60th VTAAC Quarterly Newsletter |
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2021 Fall Update
This update is provided to share VTAAC news and resources, provide information on the progress of our current Vermont Cancer Plan, communicate meetings, events, projects, and enhance statewide collaboration. For additional information or meeting details, please contact VTAAC Coordinator, Heidi Considine, at coordinator@vtaac.org.
This quarter's newsletter addresses the following topics:
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2025 Vermont Cancer Plan Update |
In October 2021, an abbreviated version of the 2025 Vermont Cancer Plan will be released by the Vermont Department of Health and VTAAC. This “At A Glance” document will present the plan’s shared goals, objectives, and priority strategies. The full 2025 Vermont Cancer Plan will be available in December 2021.
Each year, approximately 3,700 Vermonters are diagnosed with cancer (Vermont Cancer Registry, 2013-2017) and more than 1,300 Vermonters die of cancer (Vermont Vital Statistics, 2013-2017). The five-year 2025 Vermont Cancer Plan was developed by the Vermont Department of Health and VTAAC members through a year-long collaborative decision-making process. It presents the shared goals, objectives, and priority strategies aimed at preventing, detecting, and treating cancer, as well as improving the lives of cancer survivors and their families. It strives to reduce the cancer burden for all Vermonters, especially those who have experienced socioeconomic disadvantage, historical injustice, and other avoidable systemic inequalities.
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Key Cancer Plan priority populations include:
- Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC)
- Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) Vermonters
- Vermonters living with disabilities
- Low-income Vermonters
The Vermont Department of Health and VTAAC will be working together to use the 2025 Vermont Cancer Plan as a roadmap for reducing the impact of cancer in Vermont. Please help us bring this plan to life!
For more information about the 2025 Vermont Cancer Plan, please reach out to Sharon Mallory at smallory@vermont.gov.
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VTAAC Membership Analysis Update |
The Vermont Comprehensive Cancer Control (CCC) evaluation team from Professional Data Analysts (PDA) is working on the annual VT CCC Evaluation Report which will be submitted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at the end of September 2021. This evaluation report serves the purpose of accountability, as well as provides information on the implementation and effectiveness of the Cancer Program, VTAAC coalition, and the statewide Cancer Plan, and areas for improvement.
An important part of understanding VTAAC’s reach and effectiveness, as well as planning for the Cancer Plan implementation, is our push to refresh our understanding of coalition members. We want to know: Who are you? What perspective do you represent? What brings you to VTAAC?
We want to thank everyone who has already updated their member information on the new online VTAAC membership form! We have heard from 83 members, which makes up 12% of the total coalition membership.
This process of improving the quality of our member data and tracking coalition representation and engagement will be ongoing, and we would love to increase that response rate. If you haven’t had a chance to do so, please take a minute to fill out the brief form on the VTAAC website. This information helps to get a more accurate picture of all the people and organizations contributing to cancer efforts in Vermont. Thank you for your partnership in this effort!
If you have questions about the Vermont Comprehensive Cancer Control evaluation, please contact Kate LaVelle at klavelle@pdastats.com.
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Women's Health and Cancer |
The 2021 Women's Health and Cancer Conference is tomorrow, October 1st. The conference is a free educational event focused on empowering and supporting individuals and communities with knowledge about cancer prevention, detection, treatment and survivorship.
You can find the full list of sessions on topics ranging from exercise, financial costs of cancer, harnessing the immune system, and Covid and Cancer here.
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Optimizing employment outcomes among rural cancer survivors: Beginning a community-engaged research program
We are looking for ways to help people undergoing cancer treatment maintain their ability to work. We’d like to talk with people who are undergoing or have finished cancer treatment who are willing to share some of the challenges they faced while working, returning to work or finding a new job.
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VTAAC Workplan
All Vermonters play an important role in addressing the impact of cancer within our communities. Please help us develop Vermont's cancer plan by telling us how you take action to reduce the impact of cancer. Working together we can strengthen our partnerships and support the actions that will help create a healthier Vermont.
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VTAAC Member or Organization Highlight
We want to hear from you. Do you have an organization or a person making a difference for Vermonters effected by cancer that you would like to highlight in our next newsletter or on social media? Let us know below!
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September Awareness Month
Childhood Cancer
Gynecological Cancer
Leukemia
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Hodgkin Lymphoma
Ovarian Cancer
Prostate Cancer
Thyroid Cancer
October Awareness Month
Liver Cancer
November Awareness Month
Lung Cancer
Pancreatic Cancer
Stomach Cancer
Carcinoid Cancer
For information about clinical trials near you:
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VTAAC Member Events
24th Annual Women's Health and Cancer Conference -
Friday, October 1, 2021
Vermont Cancer Survivor Network
Successfully developing their calendar of events. Anyone can contribute their events to this calendar. Link: https://vcsn.net/calendar/
New Organization Notice
Hand To Heart Project
The Hand to Heart Project offers free in-home massage and compassionate touch to people with cancer, and to their primary caregivers. We work with all stages of all cancers, from diagnosis through chemotherapy, radiation, surgery and other treatments, supporting our clients whether the outcome is completing treatment and leaving cancer behind, or the end of life. Hand to Heart serves the Upper Valley, southwestern New Hampshire, and southern Vermont. To inquire about making a referral or receiving the service yourself, or if you just have some questions about Hand to Heart, contact us at: (603) 542-8367; or contact@handtoheartproject.org; or find us on the web at handtoheartproject.org; or on Facebook.
Inner(be)
Tif Keith started this fitness journey after her own battle with cancer. She discovered the cancer exercise institute and decided to learn how to give others the help she needed during her fight. Tif is a certified personal trainer through the American Council of Exercise, a functional aging specialist, a yoga teacher, and an advanced reiki practitioner. Inner(be) is located in Brattleboro, VT and offers a sliding scale for payment for clients. You can find our more about Inner(be) at https://www.inner-be.org/ or at 802-490-2944.
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Upcoming VTAAC Meetings
VTAAC Steering Committee Meeting - 1st Thursday of every odd month 11:00am- 12:30 pm
*If you are interested in joining any of these meetings please email
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