Greetings everyone, from the Puget Sound Oncology Social Work Network, your local planning committee! We are delighted to welcome you to Seattle for AOSW’s 31st Annual Conference, “Leading With Skill and Passion: Oncology Social Workers at the Forefront of Cancer Care,” May 20-22.

It is a thrill having so many skillful and passionate oncology social workers joining together in our home city to share ideas, talents, and camaraderie. The workshops, papers, panels and poster presentations planned for this conference are exceptional, and include topics on sexuality, distress screening, advance care planning, survivorship, leadership and education, just to name a few. These sessions will indeed enable us to be in the forefront of oncology social work in our clinics and institutions.
    
Situated on the shores of Puget Sound, Seattle is a perfect choice of venue for the conference. Our beautiful city features something for everyone. Outdoors you’ll find mountains, water, islands, and a variety of trails for walking tours or more challenging hikes. Indoors you can visit first-rate art museums, take in a show at one of our many theaters or cheer for one of our professional sports teams!
    
If you are staying through the Memorial Day weekend, consider attending the 44th Annual Northwest Folklife Festival, a treasured tradition of the Pacific Northwest. It features nearly 5,000 performers from a variety of disciplines, participatory arts activities, story telling, and more—all from local communities spanning Washington State to Oregon, Montana to Vancouver, BC. Every year the musicians, dancers, basket-weavers, and other artists share their talents without compensation in support of the community values Folklife nurtures. The 2015 Cultural Focus is “Beats, Rhymes, and Rhythms: Traditional Roots—Today’s Branches.”

Watch for Facebook postings from other local oncology social workers sharing their thoughts on the best places to visit!