The Sussex County Survivorship Coalition has organized a conference for cancer survivors and healthcare professionals to take place Thursday, January 17, from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Atlantic Sands Hotel.

“After Ringing the Bell: A Cancer Survivorship Conference,”  is offered at no cost but attendees must register by January 11, 2013, by calling Jo Allegro-Smith at (302) 645-9150, or by emailing her at jallegro@csde.org

The conference, for which healthcare professionals will be able to earn continuing education units, will focus on helping survivors transition from patient to survivor. It will help attendees to identify tools and tips and to create a core component of a survivor care plan.

Survivors and healthcare providers will learn how to identify post treatment emotional concerns as they integrate mind-body medicine in cancer survivorship care.

Lille Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, administrative director of both the Johns Hopkins Breast Center and the Johns Hopkins Survivorship Programs, will speak.  A leader in the field of breast cancer care, she has worked tirelessly to improve the care of breast cancer patients around the world. Ms. Shockney has written 13 books and more than 250 articles on this subject. She also serves on the medical advisory board of several national breast cancer organizations, and is the co-founder and vice president of a national non-profit organization, Mothers Supporting Daughters with Breast Cancer.

Lillie is also editor-in-chief of the peer-reviewed medical journal, Journal of Oncology Navigation and Survivorship, and serves on the Leadership Council of the Academy of Oncology Nurse Navigators (AONN), a national organization that provides a network for all professionals involved and interested in patient navigation and survivorship care services to better manage the complexities of the cancer care treatment continuum for their patients

Clare Wilson, RN, MS, the cancer care coordinator at Tunnell Cancer Center, and a certified well coach, will speak about Mindful Living. Other speakers will be: Sage Bolte, PhD, with Inova Health System’s Life with Cancer Program; and Judy Pierson, EdD, a licensed psychologist in Rehoboth Beach.

 A continental breakfast and a lunch will be provided.

The Sussex County Survivorship Coalition was formed in July 2011 to coordinate the efforts of the variety of local organizations that traditionally have reached out to cancer survivors.

“The idea was that the organizations could schedule their own efforts to address the needs of people living beyond cancer, while at the same time supporting the efforts of the other organizations,” says Judith Ramirez, EdD, Manager of Psychosocial Services and Outreach at Tunnell Cancer Center.

The Coalition has grown and now includes: Tunnell Cancer Center of Beebe Medical Center; Nanticoke Cancer Care Center of Nanticoke Memorial Hospital; Cancer Support Community- Delaware (Formerly The Wellness Community Delaware); Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition; American Cancer Society; Leukemia- Lymphoma Society; Cancer Care Connection; and Susan G. Komen for the Cure-Philadelphia Affiliate.