#AMCCBS: Lessons in Leadership and a Health Policy Update

After a day on Capitol Hill, an inspiring keynote about the future of cancer care, and a celebration of the winners of the 2025 ACCC Annual Awards, the ACCC 51st Annual Meeting and Cancer Center Business Summit (#AMCCBS) officially kicked off its first sessions on Thursday, March 6.   

Lessons from Women Leaders 

Day 2 of AMCCBS opened with an engaging Q&A moderated by Meagan O’Neill, MS, ACCC executive director, who introduced Nadine J. Barrett, PhD, MA, MS, FACCC, 2024-2025 ACCC president, senior associate dean for Community Engagement and Equity in Research, Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Atrium Health, and Robin Zon, MD, FASCO, FACP, president, American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), physician emeritus, Michiana Hematology Oncology.  

On the topic of balancing leadership roles among clinical practice, research, and administration, Dr. Barrett emphasized the importance of surrounding oneself with the right people. “I seek out those with greater expertise than my own and trust them to lead in those spaces,” she said. “I think to myself, what is my team missing, and how can we make room at the table for those voices?” 

“Having trust in your experts is critically important,” agreed Dr. Zon. “We also have to help them develop professionally and personally.” She went on to describe the effect regular leadership training had on her career development. “Four decades ago, there weren’t many women leaders in the sciences or opportunities for women seeking leadership training.” Dr. Zon affirmed that leadership training is an ongoing endeavor and encouraged attendees to frequently reflect on the experiences that shape them as leaders.  

The value of mentorship was a cornerstone of the discussion. Dr. Barrett reflected on her mentor in community college, who introduced her to the Dean of Medicine at her university and guided her through the process of higher education. “She is still a mentor to me to this day,” said Dr. Barrett, “and I thank her for having a vision for someone who didn’t know she was being seen at the time.” 

As the first person in her family to attend college, Dr. Zon too expressed deep gratitude for the support of her female mentor early in her career. “When I was being raised, women didn’t go into the sciences. In the 60s and 70s, television shows portrayed married women that didn’t work,” she said. "In the midst of that cultural norm, my mentor told me, ‘Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t be a professional woman, a wife, and a mother, and be good at all of them.’” 

When asked what advice she would give to those looking to become mentors, Dr. Zon spoke to the importance of understanding your colleague’s story and perspective.  "Don’t assume anything. To be an effective mentor, learn what their needs are so you can appreciate and honor them,” she advised. 

“I look at the whole person, helping to support them in their career and acknowledging that they have a home life outside of their professional experience,” Dr. Barrett added. She also commented on the inherent power dynamic in a mentorship, which is crucial to address early on. “Before I’m your mentor, I’m your colleague, and I recognize that I have a lot to learn from them as well.” 

Balancing professional growth with personal responsibilities is a frequent conflict many women leaders face. Dr. Zon reflected on the challenge of being a young mother while working as a provider: “I had to learn how to say ‘yes’ and ‘no’ without feeling guilty.” 

Dr. Barrett agreed that it is difficult to truly balance work and life. “You need to know when to stop, and make the priority the priority,” she stated. "I was a caregiver for my mother and my grandmother for 6 years. At that time, I was going through my own challenges at work, until one day I stopped and said, ‘I’m not going to balance it.’ I took leave from work for the last 8 months of their lives, because you can never get that time back.” Dr. Barrett encouraged attendees to give themselves permission to acknowledge their personal journey and to make the decisions that best align with their priorities.  

Shaping the Future of Cancer Care 

The conversation then shifted to the 2025 presidential themes for ASCO and ACCC and why championing these messages is particularly important. Referencing ASCO’s theme Driving Knowledge to Action. Building a Better Future, Dr. Zon said, “You can’t conquer cancer unless you’re applying new information. We can fuel that by empowering technology like AI and by advocating for our patients.” 

Speaking to ACCC’s theme Reimagining Community Engagement and Equity in Cancer, Dr. Barrett addressed the frequently mentioned need to build trust in the community. “I think about the term trustworthiness. Do we need to build trust in the community, or do we as institutions need to become more trustworthy?” she posed. 

When asked about the future of oncology, Dr. Barrett emphasized the importance of clinical research to patient outcomes. “Standard of care can only come about through research,” she stated. “That’s how they become evidence-based practices. People live longer because of what we learned from research and clinical trials. They can live to see their children graduate and get married.” Dr. Zon agreed, adding that telemedicine and hub and spoke models are essential care models that health policies must continue to support. 

As oncology leaders integrate AI in cancer, it is clear that AI presents both opportunities and unique challenges. “It can advance early detection, reduce provider burden, and improve efficiency. But like anything, we need guardrails,” Dr. Zon expressed. “When we take our oath, we promise to do no harm. AI is no exception.” Dr. Barrett expounded on this point, emphasizing the importance of cultivating the right workforce around AI implementation to ensure it does not worsen existing health disparities by relying on data riddled with biases. 

In closing, Dr. Zon reflected on the oncology workforce shortage coupled with increasing levels of burnout among younger oncologists as 2 of the biggest challenges in cancer care that will be faced over the next decade. “ASCO and ACCC need to advocate to develop policies to reduce burnout,” she stated. “Telemedicine is a great example.” Dr. Barrett concurred, explaining that the work of ACCC is dedicated to relaying the most recent research and policy updates to practitioners and ensuring that they have the tools and resources to provide the highest quality of care.  

Diving Deep into the State of Cancer Care in 2025 

A large portion of the day was dedicated to 8 deep dive workshops: interactive expert-led conversations that aimed to address the most significant challenges in oncology today and invited attendees to brainstorm practical solutions. The following topics were open to attendees: