Fertility Preservation (FP) programs are imperative to comprehensive cancer treatment plans, but not all providers are able to offer this level of care to their patients. Often, this is not for lack of want, but rather it results from a scarcity of resources or insufficient knowledge regarding FP. Training hospitals often have the right people and networks in place to incorporate FP into cancer care, however smaller operations such as community cancer centers and local hospitals may have more challenges establishing an FP program for a variety of reasons, namely their size.
In an effort to assist providers, clinicians and healthcare facilities nationwide, the Oncofertility Consortium developed a one-day, small-group training course to give practitioners the tools to develop their own fertility preservation program from scratch or strengthen an existing program. The course is titled, Clinic 101: Building a Fertility Preservation Program, and includes the following:
- Welcome and Overview of the Key Pieces in a Fertility Preservation Program
- The Ins and Outs of Setting Up a Local Oncofertility Community
- Timing, Turnaround, and Practical Considerations
- Clinical Exercises: Discussing Fertility Preservation with Patients
- Pediatric Fertility Preservation
- One Case Study in Program Development: One Doctor’s Experiences
- The Oncologist’s Perspective
The next Clinic 101 is Wednesday, September 26, 2012 at Northwestern University in Chicago, IL. The clinic will be held the day before the 2012 Oncofertility Conference: Dialogues in Oncofertility concurrent with our course for researchers, Oncofertility 101: A Training Course in in vitro Follicle Growth Using Alginate Hydrogels. Please sign up early if you’re interested as the class is filling up quickly. There is a $30 fee for the course which covers supplies, print materials, and lunch for attendees.
Click here to register for Clinic 101, or to get more information. We look forward to hearing from you!