Sunday, December 1st, 2013

AONN Rebrands Name to AONN+

CONTACT: Trisha Sullivan, Executive Director, Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators, Inc.® Phone: 914-643-1726; E-mail: tsullivan@the-lynx-group.com

For Immediate Release:
The Academy of Oncology Nurse Navigators, Inc.® (AONN) will change its name effective December 1, 2013, to the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators, Inc.® (AONN+). This change is part of a larger branding effort to emphasize the organization’s commitment to all those who are involved in navigation and survivorship care services.

Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, Program Director for AONN+, enthusiastically stated, “We have always included the nonclinical sector of oncology navigation, and have now expanded the organization name. As AONN+, we are ensuring that anyone who provides navigation to a patient with cancer is represented in our organization. AONN+ is the largest national specialty organization dedicated to improving patient care and quality of life by defining, enhancing, and promoting the role of oncology nurse navigators and patient navigators. With the rebranding, the organization now incorporates and supports all the dedicated, valued members.”

With a membership of more than 4000 nurses, social workers, lay navigators, case managers, administrators, physicians, researchers, and others, AONN+ has grown significantly year after year since its inception in 2009. “With the rebranding of AONN+, we look forward to continuing the growth of the organization and providing relevant and practical information and education to our members throughout 2014 and beyond,” added Trisha Sullivan, Executive Director of AONN+.

AONN+ will continue the rebranding of the organization throughout 2014 and at their Fifth Anniversary Annual Conference on September 18-21, 2014, at the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel in Orlando, Florida (visit www.aonnonline.org for more information).

About Lillie Shockney, RN, BS, MAS
Lillie Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, has been deeply entrenched in improving the care of patients with cancer for the past 30 years and is a 2-time cancer survivor. She practices at Johns Hopkins and serves as the Administrative Director of The Johns Hopkins Breast Center as well as the Administrative Director of Cancer Survivorship Programs. She is nationally recognized for her expertise in breast cancer care, overall cancer survivorship care, quality outcomes measurement, and patient advocacy. She received the prestigious title of University Distinguished Service Associate Professor of Breast Cancer by the Board of Trustees and Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Medical Board several years ago. Her faculty appointments within the JHU School of Medicine are in the departments of surgery, oncology and gynecology, and obstetrics.

What Is a Nurse Navigator?
A nurse navigator is a clinically trained individual responsible for the identification and removal of barriers to timely and appropriate cancer treatment. They guide the patient through the cancer care continuum from diagnosis through survivorship. More specifically, the nurse navigator acts as a central point of contact for a patient and coordinates all components involved in cancer care, including surgical, medical, and radiation oncologists; social workers; patient education; community support; financial and insurance assistance; etc. This person has the clinical background and is a critical member of the multidisciplinary cancer team.

What Is a Patient Navigator?
This term includes all models of navigation (nurse; social work; lay). The primary distinction when this term is used to describe someone who is not a nurse is that they do not have a clinical background and therefore focus on the support aspects of care. Thus, they can be either a layperson or a social worker, and depending on their background and training, their function can vary further. In general, they provide assistance with scheduling, financial assistance, psychosocial support, and community support.

About the Journal of Oncology Navigation & Survivorship®
The Journal of Oncology Navigation & Survivorship (JONS) is the official publication of AONN+. This publication is designed to meet the needs of oncology nurse and patient navigators. Each issue features topics related to patient navigation and survivorship care, offering original research, best practices, interviews, case reports, study highlights, and more. Our goal is to enhance the value of the AONN+ membership by providing additional tools to improve care for their patients at every stage. JONS also offers a platform for navigators to share research and views on navigation and survivorship issues with colleagues.