President, Program Manager

Krista Nelson is an oncology social worker who works as Program Manager for Quality and Research of Cancer Support Services and recently took an additional role as Program Manager of Compassion with Providence Health and Services. She received a bachelor's degree from the University of Washington, and her Master's of Social Work from Portland State University. She has been a part of the Providence Health & Services oncology since 1997 providing psychosocial care to those with cancer and their families. She has specialized in many cancers over the years and is interested in the effect of cancer on the family.

Krista defines her role as providing support for people and their families throughout the cancer continuum and sharing the expertise that she has learned from other patients with cancer. What she loves about working with those affected with cancer, is being able to witness the grace, courage, and life lessons of individuals dealing with cancer and the opportunity to be a part of their journey. Krista is a past President of the board of directors of the Association of Oncology Social Work and past invited Director of the American Psychosocial Oncology Society. She loves being a part of the national discussion involving the psychosocial care of people with cancer. She has been a speaker at local and national conferences on issues of survivorship, palliative care, breast and lung cancer, distress screening, and children who have a parent with cancer.

Krista also serves as an Invited Director on the board of directors of the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers, and as a Director of the American Clinical Social Work Association. In 2015, Krista was named as a finalist in the Schwartz Center Compassionate Caregiver of the year award and received an Innovation Award from the Association of Community Cancer Centers as well as was elected to their Board of Trustees in 2016. Krista also has been a volunteer facilitator at retreats for women with breast cancer and at camps and programs that support grieving children. She also has volunteered annually on medical relief teams in Haiti since 2009.