletter and that you can register for the Fall Workshop (don’t miss this event) on the website.  We have many more people working in the background that are volunteering their time to OCRA.  My last shout out goes to each and every person that has dedicated their time and efforts to ensure OCRA’s success.  No matter how big or small, every effort counts.  It makes me feel very proud that I have the privilege to be part of such a great team and organization. Read More

Presidents Message

Hello OCRA members,

I can’t believe we are already four months into the year!  It has definitely been a busy year, so far.  Even with how busy we are, don’t forget to take a moment to celebrate YOU!

National Cancer Registrars week is April 8^th – 12^th.

The NCRA conference is right around the corner and I hope to see many of you there.  We’ll plan for all OCRA members that are attending the conference to meet for a group picture.  Time and place TBD.

Read More

Presidents Message

Happy New Year! I am honored to have the privilege of serving as the President of OCRA for 2019. Over the past few years, I have been fortunate to meet many of our members at the annual Fall Workshops. I have seen the passion and commitment that each member has for our profession. We all want to make a difference and strive to make the lives of others better through our work. I am very proud to be part of such a great organization.

Throughout this year I will be seeking your input on various aspects of this organization. We are only as strong as our members and your active participation is essential. Keep an eye out for surveys and requests for contributions to our newsletters. For the continued health of our organization, be prepared to submit nominations for next year’s leaders. I hope each of you will consider and be willing to run for elections and/or serve on one of our committees.

I am excited as we look forward to our future. We have many exciting opportunities and challenges ahead. I hope to continue the quality education and collaboration we enjoy through OCRA. I am excited to work with our education committee on another super Fall Workshop in October. As you all are aware, we live in a fast-paced and ever-changing environment. We must constantly strive for improvements, ways to make our organization more efficient and to better serve our membership. Our website is evidence of such improvements. This year, the executive committee team will participate in a one-year pilot program of Google Suite. If you attended the Fall Workshop, you have already seen one of the benefits of this when we were able to share workshop related documents with everyone from Google Drive. This year, we will expand our use of the Google Suite features and embark on a journey to create continuity during leadership transitions through collaboration and communication. We will strive to reduce expenses using free services and maintain our organization’s financial strength.

Thank you all for the monumental job you are doing. Thank you to all of you that have given and continue to give your time and energy to support OCRA. Please contact me or any member of the executive committee with suggestions. I look forward to hearing from each of you. I am blessed to have the opportunity to serve as President and truly appreciate your support.

Ron Lamie

2019 OCRA President

“To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe” -Anatole France

Presidents Message

Spring is upon us, they tell us, as well as the 2018 registry changes which seem to be continually evolving.  We anticipate, we acknowledge, we prepare, and we conquer: the life of a Cancer Registrar.  I try to stay focused on the goal of improving cancer care for every individual.  That’s what we do, isn’t it?  We all have been affected some way or another by cancer.  I have had fourteen people in my family affected, with two of my loved ones passing this year, as did our Cancer Services Director in 2017. Read More

Note from our President, Carol Funk:

Greetings friends...

We had a wonderful workshop this year in Medford. ONCO and 4 Hawk Winery provided a nice evening social for anyone who wanted to go. It was very nice, and a beautiful place to go to unwind. I want to thank all of the people who volunteered and made the workshop a success. We brought in $1,232.00 from the raffle this year. Read More

Hi Everyone, It is hard to believe that I am President already! I started out in OCRA on the nominating Committee, then served for two consecutive years as Secretary. I am excited to see what new and exciting things 2017 has in store for OCRA. Read More

Hi Everyone,
It’s hard to believe that we are already into a new year. I don’t know about you but I am looking forward to spring when we start having more daylight and we are able to enjoy the outdoors more.

I will try and keep this message short.

Just to give a little background on myself for those who don’t know me. I started in the registry at Legacy Health Emanuel in 2004. I was working part-time in the Cancer Day Treatment Infusion Center at Legacy Good Sam when I was asked by the director at the time if I would like to help with the follow-up. I did this for a few months when I was offered to do it full time. Read More