It’s been a while since I last explained why I don’t blog as much anymore. Sure, there’s Web Worker Daily and a whole lot of personal stuff going on, but the majority of my days are all about C3: Colorectal Cancer Coaltion.

We were on Lifetime TV. Leeza Gibbons has a weekly television show focusing on health issues. C3’s Director of Research Communication Kate Murphy was profiled in a show that aired on January 20, and will air again on March 9 @ 9:30 am. Kate has battled colon cancer three times in 25 years and is incredible. We’re lucky to have her.

The segment was filmed in Virginia in November, while we were having our annual strategic retreat. The camera crew got some B-roll footage of us at our meeting that was included in the piece.

For the entire segment featuring the amazing Kate, watch here.

New staff. 2.5 years ago, C3’s staff was an admin and me. Today, we have our own office space, 5 salaried employees and 2 consultants. Our latest addition is Kim Ryan, who starts Monday as our Director of Patient Information Services. We still do not provide any direct patient services aside from a clinical trial matching service (peer or psychosocial support, financial services, etc.) but we are known as a leading source of the latest in evidence-based colorectal cancer patient information. Kim will oversee our programs that disseminate and update that information, including a toll-free answer line.

Technology updates. As we bring more folks on to serve our mission, my job is solidly focused on the operations/technology side of things. We just completed our migration from GetActive to Convio, which was an adventure in itself. I will blog on that in more detail shortly. Next steps are focused around Salesforce, as we connect our Convio and Salesforce databases and implement Service & Support (case management) for Kim. More on that later. And we’re getting closer and closer to launching our new website. I’ll be attending the NTEN Nonprofit Technology Conference in New Orleans next month. Can’t wait!

Good bye Rob. Yes, it’s an occupational hazard. Doesn’t make it any easier. One of our most passionate advocates, Rob Michelson, lost his battle with the disease this week. He was only 40 years old. I remember when I first started emailing with him in mid 2006. I knew that he was someone that would make a difference. At first, he didn’t quite get our advocacy focus that went beyond congressional and state-level policy. For C3, research doesn’t end in the lab. Yes, you need the science. But there are so many points of failure between good science and something that saves lives. Personally, it was pure joy to see the light bulb go off in Rob as he “got it” and then became a dynamo on our behalf. The highlight was his pushing us (and his employer, the NYSE) to ring the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange last year.

Last March, we brought 20 or so advocates to DC for Call-on Congress (our annual grassroots training and lobby day). We’ve lost three of those wonderful souls since then. Of the 3, both Rob Michelson and Janet Turcotte began their active relationships with C3 through communication with me. As C3 grows, I am less and less involved in the one-on-one relationships with advocates (aside from addressing technology and logistic concerns). That’s now left to Kim, Kate and Joe Arite, our Policy & Grassroots Manager.

Sometimes I mourn the loss of that external connection, but there are times that I’m grateful for emotional disconnect. When databases and websites die, it doesn’t hurt nearly as much. I think it’s the only way I can continue to work as many hours as I do for C3 and not burn out under the weight of death and loss.