CRStar by Health Catalyst®
 
 
Happy NCRW 2024
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The CRStar team will join cancer registrars worldwide to observe the 28th annual National Cancer Registrars Week (NCRW) from April 8 to 12, 2024. It is our privilege to honor and recognize the invaluable contributions of our dedicated cancer registrars.
This week is not only a time to acknowledge the critical role of cancer registrars in our healthcare system but also an opportunity to express our gratitude for their dedication, professionalism, and compassion. Behind every statistic, every treatment plan, and every research breakthrough, there are individuals diligently recording and analyzing data to make a difference in the lives of cancer patients and their families.

We extend our heartfelt appreciation for your unwavering commitment to excellence. Your work is instrumental in shaping the future of cancer care, and we are profoundly grateful for your contributions.

Thank you for your continued dedication and for being an essential part of our healthcare community.
 
 
 
More Changes on the Horizon
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Hopefully, by now, most of you will have noticed that the CRStar team is communicating with you using our new Health Catalyst email addresses. Please be sure to use our new addresses moving forward and update any saved email addresses you may have from the CRStar team.
In our commitment to provide seamless interactions and enhanced accessibility, in the next few weeks, we will also transition to Zoom as our primary platform for meetings and webinars. Zoom will become the primary support platform within CRStar. Please work with your IT departments to ensure the Zoom application is available to avoid delays with support or future webinars.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. We look forward to leveraging Zoom's capabilities to enhance collaboration and achieve shared goals.
 
 
See You at NCRA
CRStar team is excited to participate in person at this year’s 2024 NCRA Conference, April 24-27, 2024, in Indianapolis, IN! If you can’t visit in person, you can also find us in the NCRA Virtual Exhibit Hall.

Our booth may look new this year, but you will still see the familiar faces of your friends Melanie Rogan, Bonnie Nelson, and Dr. Rick Greene, who will be joined by new team members Jacqueline Matthews and Will Seitz. Please stop by to learn how CRStar, our cancer registry management solution, can provide cancer programs with a valuable foundation of data to help health systems achieve more by transforming data into actionable insights to improve patient outcomes.

Please plan on stopping by Booth #201 to learn more about CRStar, a cancer registry management solution, and how we can help your registry become an integral part of the patient journey at your cancer center … and more!

To meet personally with one of our staff members at NCRA, use the button below to schedule some time.
Meet with us @ NCRA 2024
 
 
 
Dr. Greene Discusses the Importance of Capturing Operative Approaches in April’s Clinical Corner
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The coding of specific operative approaches to cancer is extremely important in assessing outcomes after diverse operative approaches for the same cancer site. This is certainly true for the management of colon cancer.
Although both robotic and laparoscopic surgical approaches are considered minimally invasive and use small incisions and a camera to view the procedure, surgeons performing laparoscopy manually manipulate the tools and use a thin telescopic rod outfitted with a tiny two-dimensional laparoscope to view the surgical site, whereas surgeons performing robotic surgery have a control console to maneuver the robotic arms outfitted with surgical tools. The more advanced technology of robotic surgery not only may create a higher-quality three-dimensional view of the procedure but may also offer better precision and range of motion and eliminate any hand tremors by the surgeon.

In a recent retrospective study, investigators compared the outcomes achieved by robotic and laparoscopic procedures…
 
Read More
 
 
 
Comparative Data: How Does Your Health System Measure Up?
In January 2024, The American Cancer Society (ACS) released the organization’s annual Facts and Figures report for 2024. The report shows that cancer mortality continues to decline as incidence for six of the top 10 sites continues to rise. See the 2024 Cancer Facts and Figures  here.

A report in CRStar selecting the top 10 sites by sex can quickly be generated and compared to the ASC’s 2024 estimated new cancer diagnosis. This report can be invaluable to administration, cancer committees, and across the oncology service line for planning.

To obtain the information to compare your health system to the ACS, select male and female populations for the last completed year of data. Using the Ad Hoc Graph for a population, select each population (male and female) and use Site Code as the variable. This report will display all sites in the population. The user can then select only the top 10 to display.

Below is the estimated new cancer case report from the ACS and the last year of complete cases in your facility from CRStar.
For assistance running this report, please submit a ticket via the CRStar Client Portal.
CRStar Client Portal
 
 
 
Linda Corrigan and Adam Ebbin Join Dr. Greene to Discuss the Recently Signed “Counting Veterans Cancer Act” in this Month’s Cancer Registry World
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The latest episode of the Cancer Registry World podcast is available now! The April episode features guests Linda Corrigan, MHE, RHIT, ODS-C, Manager of Cancer Registry & Accreditation for Baltimore Washing Medical Center, and Adam Ebbin, Public Policy & Strategy Consultant for the NCRA. 
Corrigan and Ebbin join Dr. Frederick L. Greene to delve into the arena of legislation and advocacy as these topics relate to important issues for cancer registries and Oncology Data Specialists. The Counting Veterans Cancer Act, discussed in this segment, was signed into law on March 9, 2024.

Previous episodes are still available on our website or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts, including ApplePodcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn.
 
Listen Here