The PQI Podcast

This week we sit down with Craig Olson to discuss Brain Cancer Awareness Month, his role as a caregiver, and his book Defeating the Unbeatable. Craig is a National Board-Certified teacher, podcast host of Defeating Weekly, and author of Defeating the Unbeatable. His book is based on his experience with his first wife, Rachael, and her battle with brain cancer. It shares knowledge he feels will ben...

This week we sit down with Alison Gulbis, PharmD, BCOP, Kamakshi Rao, PharmD, BCOP, FASHP, and Zahra Mahmoudjafari, PharmD, MBA, BCOP, FHOPA to discuss their work on the Oncology Workforce Collaborative.  Alison is a Clinical Pharmacy Manager at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. She obtained her PharmD at the University of Florida and completed her PGY1 and PGY2 res...

This week we sit down with Sotirios-Charalampos (Sotiris) Diamantoudis and Elpida Lytra to discuss the new NCODA Greece PSO Chapter, Oncology in Greece, and the Cancer Prevention Research Group Greece. Sotirios-Charalampos (Sotiris) Diamantoudis is a 2nd-year Pharmacy student at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. His passion for oncology has led him to take the position of Co-Head o...

This week we sit down with Sarah Hudson-DiSalle, PharmD, FACCC, and Jeffrey Pilz, PharmD, MPA, MS, BCPS, to discuss drug shortages. Sarah manages the Reimbursement Services and Medication Assistance Program for infusion services at the James Cancer Hospital and Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University. She oversees the reimbursement staff who obtain authorizations for infused medication...

This week we sit down with Oliver Eng, MD, FACS, FSSO to discuss heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC). Dr. Eng is a surgical oncologist and an Associate Professor in the Division of Surgical Oncology at the University of California, Irvine, where he is also Associate Director of the Peritoneal Surface Malignancy Program as well as the Complex General Surgical Oncology Fellowship. He is a do...

On this week's episode of The PQI Podcast, we sit down with Ngozi Agwai to discuss cancer care in Nigeria. Ngozi is a Public Health Professional, working as a Patient Support Manager for Run for a cure Africa, which is a non-for-profit organization that provides psychological support to patients diagnosed with breast cancer.  She’s currently listed as one of the 40under40professionals in cancer ca...

This week we sit down with Sami Mansfield to discuss exercise as it relates to cancer treatment and survivorship. Sami is the founder of Cancer Wellness for Life, which focuses on developing, implementing, and enhancing oncology wellness and exercise resources. Her consulting efforts serve cancer centers, hospital and health care organizations, pharmaceutical companies, non-profits, and individual...

This week we sit down with Kyle Bradford Jones, MD, FAAFP to discuss his book Fallible: A Memoir of a Young Physician’s Struggle with Mental Illness and how mental illness and burnout affect clinical teams. Dr. Jones is an Associate (Clinical) Professor in Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of Utah School of Medicine. He graduated from the Medical College of Wisconsin in 2009 and com...

This week we sit down with Maria Vazquez Roque, MD, MSc to discuss screening for colon cancer and cancer disparities in the hispanic population in recognition of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Dr. Vazquez Roque is from San Juan, Puerto Rico. In 2003, she completed her medical degree at the University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus. In 2008 she finished her internal medicine residency i...

On this week's episode of  The PQI Podcast , we sit down with Brandon Dyson, PharmD, BCOP, BCPS to discuss his role at Texas Oncology, the creation of tl;dr pharmacy, and the importance of mentoring pharmacy students. Brandon is the Area Pharmacy Manager for the Central/South Texas and San Antonio regions of Texas Oncology. He is Co-Founder of the pharmacy education website, tl;dr pharmacy, and se...

This week we sit down with Christine Pfaff, RPh to discuss community oncology and her role on the Ohio Board of Pharmacy. Christine is regional director of operations for American Oncology Network and a member of the Board of Pharmacy for the State of Ohio. Christine received her degree in Pharmacy from The Ohio State University and has presented programs on oncology medications and medication com...

Season 4 Episode 5-Role of Oncology Social Worker   This week we sit down with Neshama Marcus, LMSW to discuss the role of the social worker in oncology care. Neshama joined Astera Cancer Care in 2022 as the Director of Social Work to build a social work department in a multi-site oncology/hematology practice New Jersey.   Neshama received her bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University and her mast...

Season 4 Episode 4-Pediatic Oncology   We are excited to bring you our first podcast with Continuing Education credit for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians! This week we sit down with Dr. Tara Higgins to discuss pediatric oncology. Dr. Higgins serves as assistant professor of pharmacy practice at LECOM School of Pharmacy in Bradenton, FL.    To register for the CE click here: https://www.lectur...

Season 4 Episode 3- CAR T Therapy   This week we sit down with Teresa Thakrar, PharmD, BCOP, CPP to discuss CAR T therapy. Dr. Thakrar is currently a hematology, stem cell transplant, and cellular therapy Clinical Pharmacist and Clinical Oncology Pharmacy Team Lead at Indiana University Health in Indianapolis. Prior to this role, she was a stem cell transplant Clinical Pharmacist at the University...

Season 4 Episode 1- Personal Story and Cone Health Clinical Oncology Pharmacy Program with John Ingoglia   This week we sit down with John Ingoglia, PharmD, BCOP, CPP to discuss his personal story and the Cone Health Clinical Oncology Pharmacy Program.  Dr. Ingoglia is the Clinical Pharmacy Coordinator for the oncology service line at Cone Health. He received his Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner l...

Season 4 Episode 1- Drugs and the FDA with Dr. Mikkael Sekeres   This week we sit down with Dr. Mikkael Sekeres to discuss his latest book Drugs and the FDA. Dr. Sekeres is Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Hematology at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and former Chair of the Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee of the FDA. A...

On today's bonus episode of the PQI Podcast NCODAs Manager of Patient Centered Initiatives and Legislative Affairs, Kevin Scorsone sits down with John Driscoll.  John F. Driscoll M.S. has decades of experience in healthcare strategic planning, physician network development, payor relations, pre-paid managed care systems, and value-based contracting. Mr. Driscoll has spent his career supporting phy...

Season 3, Holiday Bonus, Part 2: Holiday Shopping with a Purpose On this special holiday edition of The PQI Podcast we sit down with Kristen Ray and Elizabeth Heard from NCODA to discuss a list of great holiday gifting items that were founded cancer survivors, support cancer patients or cancer research. Kristen Ray is the Senior program manager for NCODA and manages all NCODA programs. She has a l...

Season 3 Holiday Bonus- Cancer Survivor Story and Saint Virginia Textiles, Amy Hindman   On this special holiday edition of The PQI Podcast we sit down with Amy Hindman to discuss her personal cancer survivor story and current journey.  Amy Hindman is the founder and designer behind Saint Virginia, a collection of artisan textiles using organic fabrics and botanical dyes. Saint Virginia’s hand-dye...

On today’s episode of this special edition of the PQI Podcast Kevin Scorsone, NCODA Manager of Patient Centered Initiatives hosts a conversation focused on legislation impacting the world of Oncology. Joining the show today is Jerrica Mathis, Head of Federal Government Relations at Cardinal Health and Abby Barnes, Senior Manager of Federal Relations at Cardinal Health.  Jerrica and Abby discuss wh...

Season 3 Episode 15- Myeloproliferative Neoplasms, Pankit Vachhani, MD On the Season 3 finale we sit down with Dr. Pankit Vachhani to discuss myeloproliferative neoplasms and specifically myelofibrosis. Dr. Vachhani is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and Associate Scientist of Experimental Therapeutics.  A graduate of Weill Cornell Medical Colleg...

Season 3 Episode 14- The Venetoclax PQI and AML Updates, Alison Carulli, PharmD, BCOP   This week we sit down with Alison Carulli, PharmD, BCOP to discuss her role as an oncology pharmacist, the venetoclax in AML PQI and AML Updates from ASH. Alison completed her PGY2 oncology residency at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. She is currently practicing as an oncology clinical pharmacy s...

Season 3 Bonus Episode- The Elevated Role of the Oncology Pharmacy Technician, Amanda Skeen, CPhT   This week we sit down with Amanda Skeen, CPhT to discuss her role as an oncology pharmacy technician, drug purchasing, and robotics. Amanda has worked as a certified pharmacy technician since 2009 and is currently the Oncology Purchasing Agent for the Cancer Center service line at Cone Health. She m...

Season 3, Episode 13: Oral Oncolytic Nurse Navigator - April Hallatt, BSN, RN, OCN This week we sit down with April Hallatt, BSN, RN, OCN to discuss her role as Oral Oncolytic Nurse Navigator, the importance of the multidisciplinary team, and how she uses NCODA resources. April is the Oral Oncolytic Nurse Navigator at Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Cancer Center in Muncie, Indiana and is...

This week we sit down with Shana O. Ntiri, MD, MPH, FAAFP to discuss her role within these organizations and health disparities in cancer screening and specifically breast cancer patients. Dr. Ntiri is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.  She serves as the Medical Director for the Baltimore City Cancer Program...