Letter from Lisa Switzer, M.A., CEO |
Hello everyone,
This is an ironic time of year. While the earth may be slowing down, we are ramping up. We have a very busy October and November planned. And of course, in December we will have our year-end appeal as well as Colorado Gives Day on December 7th.
This month we have Dr. David Gordon’s presentation on Cannabis and Cancer on October 11th and our inaugural Women's Giving Circle event on October 21st (https://westernstatesncorp.org/events/). Additionally, I, along with my colleagues Terah Hardcastle and Gwen Newberry, will be presenting at the Colorado Rural Health Conference. On November 11th, we will host our annual training for our local and remote staff members. We are fortunate to have Drs. Nick DiBella and Ryan Weight giving presentations to our team.
On other fronts, we continue to accrue new patients and open new studies. We are pleased to have new physicians joining our work, including Dr. Patrick Eulitt of Rocky Mountain Cancer Center (RMCC) Mid-Town, Drs. Dario Pasalic and Patrick Richard of RMCC North and Dr. Ryan Weight of the Melanoma & Skin Cancer Institute. Each of them is passionate about research and compassionate about their patients. They believe, as we do, that patients should have every treatment option available to them when they receive a cancer diagnosis.
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Pictured above is Clinical Research Coordinator Ivana Marchlewicz |
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Staff Spotlight: Ivana Marchlewicz |
Ivana Marchlewicz is a clinical research coordinator with more than 10 years of experience in the medical field. While pursuing her undergraduate and graduate degrees, she worked in many different hospital-based settings, but one thing remained the same -- her compassion for inclusion and appropriate healthcare for all.
Ivana shared with us, "To me, it's all about bringing the head and the heart together to provide the best care for a patient. When you merge evidence-based science with compassion and humanity, that's when the magic happens. With my work in clinical trials, it is my priority that all patients have access to better treatment options and support programs, and we take the journey together."
Ivana is originally from Detroit and made her move to Colorado in July 2020 to start working at WSCR-NCORP. When Ivana is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, biking, skiing, and traveling.
Please join us in expressing our appreciation to Ivana for all she does every day for patients in cancer clinical trials in our local communities.
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Welcome to the Board:
Theo Chapman
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Western States Cancer Research NCORP is proud to welcome our newest member to our Board of Trustees. Joining our board officially at its annual retreat on July 24th, Theo Chapman is a Colorado native who earned both his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Denver in 2008. He graduated from the University Honors Program and earning a minor in Leadership Studies from the Pioneer Leadership Program. Theo is a Senior Project Engineer with Kenosha EPC.
Theo is a very active volunteer in the community. He serves as a Boettcher Foundation Alumni Ambassador, providing scholarship presentations at high schools and college fairs as well as an Alumni Board Member for the Programming Committee. A member of the Young Aspiring Americans for Social and Political Activism (YAASPA) Board, he also sits on the Denver Kids Development Committee.
At the University of Denver, he is the President of the Black Alumni Affinity group (BAA), a member of the Black Community Advisory Board, the DU Alumni Council, the Pioneer Leadership Program Alumni Board, and a Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science Equity in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (E-STEM) Volunteer. Theo is also a 2009 Urban Leadership Foundation of Colorado Chamber Connect Graduate, a 2017 New Leaders Council Fellowship Alum, and a member of the 2020-2021 Colorado Governors Fellowship Program.
In his free time, Theo enjoys spending time with family and friends, volunteering, mentoring, video games, cooking, basketball, tennis, and flag football.
Please join us in welcoming Theo to our Board of Trustees.
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Pictured above is the newest member of our Board of Trustees, Theo Chapman |
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Pictured above are CRS employees volunteering at the 2021 Courage Classic which benefits Children's Hospital of Colorado. Below is the CRS Insurance Brokerage team at our 2021 WSCR Drive for the Cure tournament. |
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2021 Community Partner Sponsor Spotlight: CRS Insurance Brokerage |
When you know everything that you’ve worked so hard to achieve is protected, you’re free to focus on the future. CRS Insurance Brokerage (CRS) provides a comprehensive suite of insurance, loss control, surety, and employee benefit solutions to help you lead your company—and your life—with greater confidence and peace of mind.
CRS is a full-service insurance agency founded with one overarching goal in mind—to provide exceptional service to our customers. This fundamental principle continues to guide everyone at CRS each and every day.
Its brokers are agents in the truest sense of the word—placing your needs above their own and acting in your best interest at all times. Its fully licensed, professional, and dedicated team members make it a priority to serve you in the prompt, professional, and responsive manner you deserve.
CRS is a Colorado-based company, proudly serving the community and companies nationwide. CRS celebrates the communities in which we do business, dedicating time and resources to many charities and philanthropic groups since the very beginning. CRS is honored and humbled to support organizations that promote child welfare, provide shelter to those experiencing homelessness, support our veterans, and offer second chance opportunities to those in need of a fresh start.
Please join us in expressing our gratitude to CRS for all it does in our community to make a difference in people's lives.
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Newly Updated on our Website: Patient FAQs |
Did you ever wonder what a clinical trial is or how you participate if you're diagnosed with cancer or regularly getting your mammogram? Some studies look at cancer treatments; others assess cancer detection methods.
Here's another question we often hear:
Who benefits from clinical trials?
You.
At WSCR-NCORP, we acknowledge that historically clinical trials have resulted in human rights violations, disproportionately affecting Black, Indigenous, and People of Color for the benefit of white individuals. We accept that it is our responsibility to rebuild the trust in every community negatively impacted by these events.
The goal of many NCI (National Cancer Institute) trials is to conduct large-scale clinical trials that represent actual patient populations so we can confidently apply results to all members of our community.
Disparities in healthcare have long existed, and COVID-19 has brought much needed attention to the issue. These disparities must be addressed head on so that the best available treatments are being used for every individual regardless of background or identity.
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Pictured above are Tom Dea and his Mom, Kathy, at the 2021 Bill Dea Memorial Golf Tournament |
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Bill Dea Memorial Golf Tournament on Sept. 4 for Cancer Research Brings New Supporters to WSCR-NCORP Family of Donors |
On Saturday, September 4, 2021, an estimated 100 players and supporters enjoyed the day at the new City Park for the 27th Annual Bill Dea Memorial Golf Tournament. Since its inception, the tournament has benefitted cancer research by donating all proceeds to the Western States Cancer Research NCORP (as well as when the nonprofit was known as the Colorado Cancer Research Program prior to 2019).
We are deeply grateful to the whole Dea family for their inspiring support!
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Save the Date! Colorado Gives Day is Tuesday, Dec. 7th. |
Save the Date! Western States Cancer Research NCORP is excited to announce Colorado Gives Day is set for Tuesday, Dec. 7th.
Colorado Gives Day is a statewide movement to increase online giving. Community First Foundation is pleased to power this day, presented once again this year by FirstBank.
Last year, during a global pandemic and one of the most difficult years of our lifetime, Coloradans rallied to raise more than $50 million on Colorado Gives Day. Generosity is a universally held value that brings us together.
Colorado Gives Day unites all Coloradans in a common goal to strengthen the state’s nonprofits by giving to their favorite charities online. The state’s largest community giving movement has raised a total of $307 million since the one-day giving event began in 2010.
For 24 exciting hours, Colorado comes together to raise funds for local nonprofits. We’re excited to be part of the day!
On Colorado Gives Day, we’ll be celebrating our accomplishments and making good happen for cancer patients seeking to access clinical trials in their own local communities. We invite you to join us by helping us share the news about Colorado Gives Day and invite your family, friends and your personal network to participate.
Every gift is tax-deductible and helps us reach our goal of $15,000 during 24 hours on Colorado Gives Day 2021.
More vital today as ever before, our mission to provide the people of Colorado, southern Wyoming, Washington state and Alaska the opportunity to participate in and benefit from the medical research conducted through cancer clinical studies. If there were ever a year where we appreciated the organizations and people in the research field, it was this one.
This day of giving on Dec. 7th is one of the many ways you can make a real difference. Please visit westernstatesncorp.org for more information about what we do. And, you can share this Ambassador Toolkit with your social network so they can get involved, too!
We look forward to having you join us for this special campaign. Together, we can make the world a better place for people fighting cancer and their loved ones.
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Fun was had by all at the annual Rock with the Docs fundraiser last month |
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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month! |
Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women after skin cancer. Mammograms can detect breast cancer early, possibly before it has spread. Self-exams are essential to do regularly at home. Explore resources on this topic from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) by reading more on the NCI website.
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Our main office phone is 303-777-2663.
To keep up on what's happening at WSCR and read important medical articles, please follow us on Social Media
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