I have been and continue to be inspired by so many of the leaders I have encountered since I first joined AOSW in 1992. In this issue I am delighted to interview one of those very inspirational people, Lisa Marquette Porat, who is currently the chair of the new AOSW Fellows Program.

How long have you been in the field of oncology social work?

I have been an oncology social worker for 29 years. I didn’t think oncology would be my career—but lucky for me, a wise social work director plucked me out of a bad internship and put me in a difficult gynecology oncology unit and told me to go for it. I joined AOSW soon after graduation and found great mentors. I remember my first conference, seeing all the legends of OSW and wondering if I’d ever know anything compared to them! After working at the Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis, Indiana, for five years, I took another leap of faith and helped start The Wellness Community of Central Indiana (now the Cancer Support Community) as the founding program director. My heart was and is still taken with the incredible work done there and the patients and caregivers who have impacted my life. They taught me to appreciate life, go for the challenges and find humor in the darkest times. After five years there, I said yes again to a new adventure in Washington, DC, at a health communications firm where, within a year, I ended up as senior vice president and head of oncology, running the NCI work and clinical trial engagements. My eyes were opened to the corporate world and I realized how desperately it needed OSW!

After five plus years, I moved back to Indiana. By this time I was married with a baby on the way and I went to work with Eli Lilly in oncology marketing. One year later, I started my own consulting group, which is now 14 years strong! Along the way, I teach at the IU School of Social Work Graduate School, substitute as a support group facilitator at my local Cancer Support Community, and volunteer on numerous boards and committees. I can say I practice what I preach in terms of leadership—“say yes” and encourage everyone to do the same.

What are some of the changes you have seen in OSW?

The challenges our patients and families face are more complex, and OSWs have responded accordingly in our service and quality of care. We are challenged to do more with less, be more creative and innovative while also having less resources to tap into. This is where social workers, especially oncology social workers, shine. We set ourselves apart by rising to the challenge and problem solving, collaborating, embracing diversity and inequity, and finding a balance where needed. We are specialists in many cases, with advanced skill sets, training and expertise (thanks in great part to AOSW). We are more visible now than when I started in terms of experts in the field of psychosocial oncology—we actually helped define the field in many ways. We have brought attention to the impact of caring for the psychosocial needs of patients and caregivers and how that affects their overall health outcomes. Whether it be increased involvement in treatment decisions, exploring clinical trials or engaging palliative care, we are present in the continuum of the cancer experience. We champion our patients where they are and, in turn, we position ourselves differently in the healthcare and leadership arena.

Have you seen new opportunities emerge for OSWs?

I see OSWs being positioned more and more in leadership opportunities. Efforts over the years to increase our visibility and the optics of the work we do are starting to pay off. We are emerging in leadership roles in institutions, on boards and as key opinion leaders in industry. Our scope of work continues to broaden as our client needs do, and our skill set responds accordingly. This results in new opportunities for our profession to demonstrate the level of skill, education and personal commitment that we are known for in new and exciting ways.

What were/are your leadership roles in AOSW?

I began in 1994 as a state representative. I’ve been on the Conference Planning Committee, served two terms on the Board of Directors and was president-elect, president and immediate past president. In 2016 I was honored to receive the Leadership in Oncology Social Work Award. I have been a consultant to the board and faculty for the National Leadership Institute and currently I am the chair of the AOSW Fellows Program.

Tell us more about the new Fellows Program.

I think the opportunity to continue to give to our profession and AOSW in this capacity is one that we take humbly and seriously. While our 2018 inaugural class was past-AOSW presidents, we are thrilled to have vetted, nominated and gone through the voting process for our new class that was presented at the June conference. As we all know, leadership is about the greater why, and finding a new way to contribute and lend our institutional history is an exciting prospect. Fellows are a source of experience, both clinical and leadership, as well as a group of go-to resources for anyone within the organization. It took last fall to get our legs under us and figure out the nomination/selection process, so this coming year we plan to tackle a project or initiative to support AOSW.

What is the most meaningful aspect of being an AOSW member for you?

Being part of a deeply passionate group of people who embrace the challenge, passion and privilege of working with people with cancer and their families. We embrace the stories, the profound moments in these people’s lives and we do it with humble intent. Oncology social workers are a rare breed and being part of a community such as AOSW is a comfort and sense of pride.

It was a pleasure to work with Lisa on this piece. She demonstrates a commitment to leadership that began with her early roles at AOSW and continues as chair of the new Fellows Program. There are always opportunities to get involved in AOSW. If you are interested, please reach out to any of us on the Board and we will be happy to help you begin or continue your role as a leader.