CEO of the American Cancer Society to Speak on NEOMED’s VITALS Series

Karen E. Knudsen will discuss visionary leadership in health care

American Cancer Society (ACS) CEO Karen E. Knudsen, Ph.D., M.B.A., will continue the second season of Northeast Ohio Medical University’s health care leadership speaker series, “VITALS: Visionary Health Leadership in Action,” with a presentation at noon, Thursday, Oct. 7.

Dr. Knudsen is a National Cancer Institute-funded researcher and advocate who guides the ACS on its mission to save lives, celebrate lives, and lead the fight for a world without cancer. In addition to heading the ACS, she is the CEO of its advocacy affiliate, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action NetworkSM (ACS CAN).

Prior to joining the ACS, Dr. Knudsen served as executive vice president of Oncology Services and enterprise director for Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson Health, one of only 71 National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers recognized for their research and impact on cancer outcomes. She also served as president for the Association of American Cancer Institutes (AACI), a strong advocate for funding for cancer research and access to care, including patient access to research innovations.

The monthly VITALS series features a diverse range of innovative leaders in the medical sector. Each speaker has 17 minutes ― the same length of time of the average physician-patient visit — to offer disruptive solutions to health care’s biggest problems. Approaches may cover any of the six components of VITALS: Value-based, Innovation, Technology, Advocacy, Leadership and Service. The speaker then engages in discourse with attendees for the remainder of the hour, guided by moderator Monica Robins, senior health correspondent for WKYC-TV.

Speakers range from regional University partners — public, private and health care systems — to national peers, alumni and thought leaders. The schedule and latest updates are available on the NEOMED website.

Continuing education credits will be available through Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) through the sponsorship of Northeast Ohio Medical University.

Like all VITALS events, the Oct. 7 program is available as a Zoom webinar. It is free and open to the public. Continuing Education credits are available. Visit neomed.edu/vitals to register, watch past segments, or learn more.

About NEOMED

Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED) harnesses diversity, innovation and collaboration to create transformative leaders and improve health through education, discovery and service. The University values leadership, excellence, advocacy, diversity, equity and respect and offers Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) and Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degrees, in addition to master’s and doctoral degrees and research opportunities in other medical and life science areas.

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