July 2023 CPAN News Bulletin

Advocacy Chats – Educational Conversations on Cancer Advocacy and Policy Issues

The COA Policy and Advocacy Mid-Year Update
With the first six months of 2023 behind us, where does cancer policy stand today? On July 12th, COA Director of Patient Advocacy and Education Rose Gerber, MS, and Managing Director of Policy, Advocacy, and Communications Nicolas Ferreyros discussed the latest cancer policy developments, including COA’s advocacy efforts, legislation to protect patients and practices, upcoming regulatory changes, and more. Stream it on @OncologyCOA’s YouTube channel.

ICYMI: Cancer Survivorship: The Impact on Mental Health
Cancer survivors face mental health challenges entering a new phase of life with potentially different physical capabilities, emotional states, outlook, and plans for the future. COA’s Rose Gerber and the Center for Oncology Psychology Excellence’s Diane Simard (founder) discussed their own experiences as cancer survivors, the importance of mental health support for patients and survivors, and more. Stream it on @OncologyCOA’s YouTube channel.

Advocacy Spotlight: Betty Apt
CPAN Advocate, Northwest Georgia Oncology Centers, Kennesaw, Georgia

Imagine learning during cancer treatment that you would need to drive five times further to continue seeing your oncologist. This was Betty Apt’s reality when her local oncology clinic was purchased by a hospital nearly an hour from her home.

But Betty had another option—finding the high-quality, convenient, and personal care she needed within her community. At Northwest Georgia Oncology Centers, she found everything she was looking for and more.

“Walking in for the first time, it felt like I was joining a family, like I was home,” Betty said. “That’s why I advocate for community oncology.”

Inspired by the passion of her oncology team, Betty joined the clinic’s COA Patient Advocacy Network (CPAN) chapter. Using what she learns through CPAN, Betty regularly advocates to representatives at the state and federal levels, offering a critically important patient perspective and keeping decision makers up to speed on the landscape of cancer care and the need to support community oncology.

“When cancer policy changes, patients are the ones who are affected,” Betty said. “COA and CPAN give people like me the platform to make sure those stories are heard where they’re needed most.”

• To learn more about why CPAN advocates like Betty Apt are committed to protecting locally delivered cancer care, visit CPAN’s Advocates & Their Stories page.