Workshop Registration Dates and Rates 
The ODS Exam Prep, Informatics for Cancer Registry Professionals, the Fundamentals of Abstracting (FOA) Workshops are in-person events only and are not available for virtual attendance. Workshops require a minimum number of registrants to be offered and have limited seating.  

NCRA reserves the right to cancel any workshop by March 20, 2027, with a full registrant refund. 

Early Rates:                 October 6, 2026 – March 19, 2027  
Regular Rates:            Start on March 20, 2027  

ODS Exam Prep Workshop: 
Before March 20, 2027: $415 (member) 
Before March 20, 2027: $565 (nonmember) 
After March 19, 2027: $540 (member) 
After March 19, 2027: $690 (nonmember) 

Informatics for Cancer Registry Professionals Workshop (50 registrant limit): 
Before March 20, 2027: $415 (member) 
Before March 20, 2027: $565 (nonmember) 
After March 19, 2027: $540 (member) 
After March 19, 2027: $690 (nonmember) 

Fundamentals of Abstracting Workshop: 
Before March 20, 2027: $525 (member) 
Before March 20, 2027: $715 (nonmember) 
After March 19, 2027: $625 (member) 
After March 19, 2027: $840 (nonmember) 

ODS Exam Prep AND the Fundamentals of Abstracting Workshop Package: 
Before March 20, 2027: $775 (member) 
Before March 20, 2027: $965 (nonmember) 
After March 19, 2027: $1,065 (member) 
After March 19, 2027: $1,280 (nonmember) 

Informatics Workshop AND Full Conference Registration Package  
Before March 20, 2027: $775 (member) 
Before March 20, 2027: $965 (nonmember) 
After March 19, 2027: $1,065 (member) 
After March 19, 2027: $1,280 (nonmember) 

Pre-Conference Workshops 

ODS Exam Prep: Hands-On Strategies for the Open-Book Section 
Monday, May 10, 2027 

The ODS Exam Prep Workshop is a one-day, rigorous training experience for those preparing to take the ODS exam in 2027. Faculty will focus exclusively on the open-book portion of the exam, provide a thorough review of resources, and offer hands-on case studies to help candidates prepare for the exam. 

Presenter: Donna Gress, RHIT, ODS-C 

Informatics for Cancer Registry Professionals 
Monday, May 10, 2027

The "Informatics for Cancer Registry Professionals" workshop is a one‑day, in‑person learning experience designed to expand participants’ understanding of how informatics tools support modern cancer registry operations. Through interactive, hands‑on sessions, attendees will explore practical applications of Excel and Power BI to create meaningful data visualizations and analytics, monitor registry performance, and derive actionable insights from cancer data. To support active engagement, presentation slides and workshop datasets will be distributed in advance, allowing participants to come prepared for guided exercises, real‑world examples, and collaborative analysis throughout the day. Individuals interested in the workshop are encouraged to complete the self-assessment tool to evaluate their competencies. Earn 6 CEIPs (no Cat A). Read the Informatics Workshop Fact Sheet for more details. Registration is limited to 50 attendees.

Presenters:  
Kelly Merriman, MPH, PhD, ODS 
Ronda Broome, MS, MSHMI, LSSYB, ODS 
Sherita Hearn, MPH, ODS-C  

Tentative Schedule 
Session 1: Navigating the Informatics Landscape
Session 2: Preparing Data for the Journey: From Messy to Meaningful  
Session 3: From Data to Dashboard: Visual Analytics with Power BI
Session 4: From Insight to Impact: Analyzing and Communicating Cancer Registry Data

Concurrent Workshop  

Fundamentals of Abstracting Workshop
May 11-13, 2027 

The Fundamentals of Abstracting (FOA) Workshop will focus on the concepts of quality abstracting and data reporting practices. It is a three-day workshop running concurrently with the conference.  The agenda includes hands-on experiences and interactive exercises using patient cases, resource materials, manuals, and databases to provide the participant opportunities to experience a variety of basic and complex abstracting exercises. The faculty will provide a theoretical basis for the tasks and activities associated with abstracting and a comprehensive review of the topics most important to abstractors. The workshop is considered a basic course and is not eligible for CE credits. The FOA Workshop is suitable for registry employees with between six months and two years of experience. 

Presenters:  
Sara Biese, RHIT, ODS-C 
Donna Gress, RHIT, ODS-C 
Melissa Riddle, ODS-C