Why Was COA Created?
Cancer touches almost everyone, our family, friends, and neighbors. When a person is diagnosed with cancer, treatment is most likely provided in one’s local community. In fact, 84% of cancer care is provided in a community cancer clinic. The Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 planned cuts to how oncologists and community cancer centers were reimbursed. The outcomes of these policy changes had a direct negative impact on cancer patients. In response, a group of community oncologists from across the United States founded COA to protect and foster the community oncology delivery system.
As of March 2011, over 199 community cancer centers across the country have shut their doors. Over 369 practices are struggling financially, 48 practices are sending their cancer patients elsewhere, 315 cancer clinics have been acquired by hospitals, and 111 practices have merged or been acquired by other entities. This is devastating news for cancer patients and their families. In order for patients to receive quality cancer care, they must first have access to cancer care. COA is at the forefront of solutions to these issues.
Why Was CPAN Created?
CPAN provides a forum for patients, caregivers, and survivors to become more active participants in understanding and advocating for their own care. This is of importance to newly diagnosed cancer patients and survivors.
CPAN Advocacy:
CPAN advocate volunteers will help cancer patients and survivors in their local communities understand the crisis in cancer care, including access to cancer care issues. CPAN advocates, with the support of CPAN leadership, will have the opportunity to share their stories with the media, and with local and national legislators. CPAN volunteers will become educated in areas beyond their individual disease state; and have the opportunity to collaborate with oncologists, nurses, and cancer center practice administrators. CPAN advocates will be armed with the information and resources needed to help their local cancer practices understand the issues affecting local cancer care.
What is Advocacy?
Advocacy involves supporting, speaking, or writing about a specific cause. There are many different types of advocacy.
Peer Support Advocacy:
This is one of the most common types of cancer advocacy. It can be done in formal and informal settings. Examples include a cancer survivor providing emotional support to a newly diagnosed patient. It can also include assisting newly diagnosed patients with locating or identifying support groups or access to financial support programs to help with the costs of medical treatment.
Educational Advocacy:
Attendance at health fairs, sharing personal stories or providing information on survivorship, financial, or insurance issues are all forms of educational advocacy.
Fundraising Advocacy:
Walks, special events, and formal corporate programs are all examples of fundraising
Research and Science Advocacy:
Cancer survivors can serve as consumer reviewers on a variety of national review boards. Examples include, NCI Advocates in Research, Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, Data, and Safety Monitoring Boards (DSMBS), Institutional Review Boards (IRB’s), and various local and national grant review panels. This type of advocacy often requires training in science advocacy and is generally highly competitive.
Political Advocacy:
Lobbying at the local and national level to affect change to public policy
Media Advocacy:
Letters to the Editor, blogs and sharing personal stories