Certification Advisory Commission

Janet Gordils-Perez, DNP, ANP-BC, AOCNP, is Vice President, Oncology Services, Summit Medical Group of New Jersey, Berkeley Heights. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in nursing at The College of New Rochelle, NY; her master’s degree in nursing administration at New York University, New York City; and her doctorate of nursing practice at Duke University, Durham, NC. She has extensive experience and expertise in the organization and delivery of oncology and supportive care services across the care continuum, redesigning clinical processes, and implementing innovative programs to improve the patient experience throughout the cancer care continuum. Her research interests focus on the development, implementation, and efficacy of oncology nurse navigation programs; improving nursing-sensitive patient outcomes; and using six sigma lean in process improvement initiatives.

Elba L. Ferrer, MS, PhD, is Assistant Professor, Research, and Director, Comadre a Comadre Program, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque; Founder and Facilitator, New Mexico Coalition to Enhance Vaccine Equity Among Hispanic/Latinx; and Co-Chair and Co-Founder, New Mexico Cancer Patient Navigation Network. She obtained her master’s degree and doctorate in community health education at the University of New Mexico. With more than 18 years of experience in research efforts focusing on social determinants of health related to cancer care among New Mexico’s ethnically and racially diverse and underserved women, she co-founded the Comadre a Comadre Program with local community breast cancer survivors, a comprehensive community-based, peer-based, multilevel intervention to improve breast cancer outcomes for Hispanic/Latinx people. Her research interests focus on elucidating the significant impact that cancer survivorship, community engaged work, and community-based interventions in cancer care and patient navigation across the cancer care continuum have on improving breast cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment outcomes among the medically underserved and uninsured in New Mexico.

Kyandra Fox, MHA, is Manager, Patient Navigation Education and Outreach, Susan G. Komen, Dallas, TX, where she oversees the Patient Navigation Training Program. She completed her bachelor’s degree in biology at Texas Tech University, Lubbock, and her master’s degree in healthcare administration at Texas Woman’s University, Denton. Ms Fox is passionate about heath equity, patient navigation, and addressing barriers to care, and has more than 10 years of experience in healthcare quality where she has designed, led, and managed projects and programs to increase the awareness and importance of preventive screenings, including breast cancer. She has worked closely with different women’s cancer screening programs, helping to connect preventive screenings to the uninsured, underinsured, and undocumented women.

Lorna Lucas, MSM, is a Senior Program Director with more than 15 years of experience working in healthcare, education, and association industries. Previously, she was Senior Director, Provider Education, Association of Community Cancer Centers, Rockville, MD, where she led education initiatives which produced high-quality resources and solution-based tools to support the multidisciplinary oncology care team to expand access to high-quality, equitable patient care. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in American studies and her master’s degree in nonprofit and association management at the University of Maryland, College Park. As an organizational leader driven to conceptualize, plan, and deliver impactful healthcare education programs and grant portfolios, Ms Lucas has developed enriching stakeholder engagement and partner organization relationships while focusing on supporting and educating healthcare professionals to deliver quality, accessible, and equitable care to patients across all settings and disciplines.

Peg Rummel, BSN, MHA, OCN, NE-BC, HON-ONN-CG, is Oncology Nurse Navigator, Amyloidosis, Multiple Myeloma, and Oral, Head and Neck Cancers, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. In addition, she is a member of the Academy of Oncology & Patient Navigators (AONN+) Navigation Conference Planning Committee, and the AONN+ Certification Team. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in nursing at Holy Family University, Philadelphia, PA; and her master’s degree in healthcare administration from Saint Joseph’s University, Philadelphia. Having more than 40 years of oncology experience and 12 years of nurse navigation experience, she is passionate about participating in multidisciplinary treatment planning with a focus on care coordination and reducing barriers to care for patients with hematologic malignancies, amyloidosis, and head and neck cancers. Her research interests focus on developing and implementing navigation activities through pathway and order set development, metrics tracking, resource allocation, patient education, and survivorship.

Tiffany Santiago, CHeS, BCPA, is Vice President and Director, Patient Support Services, H.O.P.E. Patient Concierge Services, Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL; and Founder and President, Genesis Navigation, Sunrise, FL. At the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Science, Washington, DC, she obtained her Certified Health Education Specialist certification, and she obtained her Board-Certified Patient Advocate certification through the Patient Advocate Certification Board, Sherwood, AR. As a patient navigator with more than 12 years of experience in the United States and 5 years internationally, she is dedicated to removing barriers from clinical research to insurance issues, to finding physicians, and understanding treatment and care options. At H.O.P.E., Ms Santiago serves as the coach, cheerleader, and quarterback of her patients’ healthcare team, and works closely with family members and caregivers to mobilize resources, manage medical paperwork, and transition patients throughout the cancer care continuum.

Megan Solinger, MHS, MA, OPN-CG, is Director, Provider Relations & Navigation, Ulman Foundation, Baltimore, MD. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in public health studies and social science from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore; her master’s degree in environmental health science at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore; and her master’s degree in higher education administration at The George Washington University, Washington, DC. She was an Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Patient Navigator for more than 3.5 years through a partnership with the Ulman Foundation and the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, and has become a content expert in fertility preservation for this specific patient population.

Jo Weathers, RN, BSN, OCN, CBCN-Emeritus, ONN-CG, is a Retired Oncology Nurse Navigator who held previous positions as Survivorship Nurse Navigator, Center for Integrative Oncology and Survivorship; Supervisor, Oncology Nurse Navigation, and Breast Cancer Nurse Navigator, Oncology Multidisciplinary Center, Prisma Health Cancer Institute, Greenville, SC. She obtained her associate degree in business from Winthrop College, Rock Hill, SC; her associate degree in nursing at Greenville Technical College, SC; and her bachelor’s degree in nursing at the University of South Carolina, Spartanburg. With more than 20 years of experience in the oncology landscape, she was instrumental in developing the nurse navigator program and the development of the Multidisciplinary Department for Greenville Health System, now Prisma Health, which helps to support patients throughout their cancer journey from diagnosis to survivorship. Her passion and research interests focus on transitioning patients from cancer treatment to survivorship, educating on the importance of nurse navigation in lung cancer screening, and the development and implementation of electronic measurement processes for survivorship care plan dissemination and compliance.