Keys to Building a Successful Interdisciplinary Program
Educational content from recorded physician discussions — not medical advice. Talk to your (or your child's) care team about your situation.
Video
Pediatric Surgical Oncology Research Collaborative (PSORC): Studying Rare Pediatric Tumors
56 s · Published May 2026
Video
Update Course Rewind 2025: Hirschsprung + ARM: Rare but Real
1 min · Published May 2026
Video
Update Course Rewind 2025: Hirschsprung + ARM: Rare but Real
1 min · Published May 2026
Video
Pooling Patients to Study Rare Pediatric Tumors: An Introduction to PSORC
56 s · Published May 2026
Video
The fetal frontier: A review of current and emerging fetal therapies for genetic diseases
44 s · Published May 2026
Video
Indocyanine green assists with sentinel lymph node mapping in pediatric and adolescent patients
1 min · Published May 2026
What the experts said
Building street credibility with oncology teams by not delaying treatment was critical to program success
A minority of patients and families choose to intervene with fertility preservation, but every patient and family should have the opportunity to understand their risks and options
Focusing on care managers (nurses and nurse practitioners) rather than physician providers, using standardized Epic orders, and making fertility consultation opt-out instead of opt-in improved program uptake
After 8 years, the oncology team now proactively identifies when fertility consult orders are missed
Having a stable, consistent fertility navigator that the oncology team knows and trusts is the most significant factor in program success
Run charts show observable decline in program success metrics during fertility navigator maternity leave or absences
The team received a 2017 faculty clinical team award from their institution
Institutional leadership recognized return on mission rather than return on investment for the fertility preservation program
The program initially leveraged gynecology divisional resources to fund the fertility navigator position
US News and World Report rankings now include questions about fertility preservation services, including what is offered and what percentage of patients receive services
The program offers discounted bundled research costs for investigational procedures including testicular tissue cryopreservation and ovarian tissue cryopreservation
Philanthropic funds are available to support families so fertility preservation is not a choice between preserving fertility and paying rent
In April 2017, 46 patients were seen, of whom 25 were ineligible and 21 were eligible for fertility preservation
The program runs at approximately 50 to 60% patient eligibility rate by their institutional definition
Four patients were missed during a fertility navigator transition period
The median percentage of eligible patients who elect to proceed with fertility preservation is 16.9%
The majority of patients are satisfied hearing about fertility preservation options and making a decision not to proceed at that time