ALEXANDRIA, VA, UNITED STATES, June 26, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — Denise Harrison, BS, ODS began her presidency of the National Cancer Registrars Association (NCRA) June 1 2024. NCRA is a non-profit organization that represents over 7000 cancer registry professionals. In her role as president, Harrison will represent the organization at national meetings and support its mission to empower and advance registry professionals through education, advocacy, credentialing, networking opportunities, and strategic partnerships.
For Harrison, her cancer registry career was a family effort! Initially, an anatomy and physiology instructor, she was introduced to the cancer registry profession through her sister. While taking a course in her Healthcare Administration Master’s program; Harrison’s sister would call her every night to tell her how much she enjoyed the training. Subsequently both sisters chose to attend an NCRA-accredited formal education program in Houston and both passed the ODS (then CTR) exam in September 2005. “The ODS credential shows a commitment to education and excellence in the field as we contribute to efforts to improve cancer care and eventually eliminate the disease,” says Harrison.
Harrison brings substantial experience in the field to her role as NCRA president. She has served as the director of the Cancer Information Management program at Santa Barbara City College and a board member for an NCRA-accredited Cancer Information Management program; provided cancer registrar education throughout the country as a contractor and presented for forums including NAACCR and NCRA.
The main focus of her presidency will center around the development of the 2025 through 2029 Strategic Management Plan (SMP), which will guide NCRA’s future work for the next 5 years. The future of the ODS profession, especially regarding the role of the cancer registrar and artificial intelligence (AI) is also top of mind as her term begins. “Our roles will shift from being primarily data collectors, to serving as quality reviewers of AI generated data, and ultimately assisting stakeholders in analyzing and interpreting that data. We need to ensure we have the proper skill set to navigate these changes,” Harrison explains. Her advice to cancer registry professionals working today? “…take advantage of as many educational opportunities as possible” and “volunteer [your] time and expertise to the profession.”
Harrison is currently based in Houston, Texas. When not busy with her work in the profession and her family’s extracurricular and social activities, she enjoys a good book. Every summer she visits the beautiful Emerald Coast in Pensacola, Florida; where her family was based in her childhood.
For more information about NCRA, visit www.ncra-usa.org and www.CancerRegistryEducation.org.
Lauren Martella
National Cancer Registrars Association
+1 7032996640
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