2024 Excellence in Patient Education Awards
Triage Cancer
Triage Cancer is a national nonprofit that provides free education on legal and practical issues that impact individuals who are diagnosed with cancer, their caregivers, and health care professionals. They do this through events, materials, and resources.
Triage Cancer was founded more than a decade ago by two cancer rights attorneys who recognized an education gap in the cancer community and set a goal to provide this valuable information at no cost. They believe you shouldn’t need a law degree to navigate a serious medical condition like cancer. In 2023, Triage Cancer reached more than 1 million people in 51 states and territories.
Three years ago, Triage Cancer also launched the Legal & Financial Navigation Program, which provides free, confidential, one-on-one assistance in areas like health insurance, disability insurance, employment, finances, medical decision-making, estate planning.
Triage Cancer believes that those diagnosed with cancer should spend their time and energy how they choose, secure in the knowledge that they have objective, accurate information, and necessary resources to make the right decisions.
Xploro
"In his fourth round of chemo, he shared with his nurse that he finally gets what this medicine is doing to his body (thanks to a game he played on Xploro). It was amazing. For the first time in months there was a lightness about him. Xploro cleared the fog and gave him information in the perfect way.” Parent of 12 year old Osteosarcoma patient.
Xploro is the leading patient education platform for children. Through games, stories, 3D environments, and other interactive educational content, young patients gain better preparation for healthcare experiences and become active participants in their health journey. When patients are less anxious and more engaged, providers can offer more efficient and less invasive care at lower cost.
The Xploro story began when Issy (daughter of Xploro founder Dom Raban) was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma. Now aged 26, Issy is cancer-free, but when she was ill nobody told her what to expect and that made her feel scared, anxious and alone. Realizing the impact this absence of age-appropriate information had on his daughter, Dom set about creating an app that would provide children with educational content about their treatment in a fun and engaging format.
Now Xploro is in use in hospitals on four continents. Customers include Boston and Cincinnati Children's Hospitals (USA), Prinses Maxima Centrum (Netherlands) and The Christie (UK). Through their partnership with World Child Cancer, Xploro is also being used by children in low and middle income countries, including Malawi, Ghana, Cameroon, Nepal and Indonesia.
Past Winners
2023: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Patient & Caregiver Team
2022: The National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN®)
2021: Patient Education Practice Guidelines: Sarah Christensen, MA; MD Anderson Cancer Center and Carolyn Cutillli, PhD, RN, NPD-BC; Penn Medicine, American International College, Co-chairs
2020: Marrow Masters Podcast Series: National Bone Marrow Transplant Link
2019: Together, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
2018: OncoLink, University of Pennsylvania
2017: Frankly Speaking About Cancer Clinical Trials, Cancer Support Community
2016: Mariela Gallo, MPH, CHES
2015: Family Cancer Retreat - Cancer Services of New Mexico
2014: Tina Papadakos, MA Ed and University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center Clinical Trials Database Health Literacy Team
2013: Hastings Breast Cancer Support Group
2012: Be the Match: Super Sam vs. the Marrow Monsters
2011: Matthew Ballo, MD for the Road to Wellness
2010: Maximizing Your Patient Education Skills (MPES)
2009: Caregivers’ Guide to Bone Marrow/Stem Cell Transplant, Myra Jacobs
2008: The Learning Center at The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
2007: Diane Moyer, RN, MS, Ohio State University Medical Center, The Partnership for Health Care Education For Limited English Proficiency Patients
2007: Jean Hartford-Todd, CCLS, The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University Medical Center
2003: Oncology Interactive Educational Series, Princess Margaret Hospital, University Health Network
2001: Leah Mraz, BSN, RN, OCN, My Story: A Diary for People With Cancer, The Cancer Institute of New Jersey
2000: Marilyn McCubbin, PhD, RN, FAAn, Kelly Cotter, BA, Michael Dystra, BS Outlook: Life Beyond Childhood Cancer, University of Wisconsin Cancer Center
2000: M.D. Anderson Patient Education Office, University of Texas
2000: Carolyn Weaver, RN, MSN, AOCN, Ask the Expert Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center
2000: Tanya Smith, BA & Patient and Public Education Departmental Staff, How to Help Your Loved One Stop Smoking, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah
1999: Amy Deshler, MSW, Kelli Fee-Schroeder, RN, and Kat Thieman, MBA, Setting Course to Reduce Your Risk of Cancer, Mayo Clinic Cancer Center
1999: Dr. Joel Goldwein and Dr. Ivor Benjamin, OncoLink, University of Pennsylvania Cancer Center
1999: Mary Sumpmann, Nancy Goldstein and Staff, Patient Learning Center, University of Minnesota Cancer Center