December 2023 CPAN News Bulletin

Advocacy Chats – Educational Conversations on Cancer Advocacy and Policy Issues

Dec. 6: CPAN’s Advocacy Year in Review
Cancer care policy that supports community oncology is gaining momentum in state and federal legislatures, thanks to the efforts of CPAN advocates across the country. On Wednesday, December 6, COA Director of Patient Advocacy and Education Rose Gerber, MS, and CPAN Advocacy Leaders Lisa Poiry, RN, OCN, and Chelsea Klock, RN, OCN, recapped CPAN advocates’ biggest wins of 2023. Stream it on @OncologyCOA’s YouTube channel.

ICYMI: Knowledge as Power After a Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis
Pancreatic cancer is a rare form of cancer that presents unique challenges, making education critical for those with a diagnosis. COA’s Rose Gerber was joined by Let’s Win Pancreatic Cancer’s Founding Executive Director Cindy Price Gavin to discuss pancreatic cancer, resources available to patients, and how to support those experiencing the disease. Stream it on @OncologyCOA’s YouTube channel.

Advocacy Spotlight: Harry “Mac” Barnes III, MD, Founding Partner, Montgomery Cancer Center, Montgomery, Alabama

Every advocate needs allies. With the Community Oncology Alliance (COA), Harry “Mac” Barnes III, MD, found his.

“When independent practices like mine were put up against the Medicare Modernization Act, I knew I needed to do something,” Dr. Barnes explains. “Patients in our community couldn’t endure losing access to local cancer care.”

As one of just a handful of providers in Montgomery, Ala., Dr. Barnes knew the loss of community oncology would have a dire impact on his community. He set out to meet his federal representatives and advocate for better policies—unknowingly brushing shoulders with the organization he’d go on to lead.

Dr. Barnes soon found his way to COA, the group with boots on the ground in Washington, D.C., advocating for the same policy reforms. Before he and his fellow advocates knew it, COA was too big for policymakers to ignore.

“The people that COA brought together—the community that it created—are the reason practices like mine are still around today,” says Dr. Barnes. “There’s power in numbers, and I’m proud to be one of them.”

• To learn about COA and CPAN advocates and their commitment to protecting locally delivered cancer care, visit CPAN’s Advocates & Their Stories page.

Cancer News You Can Use

What Role Does The Nervous System Play In Cancer? Finding Out May Mean Beating The Disease. – USA TODAY 11/19
Searing pain is often the first hint of pancreatic cancer. When surgeons slice out tumors, they often find nerves running through the middle or crisscrossed through clumps of cancerous cells. It’s only in recent years, however, that a small number of researchers have begun to explore the role the nervous system plays in many types of cancers.

Biden Administration’s Limit On Drug Industry Middlemen Backfires, Pharmacists Say – KFF Health News 11/15
The Biden administration’s first major step toward imposing limits on the pharmacy benefit managers who act as the drug industry’s price negotiators is backfiring, pharmacists say. Pharmacist groups supported the clawback fee reforms, but they didn’t anticipate the PBMs’ response, which has been to demand they accept new contracts with draconian cuts to their payments for dispensing medicines.

New Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines Expand Who Should Get Tested Annually – NBC News 11/01
Only a fraction of people at high risk for lung cancer are getting screened for the disease even though it kills more in the United States than breast, colorectal, and prostate cancers combined. New American Cancer Society guidelines will allow millions more to become eligible for regular scans that can detect tumors early enough to save lives. According to the new guidance, even heavy smokers who quit 15 years ago or more should get the yearly scans.

COMMUNITY ONCOLOGY 101 – Spotlight on Cancer Care: Reaching Underserved Patients

Community oncology is an integral part of life for people living with cancer, meeting the needs of underserved communities across the country. Watch how one South Carolina practice recognizes the unique needs of all patients in this Spotlight on Cancer Care.

Resources for Chapters

Every community oncology advocate, physician, pharmacist, practice leader, and other oncology professional has a story—and each a reason they choose locally delivered care. These are the Faces of Community Oncology. Listen to their stories to learn how the personal, high-quality care provided by community oncology clinics makes a difference in the lives of people with cancer.

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