The California Division of the American Cancer Society recently named La Jolla resident Georgia Robins Sadler, Ph.D., as president-elect of the board of directors. University City resident Roderick Rapier, M.D., was appointed for the second time as co-chair of the Physician Engagement Workgroup.
“Having worked with the cancer patients for the last 26 years, the American Cancer Society (ACS) has become near and dear to my heart because it really is there when people are in need,” Sadler said. “It helps them to find their way through the process of prevention, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment and survival issues, and so it is easy for me to want to give back to them because they give so much to our patients throughout the county.”
Sadler will serve one year as president-elect and then next year she will be named president. She will begin working on the national goals set by the ACS and then look at local issues that might be added to the country-wide agenda. The ACS has multiple regional offices that analyze the latest issues and problems the organization is dealing with and then take them to the state board.
“We are picking up where we left off last year, and then adding things based on what [the national office] feels is really important, because when you are working nationwide you can really build momentum,” Sadler said. “You can be focused on the same issues and you can also be sharing experiences of what we have learned and not reinventing the wheel or going down the wrong pathway ” so there is a real benefit with all of us coming together on a national agenda.”
The ACS maintains high visibility. Part of its mission includes early detection of and treatment for breast cancer, as well as eliminating colorectal cancer by encouraging patients to get annual exams and treatments. The California Division maintains 106 local offices and serves 2.3 million Californians.
“The last piece of this is local issues, and that is very exciting because that addresses people right here in San Diego,” Sadler said. “One example of that is the American Cancer Society has been instrumental in helping us to get up the Cancer Navigator System, which allows patients to find their way through the maze of appointments, locations and questions that they need to ask, and helps keeps them moving steadily along so they get the fastest response to their diagnosis.”
Sadler is a clinical professor of surgery at the University of California, San Diego, (UCSD) School of Medicine and director of community outreach at the Rebecca and John Moores UCSD Cancer Center. She maintains involvement with the local Border Sierra region chapter, and has worked on an 11-year study to find ways to make it easier for oncology physicians to refer patients to oncology trials.
Developing processes to involve physicians and other health professionals in ACS activities is one of the areas that Rapier will help work on as co-chair of the Physician Engagement Workgroup. He also serves as chair of the San Diego Community Outreach Committee, is a member of the San Diego Leadership Council and a Legislative Ambassador for the Society. Rapier is a staff gastroenterologist with Kaiser Permanente San Diego.
For information see www.cancer.org.