Spring 2009 Group Meeting

Group Meeting Registration  has closed. Schedule of Events Meeting Booklet Plenary Agenda The Plenary Session will be held on Friday, April 24. The program, "Southwest Oncology Group Showcase 2009," will feature presentations of ASCO-accepted publications. Report of Studies (Printed copies no longer provided) Hotel Reservations  To cancel or change your Hyatt reservation, call 888-421-1442. Travel – Conlin Travel is our partner for Group Meeting air travel. Exhibitor Information Helpful Sites: San Francisco San Francisco Weather Travel Airlines

Group Meeting Logistics

Conlin Travel	Membership Application Deadline
CRA Clinical Trials Training Course	No SELECT Meetings this time
Nursing Committee Workshop	CRA Workshop
CRA Open Forum	Head CRA Meeting
Crush the Crab Walk/5K Run	CME Information
No Credit Card?	Need Special Accommodations?

Travel Arrangements Through Conlin Travel

Southwest Oncology Group has contracted with Conlin Travel to provide discounted travel arrangements for the Spring Group Meeting in San Francisco. You may take advantage of the discounted rates by making your reservations either by calling Conlin directly at 800-783-9559 or on-line through Conlin Travel. Be sure to mention that you are traveling to San Francisco for the SWOG meeting.If your travel is not funded directly by the Group Chair;s Office, you may use Conlin Travel; however, you will be required to pay for your airfare upfront. You will then need to request reimbursement after the Group Meeting.

Membership Application Deadline

The deadline for submitting membership nominations to the Operations Office for consideration by the Board of Governors at the Spring Group Meeting was March 13. Consult the Membership page for more information; for a complete outline of the nomination process, refer to Policy Memorandum No. 7.

CRA Clinical Trials Training Course

The Clinical Trials Training Course will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, April 22-23. It introduces the fundamentals of Southwest Oncology Group and National Cancer Institute (NCI) policies and procedures. It provides the foundation to efficiently perform responsibilities as a Clinical Research Associate. This course is intended for CRAs who work on Southwest Oncology Group therapeutic studies, not the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT).

Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT)

Neither the SELECT Steering Committee nor the SELECT Recruitment Advisory Committee will meet at this Group Meeting, and no SELECT Workshop will be conducted. The next SELECT Workshop is tentatively planned for either the Fall 2009 or Spring 2010 Group Meeting.

Nursing Committee Workshop

The Nursing Committee Workshop will be held on Thursday, April 23, 9:00 am-12:00 pm, following the Nursing Committee business meeting. The Workshop will focus on "Gastrointestinal Malignancies and Treatment." Speakers will be Drs. Issam Makhoul and Phillip Phillip. Also on the program will be an NCI update by Rose Mary Padberg and a new drug update by Dr. Siu Fun Wong.

To sign up, choose Nursing Committee Workshop as an event during Group Meeting on-line registration. Please note: Handouts will not be provided at the workshop, but are available from the link below. You will need to print the handouts and bring with you to the group meeting. Thank you for your cooperation in this cost saving measure.

Application has been made to the ONS Approver Unit for continuing education hours. SoCRA attendance certificates will also be provided.

CRA Continuing Education Workshop

The CRA Continuing Education Workshop will be on Friday, April 24, 8:00-11:00 am. The topic will be "Clinical Trials, Technology and You."

SoCRA attendance certificates will be provided. Please note: Handouts will not be provided at the workshop, but are available from the link below. You will need to print the handouts and bring with you to the group meeting. Thank you for your cooperation in this cost saving measure.

CRA Open Forum

The CRA Open Forum offers the opportunity to discuss all of your technical questions!

The Clinical Research Associates Open Forum is set for Thursday, April 23, 4:15-6:00 pm. This forum offers a great opportunity to get answers to your clinical trial questions and to address the science and technical research issues that challenge us today! Come meet your facilitator in a small group setting to discuss interesting topics including:

• Quality Assurance Review
• Data Management Tips/Tools for CRAs
• Serious Adverse Events Reporting
• Investigational New Drugs
• Specimen Preparation and Shipment
• SWOG Financial Payment Ins and Outs
• Best Practices — adhering to SWOG
• Protocol Deviation Review
• Time for General Q & A
• Nurse Oncologist Committee

Look for these topics at the group meeting. Members of the CRA Committee will also be present to meet with CRAs. For more information or suggestions, contact pamela.frazier-jones@swedish.org.

Head CRA Meeting

The Head CRA Meeting will be on Thursday, April 23, 10:00-12:00 am.

Crush the Crab 5K Run and 1K Walk

When: 5:45 am, Thursday (note new day), April 23.

Where: The start and finish will be at the hotel, to allow participants maximum time to get ready for 8AM meetings. The course will be along San Francisco's famous Embarcadero, with views of the piers, the bay, and Alcatraz Island.

Entry fee: There will be no fee to participate. Sign up online when you register for the meeting, or at the registration desk on site. All participants will receive a free commemorative t-shirt.

Need Special Accommodations?

Group members with disabilities are encouraged to contact the meetings manager (210-450-8808) after registering on-line for the Group meeting, for any needed special arrangements or accommodations to fully participate in all Group Meeting functions.

Don't Have a Credit Card?

For guests without credit cards, the hotel requires payment of one night's room and tax within 14 days of making a reservation in order to hold the room. In addition, for individual guests who do not have a major credit card at check-in, the Hyatt Regency San Francisco requires full payment of room and tax in advance, along with a refundable deposit for incidentals, $100.00 for the first day and $50.00 for each additional day. If the guest does not want to establish credit for incidentals, the hotel restricts telephone access (except from room to room), check-signing privileges from the hotel's outlets, in-room movie access, and mini bar access. For your convenience, the hotel accepts the following credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Carte Blanche and Diner's Club.