ACS Cancer Programs Medical Director Heidi Nelson, MD, FACS, has announced plans to retire later this year.
Dr. Nelson, an ACS Fellow and colorectal surgeon from Rochester, MN, joined the ACS staff in 2018, after having served in various leadership roles for the College, including as Director of the ACS Clinical Research Program, Co-Chair of the ACS Oncology Group, and member of the Commission on Cancer (CoC) Executive Committee. Prior to joining College staff, she served as Chair, and Vice-Chair for Research, of the department of surgery, Mayo Clinic, as well as professor of surgery, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Sciences.
“Through her leadership, vision, and research acumen, ACS Cancer Programs have come together and more closely integrated their strategies and activities,” said ACS Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Patricia L. Turner, MD, MBA, FACS. “I would like to sincerely thank Dr. Nelson for her years of service and dedication to improving the quality of care for patients with cancer. She has truly made a difference.”
Dr. Nelson oversaw the 100th anniversary of the CoC and the release of new cancer standards, including the recent National Accreditation Programs for Breast Centers (NAPBC) standards and the new CoC operative standards. She launched the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC), as well as led the major transitions of both the National Cancer Database infrastructure, allowing concurrent abstraction and time-sensitive reporting of cancer data, and of the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system, which moved from a book to user-friendly staging protocols using a rolling update process.
In addition, she spearheaded the release of new synoptic operating reports, quality measures, and national quality improvement projects such as Return to Screening, which restored cancer screenings to pre-pandemic levels; Beyond ASK, which offers cessation assistance to newly diagnosed cancer patients who report currently smoking; and Breaking Barriers, which seeks to understand how reducing missed radiation therapy appointment rates can support access to high quality oncology care for all patients in diverse communities and care settings.
The College has posted the Cancer Programs Medical Director position on the ACS website. Dr. Nelson will remain involved through the transition period.
