CONGRATULATIONS to board member and nurse practitioner, Beverly Garber, who recently completed her doctoral study at the University of Nevada, Reno.
A Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) is a terminal nursing degree focusing on the translation and integration of existing knowledge into practice. Beverly’s DNP project was quality improvement focused by enhancing electronic medical record utilization and generating a recommended referral process for patients requiring adjuvant radiation following a definitive surgical resection.
National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines recommend postoperative radiation therapy (PORT) to be started within 6 weeks of surgery for head and neck cancer, which can be a challenge for institutions nationwide to adhere to for various patient and system related factors. Based on data noting improved outcomes related to the timing of PORT, this guideline has been increasingly recognized by the American College of Surgeons (ACS), Commission on Cancer (CoC) for cancer center accreditation.
By creating a head and neck cancer specific radiation oncology referral order and establishing an updated referral process, Beverly’s DNP project found a 20% improvement in reaching the NCCN guideline of time to PORT for patients with squamous cell carcinoma at her institution, UC Davis Health.
The project’s success is, in part, thanks to her mentors, including fellow Alliance board member, Dr. Michael Moore from IU Health, clinical research expert, Dr. Evan Graboyes from MUSC, as well as Dr. Marianne Abouyared and Dr. Shyam Rao at UC Davis Health, where the project was implemented. Beverly’s work received Top Honors recognition at the UC Davis Nursing Science and Professional Governance Council Symposium and has been shared at the ACS Cancer Conference and California Nurse Practitioner Association Conference in 2025.
Thank you, Dr. Beverly Garber, for your work and advocacy towards improving care coordination for head and neck cancer patients and showcasing the important role of nurses in helping to achieve guideline directed cancer care!
