NASW News


Spotlight (April 2013)


Virginia VaitonesVirginia Vaitones, an oncology social worker at PenBay Medical Center in Rockport, Maine, became the president of the Association of Community Cancer Centers at its 39th Annual National Meeting in March.

“I am honored to serve as president of the Association of Community Cancer Centers,” Vaitones said in a statement. “I am a strong believer in the interdisciplinary team that is needed in today’s cancer care programs to assist our patients and their caregivers (to) navigate the complexities of their care. I can think of no other organization that understands and supports the ideas and programs of the interdisciplinary team better than ACCC.”

Vaitones first became involved with ACCC in 2002. She has been active on the Program, Guidelines and Governmental Affairs committees. She also served on the committee that developed ACCC’s patient navigation resource materials, and most recently served on the advisory boards for ACCC’s Financial Information and Learning Network and Improving Quality Care in Small-Population Cancers: Multiple Myeloma project.

She is a past president of the Association of Oncology Social Work and represents AOSW at the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer. Vaitones was involved in the writing and updating of the CoC’s Cancer Program Standards 2012: Ensuring Patient-Centered Care. She completed her graduate work at Simmons College School of Social Work in Boston, and has worked in the field of oncology for 35 years.

“ACCC, as the only interdisciplinary organization for cancer programs, is uniquely positioned to be the voice for the entire oncology team,” Vaitones said. “During my term, I plan to continue ACCC’s important work shaping policy at the federal level to ensure quality patient care and to support our interdisciplinary oncology workforce.”

Tim MossTim Moss received the 2012 Veterans Affairs Under Secretary for Health’s Award for Excellence in Social Work Practice.

Moss is the Dayton, Ohio, Veterans Affairs Medical Center’s combat psychotherapist for Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn post-deployment clinic. It is a nationally recognized program to seamlessly transition injured and ill returning combat service members and veterans from the Department of Defense to the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system.

Moss received the VA’s highest social work practice award, which recognizes a social worker who has had a significant impact on the provision of patient care services. The recipient demonstrates an exceptional level of competence and excellence as a social worker in working with veterans, returning service members, families, interdisciplinary teams, groups, VHA facility and community organizations.

Moss is a combat veteran and served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force as a mental health officer. He is a graduate of Columbia University School of Social Work in New York City. He is board certified in clinical social work and traumatology, with additional certifications in traumatic stress and crisis response.

Moss also is president-elect of the NASW Ohio Chapter and received the 2012 Outstanding Service Award for Region 7, and is a member of the Wright State University/Miami University MSW Program Advisory Board.

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