Join our conversation
In person
If you are unable to join with the below options, there will be a physical space reserved in the Foundation for Health Care Quality’s Seattle office to participate in the virtual meeting at the below address:
Industrious 400U @ Rainier Square
400 University Street
Floor 3
Seattle, WA 98101
Online
Background
Tobacco use is the third leading risk factor for death and disability in Washington state, with lung cancer being a major cause of mortality.[i] Early detection through lung cancer screening results in significantly improved survival at 20 years,[ii] but only 14.1% of high-risk Washingtonians are adequately screened for lung cancer, placing the state 26th nationwide in screening rates for high-risk individuals.[iii] The chances of surviving lung cancer greatly increases by stage of diagnosis; while over 50% of diagnoses occur once the cancer has spread, those diagnosed before it has spread have a significantly higher chance of survival.[iv] Some folks are less likely to receive adequate lung cancer screening including those who identify as Black or Hispanic.[v] Additionally, smoking-related health care costs in Washington amount to $2.8 billion annually, with $2.2 billion lost in productivity each year.[vi] While e-cigarette use is not currently a qualifying factor for lung cancer screening, many individuals use both and current e-cigarette users are 21% less likely to have undergone lung cancer screening (LCS).[vii]
| Next Meeting | Time | Materials |
| Jan 7th, 2026 | 3:00-4:30pm | Please see below |
Meeting Materials
| Date | Materials |
| January 7th | January Agenda Draft Charter Draft Workplan |
| February 4th | February Agenda January Minutes Draft Workplan / Evidence Table |
| March 4th | March Agenda February Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
| April 1st | April Agenda March Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
| May 6th | May Agenda April Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
| June 3rd | June Agenda May Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
| July 1st | July Agenda June Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
| August 5th | August Agenda July Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
| September 2nd | September Agenda August Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
| October 7th | October Agenda September Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
| November 4th | November Agenda October Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
| December 2nd | December Agenda November Minutes Evidence Table / Materials |
Workgroup Members
| Name | Title | Organization |
| Joelle Fathi, DNP, RN, ARNP, ANP-BC, CTTS, FAANP, FAAN (chair) | Chief Healthcare Delivery Officer | GO2 for Lung Cancer |
| Kristin Bohreer, RN, BSN | Clinical Program Manager Early Lung Cancer Programs | Virginia Mason Medical Center |
| Ty Jones, MD, CPPS, CHPW, CAQSM | Medical Director, Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality Leader | Regence |
| Susanne Quistgaard, MD | Medical Director, Provider Customer Engagement | Premera |
| Norilyn De La Pena | Project/Program Manager II | Public Health Seattle King County |
| Brandon Omernik, MS, CTTS | Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist | Fred Hutch Cancer Center |
| Drew Oliveira, MD, MHA | Medical Director | Washington Health Alliance |
| Matty Triplette, MD, MPH | Medical Director | Lung Cancer Screening & Living Tobacco Free Services | Fred Hutch Cancer Center |
| Jessica Beach, MPH | Health Equity Director | Molina |
[i] Institute for Metrics and Evaluation (n.d.). United States of America – Washington. Retrieved August 22, 2024, from https://www.healthdata.org/research-analysis/health-by-location/profiles/united-states-washington
[ii] Henschke, C. I. et al. (2023). A 20-year Follow-up of the International Early Lung Cancer Action Program (I-ELCAP). Radiology, 309(2), e231988. https://doi.org/10.1148/radiol.231988
[iii] American Lung Association (n.d.). Washington. State of Lung Cancer. Retrieved August 22, 2024, from https://www.lung.org/research/state-of-lung-cancer/states/washington
[iv] National Cancer Institute. (n.d.). Cancer stat facts: Lung and bronchus cancer. SEER. Retrieved August 29, 2024, from https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/lungb.html
[v] Silvestri GA, Goldman L, Tanner NT, Burleson J, Gould M, Kazerooni EA, Mazzone PJ, Rivera MP, Doria-Rose VP, Rosenthal LS, Simanowith M, Smith RA, Fedewa S. Outcomes From More Than 1 Million People Screened for Lung Cancer With Low-Dose CT Imaging. Chest. 2023 Jul;164(1):241-251. doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2023.02.003. Epub 2023 Feb 10. PMID: 36773935; PMCID: PMC10331628.
[vi] Washington State Department of Health. (n.d.). Quick facts about tobacco use in Washington State. Retrieved August 22, 2024, from https://doh.wa.gov/data-statistical-reports/health-behaviors/tobacco
[vii] Wang Q, Jiang C, Hsu ML, et al. E-Cigarette Use and Lung Cancer Screening Uptake. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(7):e2419648. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.19648