|
Colleen A. Merrell, RN, BSN, OCN has been a certified oncology nurse for more than 12 years. Colleen is the Associate Director of Quality Assurance and Training, responsible for ITA’s quality initiatives and staff training and development programs. She initially joined ITA as an oncology care manager.
Previously, Merrell was Director of the Breast Care Program at Fox Chase Virtua Health Cancer Program, a large healthcare system in southern New Jersey, where she developed and implemented a comprehensive breast care program. She has received several awards for clinical excellence, patient education and community service, most notably the Local Hero award from the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the Girl Scouts of Camden County Women of Outstanding Achievement Award and the Philadelphia Business Journal’s Top 40 Under 40 Award. In addition, Merrell is author of the award-winning "Breast Cancer Handbook, A Guide to Healing and Recovery."
Merrell has a Bachelor’s degree in nursing from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. After graduation, she was one of 10 in the nation selected to complete an Oncology Nursing Fellowship at the National Institutes of Health, National Cancer Institute (NCI) in Bethesda, MD. She worked as a clinical staff nurse at the NCI in the ambulatory infusion center and a specialty nurse in research and breast cancer clinic.
Mrs. Merrell is an active member of the National Oncology Nursing Society and was selected to participate in the 2007 Oncology Nursing Certification National Workshop. She is an active volunteer for several local and national cancer advocacy organizations including the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, American Cancer Society and Prostate Cancer Foundation. She is serving a three-year term on Komen’s National Patient Advocate Grant Committee, reviewing research proposals and helping to determine the allocation of more than $22 million annually. She has authored several patient education materials about cancer care and has given numerous professional and community presentations about oncology and breast cancer care | 