Oncology Genetic Testing in a Canadian Setting: Challenges and Opportunities with Angela Bedard, MS, CGC and Zoe Lohn, MSc, CCGC, CGC

This session will highlight the challenges and opportunities of clinical care and genetic testing in the population-based Hereditary Cancer Program at BC Cancer, which serves all of British Columbia and Yukon, Canada. We will review the challenges of increased wait times and constraints on referral criteria, opportunities to implement new and creative models of service delivery, and downstream impacts on cascade carrier testing. While the provision of care in a Canadian setting comes with certain challenges that may not be seen in other jurisdictions, it also allows for population-based interventions, which other clinics can learn from.

Level of Instruction: Intermediate

Angela Bedard, MS, CGC | Presenter

Clinical Instructor, Department of Medical Genetics – University of British Columbia

Angela Bedard is a genetic counsellor with the BC Cancer Hereditary Cancer Program. Before practicing in Canada, she previously worked as a genetic counselor in Ohio and Colorado.  Her current clinical focus is on pancreatic cancer, and she has research interests in cascade carrier testing and alternative service delivery models. Her other professional roles have included Director of a Cancer Care Program in rural Colorado, and Program Leader with the BC Cancer Provincial Cancer Survivorship Program. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati’s genetic counseling program in 2004.

Zoe Lohn, MSc, CCGC, CGC | Presenter

Clinical Instructor, Department of Medical Genetics – University of British Columbia

Zoe Lohn is a clinical genetic counsellor with the BC Cancer Hereditary Cancer Program. Prior to this, she worked at the BC Prenatal Genetic Screening Program and the Women’s Health Research Institute at BC Children’s and Women’s Hospital. Her interests lie in novel genetic testing technologies, ethical implications of genetic testing, and alternative models of service delivery. Zoe is a lecturer and clinical supervisor at the University of British Columbia. Zoe lives in Vancouver, BC. She enjoys sea kayaking in the summer and backcountry skiing in the winter.

Rachel Bluebond, CGC, CGC, MS | Moderator

Genomic Science Liaison, Ambry Genetics

Rachel Bluebond joined Ambry in 2020 as the Oncology Genomic Science Liaison for the South Central Region.  In her current role she serves as a clinical liaison for the field team to educate health care providers and key opinion leaders on genetic testing and genomic medicine. Rachel previously worked as a clinical oncology genetic counselor at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas for 7 years and has worked with PWNHealth providing telehealth genetic counseling for 4 years. Rachel has been involved in graduate education at the UT MD Anderson UT Houston School of Biomedical Sciences. She is a member of the National Society of Genetic Counselors and the chair of the Billing Workgroup of the Access and Service Delivery Committee. Rachel received her Master of Medical Science degree in Human Genetics and Genetic Counseling from Emory University, and is certified by the American Board of Genetic Counseling.