March 2023 News Bulletin

Advocacy Chats – Educational Conversations on Cancer Advocacy and Policy Issues

ICYMI: Evidence-Based Nutrition for Cancer Patients and Survivors –

Nutrition during and after cancer treatment can improve treatment tolerance, enhance healing, and help with symptoms for patients and survivors. Rose Gerber, MS, COA Director of Patient Advocacy and Education and Jennifer Lafferty, MS, RD, CSO, Clinical Oncology Nutritionist Supervisor at the American Oncology Network discussed the importance of evidence-based nutrition at all stages of the cancer care continuum on Wednesday, March 8, at 12:00pm ET. Stream it on @OncologyCOA’s YouTube channel today.

Advocacy Spotlight: Tami Ramey

CPAN Advocate, The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, TX

Tami Ramey, an advocate with The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders CPAN chapter, can’t imagine being treated for cancer anywhere other than a community oncology practice. Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, Tami began treatment at The Center after surgery in a hospital oncology center. The difference between them was night and day: “Every single person at The Center was phenomenal—I wasn’t just a number to them,” she says.

Once in remission, Tami became increasingly involved in advocating for community oncology. Locally, she volunteered to spend time with patients receiving chemotherapy, joined CPAN, and began attending COA’s annual conference. Tami helped launch The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders Texas CPAN chapter in 2017. She participates in Capitol Hill fly-ins and advocacy panels, meets with key lawmakers to advocate for crucial policy changes around the 340B drug pricing program and other priorities, and continually engages with CPAN through live and virtual advocacy events.

To Tami and so many others, community oncology is special and will always be worth the fight. “You won’t find the resources, compassion, and knowledge you get at a community oncology practice anywhere else,” she says.