Presentation Description: The umbrella that POGO provides to ensure the equity of care for children with cancer across the province encompasses a wide range of programs and activities. These commonly engage numerous stakeholders in the hospitals, other institutions, government and the community. While it is not possible to highlight all the programs that POGO has engaged in over the last 30 years, this session  focused on four innovative activities that POGO has led, and that have left indelible marks on the enhancement of care for children both in Ontario as well as beyond its borders.  1) Guidelines for supportive care have been developed, adopted and implemented throughout the pediatric oncology community; 2) the POGO satellite system has enhanced the quality of care close to home and enhanced the quality of life for families across the province; 3) a new initiative of a centralized ethics review will lead to improved efficiencies and comprehensive engagement of all treating centres for children eligible for enrollment on clinical trials; 4) development of a set of benchmarks (quality indicators) has provided a unique framework to evaluate the quality of systems for the delivery of care for children with cancer.  These efforts showcase the impact that POGO has had on the pediatric cancer community.

Guidelines for Supportive Care

Carol Portwine, MD, FRCPC, PhD
Pediatric Oncologist, McMaster Children’s Hospital
Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics
McMaster University, Hamilton

Satellite system

Childhood cancer care is definitionally intense, arduous and takes place over elongated time frames. Since care is typically centralized in tertiary centers, this pattern of care imposes enormous stress on families and patients. In an attempt to address this disruption of lives, POGO developed a system of devolved designated care centers in which defined components of care can be delivered. This presentation briefly described that system.

Mark Greenberg, OC, MB, ChB, FRCPC
Senior Adviser, Policy & Clinical Affairs
Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO), Toronto, ON

Centralized Ethics Review

Ronald M. Grant, MD, FRCPC
Pediatric Oncologist
The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto

Quality Indicators

Nicole Bradley, MHSc (Epidemiology)
Senior Healthcare Analyst & Project Manager
Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario (POGO), Toronto