High honor to a top champ of Oncology nursing

Congratulations! High Honor To A Top Champion Of Oncology Nurses

The Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) has named Lois Trench-Hines, President and founder of the health care communications company Meniscus Limited, to receive its prestigious Honorary Membership Award.

The award recognizes her significant contributions to oncology nursing, sustained support of ONS at the national level, and conduct consistent with ONS values. The primary vehicle for her contributions has been her ground-breaking establishment in 1995 of the Meniscus Educational Institute (MEI), highly regarded for its innovative educational programs for oncology nurses and other health care professionals.

Ms Trench-Hines, a pioneer in applying oncology research to health care practice, is a long-time champion of oncology nurses working at the front line of patient care. In 1982, she founded Meniscus Limited, with a mission of peer-based delivery of health care information to clinicians. Her decision to start the company followed an early education as a biochemist, work in supporting cancer drug research at the National Cancer Institute, and a position with the Clinical Research Department at ICI Americas (now AstraZeneca) in developing the drug tamoxifen, where she saw, first hand, the need for keeping oncology nurses up to date with complex and changing cancer treatments.

During her long association with ONS, Ms Trench-Hines established a $3000 Multidisciplinary Education and Practice Career Development Award, given since 1989, to promote lifelong learning and enhanced multidisciplinary collaboration in the care of patients with cancer.

MEI Nursing Director Karen Abbas, RN, MS, AOCN, says of Ms Trench-Hines, "When I first met Lois, I quickly recognized her grasp of the critical importance of oncology nurses and her passion for their education. She has made large, meaningful contributions to oncology nursing and ONS, including the publication of excellent clinical newsletters for oncology nurses. She is committed to providing high-quality education that enables learners to improve outcomes for their patients."

ONS has been highly selective in bestowing this award, last granted in 2002. It requires unanimous approval from the ONS Board of Directors. Ms Trench-Hines will be flown for the award presentation at the 35th ONS annual Congress, in San Diego, May 13-16, 2010.