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61th VTAAC Quarterly Newsletter

2021 Winter 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:
2025 Vermont Cancer Plan and Annual Meeting
We are excited to announce that the Vermont Department of Health released the finalized version of the 2025 Vermont Cancer Plan. While we will have formal announcement in the beginning of January, we wanted to share this exciting news with our members now. The plan represents countless hours of work to present the shared goals, objectives and priority strategies to reduce the burden of cancer
in Vermont.

In particular, the 2025 Vermont Cancer Plan strives to reduce the cancer burden for all Vermonters, especially those who have experienced socioeconomic disadvantage, historical injustice, and other avoidable systemic inequalities.
For more information about the 2025 Vermont Cancer Plan, please reach out to Sharon Mallory at smallory@vermont.gov.
VTAAC Annual Meeting
To kick off the 2025 Vermont Cancer Plan, VTAAC will be hosting our first annual meeting since 2019. This series will be focused specifically on how inequities affect Vermonters impacted by cancer. While in the past we have had a day-long in-person summit, Covid-19 continues to make gathering uncertain. This year, we are opting to split our meeting into shorter, monthly virtual sessions.

We will start off the series in early March by highlighting the 2025 cancer plan and presenting an overview of health equity. Throughout the following sessions we will be addressing:

  • Accessing care for rural Vermonters
  • Increasing screening after COVID-19
  • Cost of care and financial hardship

Keep an eye out for the first meeting invite and save the dates for these sessions in the coming weeks.
News from the UVM Cancer Center
UVM Researchers Help Identify Impact of COVID-caused Delays in Breast Cancer Screening

New research from U.S. Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC) members, including several University of Vermont researchers, found that from March to September 2020, breast biopsies and detected cancers at U.S. BCSC facilities dropped sharply, compared with the same span a year earlier. Biopsies declined by 23 percent and detected cancers by 24 percent – findings that the research team attributes mostly to the postponement of routine screening mammograms as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold.

The Norris Cotton Cancer Center is hosting a meeting called a Community Engagement Studio to talk with people about a new research study.

If you:
  • live in New Hampshire or Vermont and
  • have had stage 4 lung cancer or stage 4 melanoma

...we want to hear from you.
 
This meeting:
  • Is designed to get community feedback on a Cancer Center research project
  • Will be held virtually in February 2022
  • Will be held one time and last about 2 hours
  • Is NOT considered research
 
Participants will be compensated for their time with a $50 gift card.
 
If you are interested in participating, please use the link below to complete our interest form.
 
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. 
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!
January Awareness Month 

Cervical Cancer

February Awareness Month

Gallbladder and Bile Duct Cancer

March Awareness Month
Lung Cancer
Colorectal Cancer
Kidney Cancer
Multiple Myeloma


For information about clinical trials near you:
 VTAAC Member Events

Vermont Cancer Survivor Network
Successfully developing their calendar of events. Anyone can contribute their events to this calendar. Link: https://vcsn.net/calendar/
Would you like to add your event to this calendar? You can do so here: https://vcsn.net/event-submission-form.html

Fundraisers to Support Local Organizations Helping Those Impacted By Cancer
December is often the peak fundraising season for many local organizations. These groups provide a huge source of support for those impacted by cancer in our communities. For those who have the means, donating and volunteering to these organizations is a great way to make an impact on the lives of Vermonters.

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