UH Cancer Center recognizes community partners at 2nd ACCRUAL event

February 3, 2020

The University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center recognized its community partners at the 2nd Annual Cancer Clinical Research UHCC Accrual Leaders (ACCRUAL) event. Physicians, nurses, and research administrators throughout Hawaiʻi were awarded for their efforts toward clinical research.

The UH Cancer Center coordinates clinical trials through the Hawaiʻi Cancer Consortium with oversight of trials at The Queen’s Health Systems , Hawaii Pacific Health hospitals, Kuakini Health System and numerous private practitioners statewide.

“We are unique among National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers in that we are completely community facing. We rely on our community partners to offer the best treatments possible through clinical trials,” mentioned Jessica Rhee, MD, medical director of the UH Cancer Center Clinical Trials Office. “We are very grateful for all the efforts of community physicians because we wouldn’t be able to do this without them.”

Awardees were recognized for reviewing the validity and feasibility of clinical trial protocols, monitoring data safety, facilitating clinical trials, and for successfully enrolling patients onto interventional clinical trials. Their efforts contribute to the UH Cancer Center’s 20BY25 campaign goal of increasing clinical trial enrollment to 20 percent of all individuals with newly diagnosed and relapsed cancers in Hawaiʻi each year by 2025.

“The patients that we see in Hawaiʻi have been underrepresented in clinical trials and we really don’t know much about the overall risk and risk profiles of our patients,” says Erin Capps, MD, The Queen’s Medical Center radiologist, winner of a Platinum Accrual Award. “Bringing these trials to the patients of Hawaiʻi is so important so that we can better understand the disease within these patients, and how to better treat them in the future and develop treatments that are tailored to them.”


Visit the UH Cancer Center photo gallery for more ACCRUAL event photos

Below is a list of the community partners recognized at the event for their efforts in the following areas:

UH Cancer Center recognizes community partners at 2nd ACCRUAL event

February 3, 2020

The University of Hawaiʻi Cancer Center recognized its community partners at the 2nd Annual Cancer Clinical Research UHCC Accrual Leaders (ACCRUAL) event. Physicians, nurses, and research administrators throughout Hawaiʻi were awarded for their efforts toward clinical research.

The UH Cancer Center coordinates clinical trials through the Hawaiʻi Cancer Consortium with oversight of trials at The Queen’s Health Systems , Hawaii Pacific Health hospitals, Kuakini Health System and numerous private practitioners statewide.

“We are unique among National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers in that we are completely community facing. We rely on our community partners to offer the best treatments possible through clinical trials,” mentioned Jessica Rhee, MD, medical director of the UH Cancer Center Clinical Trials Office. “We are very grateful for all the efforts of community physicians because we wouldn’t be able to do this without them.”

Awardees were recognized for reviewing the validity and feasibility of clinical trial protocols, monitoring data safety, facilitating clinical trials, and for successfully enrolling patients onto interventional clinical trials. Their efforts contribute to the UH Cancer Center’s 20BY25 campaign goal of increasing clinical trial enrollment to 20 percent of all individuals with newly diagnosed and relapsed cancers in Hawaiʻi each year by 2025.

“The patients that we see in Hawaiʻi have been underrepresented in clinical trials and we really don’t know much about the overall risk and risk profiles of our patients,” says Erin Capps, MD, The Queen’s Medical Center radiologist, winner of a Platinum Accrual Award. “Bringing these trials to the patients of Hawaiʻi is so important so that we can better understand the disease within these patients, and how to better treat them in the future and develop treatments that are tailored to them.”


Visit the UH Cancer Center photo gallery for more ACCRUAL event photos

Below is a list of the community partners recognized at the event for their efforts in the following areas:

Clinical Trial Accrual Awards (awards based on number of patients enrolled onto trials by type of trial)

Clinical Trial Accrual Awards (awards based on number of patients enrolled onto trials by type of trial)

  1. Interventional therapeutic trials
    1. Platinum:
      1. Jonathan Cho, MD (Hawaii Cancer Care)
      2. Kenneth Sumida, MD (Hawaii Oncology, Inc)
      3. David Tamura, MD (Hawaii Cancer Care)
    2. Gold:
      1. Kaye Kawahara, MD (Hawaii Oncology, Inc)
      2. Wade Kyono, MD (Hawaii Pacific Health - Pediatric)
      3. Randal Liu, MD (Hawaii Pacific Health)
      4. Ian Okazaki, MD (Hawaii Pacific Health)
      5. Ron Yanagihara, MD (Hawaii Pacific Health)
    3. Silver:
      1. Clayton Chong, MD, MPH (Hawaii Oncology, Inc)
      2. Darryl Glaser, MD (Hawaii Pacific Health - Pediatric)
      3. Melvin Paul Palalay, MD (Hawaii Cancer Care)
  2. Interventional non-therapeutic trials
    1. Platinum:
      1. Erin Capps, MD (The Queen's Medical Center)
      2. Wade Kyono, MD (Hawaii Pacific Health)
      3. Laura Peterson, MD (Hawaii Pacific Health)
    2. Gold awards
      1. Jonathan Cho, MD (Hawaii Cancer Care)
      2. Tamie Kerns, DO (Tripler Army Medical Center)
      3. Kenneth Sumida, MD (Hawaii Oncology, Inc)
    3. Silver awards
      1. C. Galen Choy, MD (Hawaii Pacific Health)
      2. Darryl Glasser, MD (Hawaii Pacific Health - Pediatric)
      3. Kelley Hutchins, DO (Hawaii Pacific Health - Pediatric)
      4. Gary Peers, MD (Aloha Urology)
      5. Ashley Springer, APRN (Hawaii Cancer Care)

Community Research Advisory Board (CRAB)

Community Research Advisory Board (CRAB)

  1. Participants provide direction on the selection of the research studies that are made available to community practices through the UH Cancer Center
  2. Attendees of this monthly meeting include physicians, nurses, research staff and administrators from the UH Cancer Center and community sites
  3. CRAB Chair: Jared Acoba, MD (Hawaii Oncology, Inc)
  4. Best attendance awards:
    1. Anthony Froix, MD (Hawaii Pacific Health)
    2. Tim Kelleher, RN (The Queen's Medical Center)
    3. Ian Okazaki, MD (Hawaii Pacific Health)
  5. Participation awards (attended meetings and provided input):
    1. Samir Ambrale, MD (FHP Medical Center, Guam)
    2. Annette Amiotte, RN, BSN (Hawaii Pacific Health)
    3. Craig Boddy, MD (Hawaii Pacific Health)
    4. Brithney Dela Cruz (Hawaii Cancer Care)
    5. David Horio, MD (Hawaii Pacific Health)
    6. Mandy Joosten (Hawaii Cancer Care)
    7. Tamie Kerns, DO (Tripler Army Medical Center)
    8. Charles Kim, MD (Hawaii Pacific Health)
    9. Wade Kyono, MD (Hawaii Pacific Health - Pediatric)
    10. Franklin Lee, MD (Hawaii Pacific Health)
    11. Richard Lee, MD, PhD (Cancer Center of Hawaii)
    12. Shane Morita, MD (The Queen's Medical Center)
    13. Angelei Pananganan (Hawaii Cancer Care)
    14. Michael Roach, MD (Cancer Center of Hawaii)
    15. David Saito, MD (Cancer Center of Hawaii)
    16. Christina Speirs, MD, PhD (The Cancer Center of Hawaii)
    17. Kenneth Sumida, MD (Hawaii Oncology, Inc)
    18. David Tamura, MD (Hawaii Cancer Care)
    19. Christopher Tokin, MD (Hawaii Pacific Health)
    20. Elizabeth Wright, DNP, RN, OCN (Hawaii Pacific Health)

Protocol Review and Monitoring Committee (PRMC)

Protocol Review and Monitoring Committee (PRMC)

  1. Scientific review committee for all protocols to assess their scientific merit, statistical validity and scientific progress
  2. The monthly meetings also prioritize protocols relative to the mission of UH Cancer Center
  3. PRMC Chair: Jeffrey Berenberg, MD (Tripler Army Medical Center)
  4. Members:
    1. Anthony Froix, MD (Hawaii Pacific Health)
    2. David Horio, MD (University of Hawaii)
    3. Gene Liu, MD (The Queen's Medical Center)
    4. Noboyuki Miki, MD (Kuakini Medical Center)
    5. Paul Morris, MD (The Queen's Medical Center)

Protocol Reviewers

Protocol Reviewers

  1. All protocols requiring scientific review are evaluated by physicians, nurses, pharmacists and research staff
  2. Reviewers provide formal written evaluations of each protocol
  3. Review includes assessment of scientific rationale, impact on improving cancer care, study design, feasibility in our community
  4. Top protocol reviewers:
    1. Ian Okazaki, MD (Hawaii Pacific Health)
    2. Craig Boddy, MD (Hawaii Pacific Health)
    3. Jonathan Cho, MD (Hawaii Cancer Care)
    4. Kenneth Sumida, MD (Hawaii Oncology, Inc)
    5. Gene Liu, MD (The Queen's Medical Center)
    6. Keith Terada, MD (The Queen's Medical Center)
    7. Lara Au, PharmD (Tripler Army Medical Center)
    8. David Tamura, MD (Hawaii Cancer Care)
    9. Richard Lee, MD, PhD (Cancer Center of Hawaii)
    10. Charles Kim, MD (Hawaii Pacific Health)
    11. Kaye Kawahara, MD (Hawaii Oncology, Inc)
  5. Data Safety Monitoring Committee (DSMC)
    1. Jonathan Cho, MD (Hawaii Cancer Care)
    2. David Horio, MD (University of Hawaii)
    3. Judy Ko, APRN (Hawaii Cancer Care)
    4. Ian Okazaki, MD (Hawaii Pacific Health)
    5. Christina Speirs, MD, PhD (Cancer Center of Hawaii)
    6. Kenneth Sumida, MD (Hawaii Oncology, Inc)

Clinical Trials Facilitation Awards

Clinical Trials Facilitation Awards

  1. Each hospital and private office nominated a staff member who facilitated clinical research and contributed significantly to care of patients on clinical trials
    1. Ruben Parado, CMD (Cancer Center of Hawaii)
    2. Ashley Springer, APRN (Hawaii Cancer Care)
    3. Chantel Lee, MA (Hawaii Oncology, Inc)
    4. Lisa Harada, APRN (Hawaii Pacific Health - Pediatric)
    5. Lisa Fuchigami, RN (Hawaii Pacific Health - Kapiolani)
    6. Christi Holeso, RN (Hawaii Pacific Health Pali Momi)
    7. Shawn Iwata, RN (Hawaii Pacific Health - Straub)
    8. Rebecca Ohta, RN (The Queen's Medical Center)
    9. Barbara Andrews, CCRP (Tripler Army Medical Center)