News Type: CEO News

With the introduction of the new Cancer Agency, the recently appointed head Professor Diana Sarfati outlined her 3 funding priorities; needless to say there was a clear indication of what was not of immediate concern. “One thing not on that priority wish list is more money for the stream of high-cost, life-prolonging drugs for terminal cancer, which prompt patient petitions and marches to Parliament.”

Here’s the considered response from Peter Fergusson, CEO of Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand.

“The challenge facing blood cancer as we consult and develop a National Cancer Plan is ensuring that many of the common assumptions relating to solid tumour cancers are not automatically applied or assumed to be appropriate for blood cancers by health policy decision-makers. The cause of blood cancers is not currently known, and effective screening programmes do not exist.

This key difference of blood cancers from solid tumours means that screening programs and preventative measures to reduce the incidence of these cancers is not available.Hence the resources to manage blood cancers need to be directed at accurate diagnosis, treatments and treatment outcome surveillance and monitoring.

Unfortunately, blood cancer data is often captured by disease type, which does not reflect the broader incidence of blood cancers and subsequent burden to the health system.

This inevitably leads to health policy decision-makers also under-estimating the impact and real cost to both the health system, individuals and their families.

Blood cancers (combined data) are our fifth most common group of cancers affecting all age groups. Blood cancer has the second-highest mortality rates just behind lung cancer).

Blood cancers (more-so than most another cancer group) have a heavy reliance on access to drug treatments such as systemic therapies including cytotoxic chemotherapy, antibody therapy, targeted agents and immunotherapy.

Drug development is occurring extremely fast, and new therapies are being proven in clinical trials and approved in overseas regulatory environments at an increasing pace.

Surgery and radiation, the most common tools for treating solid tumour cancers, are less likely to affect blood cancer patients’ survival, which relies heavily on access to drug regimens and stem cell transplantation.

Blood Cancer patients, understandably, have a keen interest in Pharmac budget levels and approvals – because unlike most other Cancers – this is often their only lifeline to survival. In many instances, these treatments can cure or render a condition chronic, rather than becoming fatal.

Access to these treatments is literally a matter of life or death for many blood cancer patients and their families.”

Learn more about our CEO Peter Fergusson here.

We welcome the Government’s Cancer Action Plan and the Pharmac announcement that Venetoclax will finally be funded for Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia – great news!

But there is more to consider. Here’s how our CEO Peter Fergusson has reflected on the announcement.

“There are aspects of the plan that deserve celebration, like the creation of a National Cancer Control Agency and additional funding for Pharmac.

However …beyond those two specific items the remainder feels like a ‘plan to have a plan’. My initial exuberance is tempered by the realisation that there are few targets, few timeframes and minimal investment identified.

New Zealand has one of the highest cancer rates in the world with 46% of men and 33% of women developing cancer before age 75.

As our population ages, these numbers become even more daunting, with cancer diagnosis expecting to double over the next 15 years.

The agency will be tasked with ensuring consistency of care; equitable survival outcomes; fewer cancers and better cancer survival overall.

An immediate priority will be establishing performance indicators to measure cancer care across DHBs.While the agency provides centralised leadership, it needs investment at ground level to deliver these improvements.

This investment is not yet evident and remains my key concern.

With your support, I’ll continue to ensure the voices of blood cancer patients are heard and kept at the forefront of policy changes and cancer investment decisions made by Government.”

Learn more about the Government announcement of a Cancer Action Plan

Learn more about our CEO Peter Fergusson here

Hello, my name is Peter Fergusson and I am delighted to introduce myself as the new Chief Executive Officer of Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand (LBC).  My predecessor Pru Etcheverry has left me some very big shoes to fill as CEO, but I am excited to join an organisation that has helped so many New Zealand families affected by blood cancer.

I am committed to growing our services to ensure we reach more people that need our help. This includes personalised patient support, comprehensive information and education, advocating on behalf of patients and funding research into better treatments and potential cures for blood cancer. Now as we look to the future of our organisation, these are the ways that LBC will meet the growing needs of our patients and families.

Reaching more people

We believe that no one should have to face blood cancer alone, and we know that over the coming years there will be increased demand for our services. We have recently opened a new office in Dunedin, and have employed two new Support Services staff, but we are also committing to ‘future proofing’ our services by launching our Endowment Fund.

Helping people get the best possible care

We are committed to patient care, and often in collaboration with many other health agencies, we advocate on behalf of our patients to ensure that they get the best treatment. Over the coming years, as we increase the number of patients we support, we aim to grow our advocacy service to provide a voice for our patients when they need it.

Support for life

We know that living with cancer doesn’t always end with the ‘all clear’. Being diagnosed with cancer or a blood condition can be life-changing, and even when a patient is in remission, it is often difficult or even impossible to pick up the life they had before diagnosis. We help patients and their families to cope with the long-term impact of their diagnosis by offering one-to-one support or counselling, financial help, or providing assistance with learning new skills to re-enter the workforce. This is an area of care that is often under-explored by health agencies, and over the coming years we will do more to raise awareness and provide help for those who need it.

Research

We are committed to improving the quality of life for patients and their families living with blood cancer or a blood condition, and this also means working to find the causes of these diseases and to improve patient outcomes.

We fund the Leukaemia & Blood Cancer Research Unit at the University of Auckland, where 18 researchers are undertaking ground-breaking genetic research into the causes and treatment for blood cancer. Our core funding of the unit has also helped to attract other funders and researchers looking for a cure. Over the coming pages you will read more about our plans around patient services and research, and hear the stories of how every day Kiwis and businesses are helping us to make a difference to those who need us most. Thank you for choosing us as an organisation that you want to support. We have only come this far with the assistance of people like you, and I hope that you will continue to help us as we look to the future.

Peter Fergusson – CEO Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand

Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand (LBC) is delighted to announce the appointment of Peter Fergusson as CEO.

LBC was established in 1977 and has grown substantially to become New Zealand’s leading organisation dedicated to supporting patients and their families living with leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma and related blood conditions.

Former CEO, Pru Etcheverry, who was instrumental in growing the organisation, made the decision to leave the organisation earlier this year to pursue other interests. The Board has taken the appointment of finding a new candidate very seriously, making sure that LBC’s  values are upheld and the organisation continues to grow and thrive.

LBC’s Chair, Tony Wilding, said that with a vision to cure and a mission to care, LBC is committed to improving the quality of life for patients and their families living with leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma, and related blood conditions. With Peter’s experience of over twenty years as a successful CEO, and with a wealth of experience across the health and disability sectors, most recently as CEO of YMCA Northern, we are confident that he can continue to uphold these values and lead the organisation into future growth.

Previously a CEO of Independent Living Services, Franchise Association of New Zealand, New Zealand Squash and Northland Rugby RFU, Peter brings strong commercial skills to the organisation.

Peter plans to utilise these skills as well as those he has developed from many years of governance, especially that as Chair of the Cerebral Palsy Society of New Zealand, which he has a personal connection to.

“While this differs from the challenges specific to Leukaemia and Blood Cancer – the impact on individuals and families, the need for sound research, advocacy, individual and family support, creative funding channels, resilience, health, business and government networks and the need for factual information – is ‘all too’ familiar and very transferable,” said Fergusson.

Peter also plans to draw on his experience and networks developed as Director of the New Zealand Recreation Association and as part of the Advisory Panel for Sport and Exercise Science at Auckland University of Technology.

“I know that Pru has left LBC in excellent shape and am looking forward to the opportunity to lead a highly functioning organisation through to its next stage of evolution,” said Fergusson.

Peter commences in the position on the 14^th of May and will be looking forward to getting started in the role.

 

After 15 years at the helm, Leukaemia & Blood Cancer New Zealand’s (LBC’s) CEO Pru Etcheverry has made the decision to leave the organisation.

Ms Etcheverry has significantly grown and developed LBC from a small, fledgling organisation with a team of just two part-time people to one of New Zealand’s most prominent NGOs. She was honoured as an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM), in recognition of this work.

Throughout her tenure as CEO Ms Etcheverry has led on advocating on behalf of patients to ensure they have access to the best possible care and treatment. This is an area she is particularly passionate about and she has worked to ensure a number of drugs receive funding in New Zealand. She also established a national patient support service that extends the length of the country.

Ms Etcheverry was instrumental in establishing the first Leukaemia & Blood Cancer Research Unit in the country at the University of Auckland in 2014, for which LBC is the major funder. This unit, the first of its kind in New Zealand, is undertaking ground-breaking genetic research into the causes and treatment for blood cancer. The unit enables patients across New Zealand to have access to contemporary molecular diagnostic strategies that will enable better survival outcomes.

LBC receives no Government funding and Ms Etcheverry established significant income streams which continue to achieve year-on-year growth. These include iconic fundraising events such as Shave for a Cure, the Firefighter Sky Tower Stair Challenge (each raises in excess of $1.25 million annually), SKYCITY Dining for a Difference, and the Corporate Sky Tower Stair Challenge. She also oversaw the establishment of an endowment fund to ensure future sustainability for the organisation.

Etcheverry has forged strong and long-standing partnerships with well-known organisations such as Farmers, SKYCITY, Fidelity Life, PwC, BellGully, Suzuki and most recently Bridgestone New Zealand.

“The outstanding support from the teams within these wonderful organisations has been integral to LBC’s growth and development,” she says.

In addition to her role at LBC Ms Etcheverry has also contributed to other healthcare organisations and networks in New Zealand. She has served as Chair of CANGO (the national Cancer NGO working group), on the Governance Advisory Board of the Leukaemia and Blood Cancer Research Unit and is Chair of the Governance Advisory Group for the Auckland Regional Tissue Bank. She is also influential and active in a global setting and has been Chair of the Lymphoma Coalition (an international non-profit organisation) since 2013.

Ms Etcheverry plans to apply her knowledge and experience in a consulting capacity both locally and internationally. She will work with non-profit organisations to build their capacity and businesses to advise on best practice with community engagement and Corporate Social Responsibility.

“Whilst I am sad to be leaving it has been an absolute privilege, and extremely fulfilling, to do this work for the communities we serve. I hugely appreciate the encouragement and support of everyone who has worked alongside me to grow the organisation into what it is today,”

“It feels like just the right time for me to leave LBC. The organisation is in a strong and sustainable financial position with a dedicated board, team of staff and supporters.” says Ms Etcheverry

LBC’s Chair Tony Wilding says it has been a pleasure to work with Pru. While the organisation is sad to see her go, he and the board want to sincerely thank her for her leadership and dedication and of many years and leaving LBC in such good heart.

“Pru’s legacy will be marked by her inspirational leadership, passion, professionalism, revenue raising and work in patient advocacy and awareness of blood cancers. Her commitment to the organisation has ensured thousands of families across the country have received the help they need,” he says

Ms Etcheverry will finish with the organisation on 6 April 2018 and will be involved in the short to medium term after this date to aid with the transition of a successor into the CEO role.

For more information please contact:
Georgie Hackett
General Manager
021 523 172
georgie@leukaemia.org.nz

Over the past year our support services team has grown further in size. This means we have been able to expand our services and reach considerably more patients and families. This coming year we plan to continue this service growth. This will include offering more regional and geographically spread educational and support groups, and a wider range of disease-specific and carer groups.

Advocacy is a significant part of our support and we are committed to our work in this area. Alongside advocating for the larger national and regional matters there are always issues that arise for patients and their families that we are committed to lobbying for, and where possible, solving on their behalf. We are also constantly working collaboratively with other cancer non-governmental organisations and DHB’s across the country and remain encouraged by the effective progress we have been making together.

In 2014 LBC allocated a significant investment to fulfil the long held vision to establish New Zealand’s first Leukaemia & Blood Cancer Research Unit. Located at the University of Auckland, the unit has made steady progress with a growing team and number of projects now underway. Areas of particular focus are in understanding genetic changes in leukaemia and how those changes may affect therapy choices and improve outcomes for patients. Alongside this is understanding how certain genetic targets in leukaemia may lead to discoveries in targeting drugs. We will report on this further throughout the year.

A large portion of funding that enables this investment into research, patient support, advocacy and awareness comes through our key fundraising events. Shave for a Cure is one of LBC’s core fundraising events and every year we are blown away by the brave people willing to help us find a cure for blood cancers and support our work. Once again, we are very grateful to have Farmers on board. Farmers significantly support our work by holding numerous Shave events in their stores around the country as well as huge generosity with other gifts and activities throughout the year.

The Firefighter Sky Tower Stair Challenge is another of LBC’s core fundraising events and the 2015 event was an absolute record-breaker. We were thrilled to see firefighters across the country raise over $1 million dollars! We are deeply humbled to see the brigades are already steadily fundraising for this year’s event in May.

SKYCITY Dining for a Difference will be back again this year and will be held on October the 8th. This is always such a wonderful fundraiser for us and only possible thanks to the generosity of SKYCITY and the dedication and commitment of Peter Gordon.

With so many things happening on the LBC calendar this year we wanted to say thank you to all of LBC’s long-time supporters who enable us to continue our work to help patients and their families.

We are so very grateful to Farmers, SKYCITY, Fidelity Life, Suzuki, PwC and Bell Gully as well as all our individual supporters.

We look forward to another fulfilling year and thank you so much for supporting our work.