Thank you to all who joined us for the 2025 Wisconsin Cancer Summit!
Event recordings and slides are archived below. Thanks to our presenters for making these available!
Check back for more information on the 2026 Wisconsin Cancer Summit!
We hope to see you there!
Congratulations to our 2025 Award Winners!
CHAMPION AWARD
Cheryl DeVault, MS, BSN, RN, AMB-BC, Primary Care Program Manager (Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative)
COLLABORATION AWARD
La Crosse Area Family YMCA & Emplify Health Culinary Medicine, La Crosse, WI
HEALTH CARE HERO AWARD
Vera (Judy) Heubel, RN, BSN, Community Health Outreach Director (Stockbridge-Munsee Health and Wellness Center)
IMPACT AWARD
Crossing Rivers Health, Prairie du Chien, WI
IMPACT AWARD
Greater Richland Area Cancer Elimination (GRACE), Richland Center, WI
POLICY CHANGE MAKER AWARD
Autumn Gentry, Director of Advocacy and Community Engagement (The MACC Fund)
Wednesday, September 24
Celebrating 20 Years with the
Wisconsin Cancer Collaborative
Dr. Patrick Remington opened our 2025 Wisconsin Cancer Summit talking about his involvement with the Wisconsin Cancer Collaborative throughout its history, the major achievements in cancer control and prevention work in Wisconsin, the remaining challenges we face, and the importance of collaboration as we take on the next 20+ years of work!
During the reception, attendees were able to reflect on the last 20 years with a slideshow of pictures from the history of the Wisconsin Cancer Collaborative and past Wisconsin Cancer Summits.
Thursday, September 25
To set the stage for the 2025 Wisconsin Cancer Summit and begin the celebration of more than 20 years of amazing cancer control success that has been achieved in Wisconsin, WCC asked a few of our friends to highlight some key moments over these past few decades.
We are truly honored to be a part of the efforts of our collaborative members and partners in making the greatest impact on cancer outcomes in our communities. Thank you for all you do!
Keynote Address
Dr. Christian Capitini currently serves as Acting Director of the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center. His presentation will provide a brief high-level overview of recent advancements in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center.
AM Breakout Sessions
Nutrition and Health
Dana Boler of the La Crosse Area Family YMCA will talk about their collaboration with Emplify Health, which gives LIVESTRONG participants the opportunity to engage in Culinary Medicine Workshops designed to connect nutrition with survivorship. Hands-on experiences in their teaching kitchen and classroom let participants explore working whole foods and plant-forward choices into their diet. Guided by the belief that “Food is Medicine,” they are passionate about empowering survivors with practical tools to support healing and long-term health.
Kim Abell will share about the work partners in Southeast Wisconsin are doing healthy eating and active living for cancer prevention and cancer survivorship, cancer centers addressing food insecurity among cancer patients and how food security impacts cancer patients and their caregivers.
Dana Boler
Health Director
La Crosse Area Family YMCA
Kim Abell, CHES
Associate Director of Community Partnerships
American Cancer Society
Closing the Cancer Gap: Prevention and Screening in Rural Wisconsin
Cheryl DeVault is the Primary Care Program Manager for Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative. She will discuss the work that rural health organizations are doing to increase cancer screening rates, reduce screening disparities, improve project participant quality measure scores, and decrease target population mortality rates.
Janelle Helgerson is a Population Health Nurse at Crossing Rivers Health in Prairie du Chien. She will share examples of her work, along with wins and challenges along the way.
Michelle Witthun is the Medical Imaging Manager at Prairie Ridge Health in Columbus. She will discuss how a multidisciplinary approach, emphasizing collaboration across clinical teams, administrative support, patient outreach, and operational planning has helped increase access to screening mammography services and improved patient volumes at their rural healthcare facility.
Cheryl DeVault, MS, BSN, RN, AMB-BC
Primary Care Program Manager
Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative
Janelle Helgerson, RN
Population Health Nurse
Crossing Rivers Health
Michelle Witthun, RT (R)(M), CRA
Medical Imaging Manager
Prairie Ridge Health
Poster Networking Session
The Wisconsin Cancer Summit Poster Networking Session gave our Summit attendees time to learn more about the projects and programs happening in Wisconsin through posters on the walls of our conference room.
PM Breakout Sessions
Community Collaboration
Isabella Beach from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Wellness and Health Center will explore a collaborative campaign designed to raise awareness of the long-term risks associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) and increase immunization among college students at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. She will highlight the importance of community engagement (among stakeholders and participants) and health-related empowerment.
Emily Dieringer is a Community Engagement Coordinator with Noble Community Clinics, and Karen Greenwald is a public health nurse for Dodge County Public Health. Their organizations have worked together to bring mobile mammography screenings and other important health education, prevention and awareness resources to residents who often experience barriers to getting these services.
Isabella Beach
Student Wellness Coordinator
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Emily Dieringer
Community Engagement Coordinator
Noble Community Clinics
Karen Greenwald, RN, BSN
Public Health Nurse
Dodge County Public Health
Genetics in Cancer
Katia Vine, a certified and licensed genetic counselor at the Genetic Support Foundation, will provide an overview of hereditary cancer, including its underlying genetic causes and patterns of inheritance. She will explore the role of genetic counseling in assessing cancer risk and guiding patients through the testing process. She will also review the history and evolution of genetic testing for hereditary cancer.
Katia Vine, MS, LCGC
Certified Genetic Counselor
Genetic Support Foundation
Cancer Survivorship: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Melinda Stolley, PhD, Professor and Associate Director for Cancer Prevention and Control at the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Cancer Center, will be moderating the session and sharing about her involvement with the many programs at Medical College of Wisconsin. She has worked in several areas of cancer research and prevention. Much of her work includes developing and testing lifestyle change interventions among children, adults, and cancer survivors.
Ambrose Wilson-Brown is a Community Program Coordinator at the Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center. He will discuss the Men Moving Forward study, a community-driven initiative addressing prostate cancer prevention, and cancer survivorship among men. He will also share insights and lessons learned that laid the foundation for the Health Griots program, highlighting strategies in outreach, education, and peer engagement to reduce cancer disparities in Wisconsin.
Nona Crowe is the Medical Benefits Specialist and Wisconsin Well Woman Program Coordinator for the Bad River Tribal Health and Wellness Center. Their community outreach, including wellness fairs, mobile mammography, radon testing, and more, has the recurring theme of "Noojimo'ididaa - We Heal Together." Nona will discuss those outreach initiatives, as well as their monthly cancer support group.
Carolyn Rodgers is a passionate advocate for women undergoing breast cancer treatment and survivor/thrivers. Diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2022, Carolyn received invaluable support during her treatment, which inspired her to help others in similar situations. As a result, Carolyn went on to found SHE Thrives, Inc. The focus of Carolyn's talk and the SHE Thrives' mission is to empower women to survive, thrive, and extend their lifespan by advocating for preventive healthcare and providing essential support and resources.
Cancer Survivorship 2005-2025
Melinda Stolley, PhD
Men Moving Forward and Health Griot
Ambrose Wilson-Brown
Bad River Health & Wellness Center
Nona Crowe
SHE Thrives, Inc. and Survivorship
Carolyn Rodgers
Closing Remarks
Sandra Millon Underwood, RN, PhD
Sandra Millon Underwood, RN, PhD, is a member of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), a scientifically independent, volunteer panel of national experts in disease prevention and evidence-based medicine. She is professor emerita in the College of Nursing at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. She is a nurse researcher, educator, and clinician with 40 years of experience in the design, implementation, and evaluation of evidence-based programs.
Dr. Underwood closed our 2025 Wisconsin Cancer Summit with a reflection on the progress we have made in cancer prevention and control over the last 20 years and a motivating call to action for the work that remains.
Closing Video
We sent our Summit attendees off with a final video full of inspiring messages from our friends! Thank you for another great Summit - we are so grateful to work in partnership with you all!
We hope to see you at the 2026 Wisconsin Cancer Summit!