PLAINSBORO, N.J. (PRWEB) February 26, 2015 -- Multi-disciplinary teams – whether working in space or in hospitals – must embrace an open culture to succeed, former NASA astronaut Tom Henricks will tell oncologists at the upcoming 8th Annual Interdisciplinary Prostate Cancer Congress®. Planned and developed by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education-accredited Physicians’ Education Resource®, LLC (PER®), the conference for health care professionals treating prostate cancer and other genitourinary malignancies will take place March 14 at the Crowne Plaza Times Square in Manhattan.

A team of medical professionals treating a cancer patient is analogous to an interdisciplinary team of NASA professionals working to successfully complete a space shuttle mission, says Henricks, a former U.S. Air Force test pilot who logged 1,000 hours as a shuttle pilot and commander. Using dramatic real-life video shot inside the shuttle cockpit during launch and landing, as well as scenes of working in space, Henricks will show how team dynamics and organizational culture affect outcomes.

“Egos will always come into play,” says Henricks, a graduate of the famous Top Gun elite fighter pilot program. “But if you have a solution that fixes a problem and your culture will not allow you to implement it – you don’t have a fix.”

To succeed, medical teams and shuttle crews must both respect the diverse talents and perspectives of each highly motivated expert in the group, Henricks says. And yet, changing culture is not easy. Henricks cites the tragic example of how NASA investigated, reviewed and revised operations following the 1986 Challenger disaster, yet similar organizational flaws resulted in another fatal accident 17 years later with Columbia. Henricks says he now admires NASA for having addressed those issues.

“Any clinician can learn from NASA’s accidents, and their responses to those accidents, by addressing the culture on their team,” Henricks says. “I don’t care whether you’re the receptionist or the surgeon. You’re working within a team, and that team needs to have open communication, because one never knows where the next solution will come from.”

Henricks is among several distinguished speakers featured during the 8th Annual Interdisciplinary Prostate Cancer Congress and Other Genitourinary Malignancies, a one-day educational meeting bringing together top experts from key specialties to discuss state-of-the-art treatments and current guidelines, debate controversies and clinical challenges, and review recent trial data and emerging therapeutic approaches with the potential to impact clinical practice.

This event reflects today’s interdisciplinary approach to the care of prostate cancer, as urologists work with radiation, surgical, and medical oncologists in managing these patients. Providing optimal care requires all members of the treatment team to be up-to-date on current trends and emerging data, not just in their own area, but in related specialties as well.

About Tom Henricks
Astronaut Tom Henricks grew up on a farm in Ohio, with John Glenn and Neil Armstrong as boyhood heroes. He is a veteran of four space shuttle missions and the first person to log over 1,000 hours as a space shuttle pilot/commander. A former F-16C test pilot and chief of the 57th Fighter Weapons Wing Operating Location, Henricks became an astronaut in July 1986. His last shuttle mission in 1996 included studies sponsored by ten nations and five space agencies. Later, as a management astronaut, he was responsible for an operating budget of more than $500 million. Henricks left government service in November 1997 to pursue a career in the aviation industry as a senior executive focused on management and restructuring operations. He is now a partner at Newport Board Group.

About the Interdisciplinary Prostate Cancer Congress and Other Genitourinary Malignancies
The Interdisciplinary Prostate Cancer Congress and Other Genitourinary Malignancies is an annual event providing an opportunity for clinicians to receive concise didactic updates on best practices and investigational strategies, accompanied by practical case discussions moderated by an expert panel in a multidisciplinary tumor board-like environment. This educational activity is directed toward medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, surgeons, and urologists involved in the treatment and management of patients with prostate cancer. Fellows, nurse practitioners, nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals interested in the treatment of prostate cancer may also participate.
This year’s Congress will be held Friday, March 14, 2015, at the Crowne Plaza Times Square, 1605 Broadway (at 49th Street), New York, N.Y. 10019. To register or to view the program agenda, please visit http://www.gotoper.com/go/IPCC15.

About Physicians’ Education Resource, LLC
Accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), Physicians’ Education Resource (PER) is the certified medical education resource of choice for live and online activities focusing on oncology and hematology. Based on identified needs and practice gaps, PER provides high-quality, evidence-based activities featuring leading national and international faculty, with a focus on practice-changing advances and standards of care in treatment and disease management. PER serves the oncology healthcare community, including physicians, fellows, physician assistants, advanced practice nurses, nurses, pharmacists, and researchers. PER is part of the Plainsboro, N.J.-based Michael J. Hennessy Associates, Inc. (MJH) family of businesses. Learn more at http://www.gotoper.com and http://www.mjhassoc.com.

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Media Contacts for Physicians’ Education Resource:
Becky Taylor, 609-240-6886, becky(at)btaylorpa(dot)com
Robert Walker, 609-378-3730, rwalker(at)gotoper(dot)com