Through our work with facilitators, the challenges of starting and maintaining a lung cancer-specific support group became clear. This work also allowed us to meet so many facilitators who have found creative ways to make their group thrive.
First bestowed in 2009, the annual Lung Cancer Support Group Facilitator’s Award recognizes the “uncommon dedication” of one or more facilitators.
Over the years, the award selection process has evolved but the sentiment remains the same: to elevate facilitators who create a consistent welcoming place for the lung cancer community to connect, learn, share grow.
Award Recipients
| Year | Recipient |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Christine J. Conti, RN, ONN-CG, Thoracic Nurse Navigator, Huntington Health, CA Read more about this award winner here |
| 2023 | Michelle Hills, lung cancer survivor and social worker, University of Kansas Cancer Center, Overland Park, KS Sarah Bechard, social worker, University of Kansas Cancer Center, Overland Park, KS |
| 2022 | Susan Cleveland, patient navigator and advocate, Health Support Services, LLC; support group leader, Florida Precision Oncology Raja Mudad, MD, FACP, founding partner, Florida Precision Oncology; support group leader, Florida Precision Oncology |
| 2021 | Cecilia Izzo, lung cancer survivor, Seattle, WA Watch her virtual award acceptance from the 2021 Lung Cancer Voices Summit |
| 2020 | Veronica Galego MSW, LCSW, OSW-C, UM Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami, FL |
| 2019 | Ginny Hicks, lung cancer survivor, Medford, OR Pam Billings, lung cancer survivor, Oklahoma City, OK |
| 2018 | Catherine Paykin, MSW, LCSW, NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center, New York, NY |
| 2017 | Kerri Susko, LCSW, Prisma Health, Greenville, SC |
| 2016 | Stephanie Lehrman, LCSW, Mount Sinai, New York, NY |
| 2015 | Carrie Friedman RN, BSN, OCN and David McGinness, LCSW, OSW-C, Life with Cancer, Inova Schar Cancer Institute, Fairfax, VA |
| 2014 | Dusty Donaldson, lung cancer survivor, LiveLung, High Point, NC Deborah Filer, MSW and Blanche Lasta, BSN, RN, Ellis Fischel Cancer Center, Columbia, MO |
| 2012 | April Plank, NP and Kathy Shurpin, PhD, ANP-C, NPP, Stony Brook Cancer Center, Stony Brook, NY |
| 2011 | Lori Clanton, American Lung Association, Orlando, FL Irene Scanlon, LCSW and Linda David, RN, Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, CT |
| 2010 | Sue Abbinanti, MS, PA-C, Alexian Brothers, Elk Grove Village, IL |
| 2009 | Win Boerckel, MSW, MBA, LCSW-R, CancerCare, Long Island, NY |