annual report 2020
amplifying patient voices
Advocacy. Research. Outreach.
Along with our healthcare equity and COVID-19 initiatives, we continued the essential day-to-day advocacy work, research, education, and personal outreach that keeps the full patient experience top-of-mind for policy-makers, influencers, academics, and the cancer community at large.
AMONG OUR 2020 ACHIEVEMENTS
Cancer Policy Institute
Created patient-education materials on the Affordable Care Act and how the issues at stake in the upcoming Supreme Court case: California v. Texas could affect them.
Held the annual Advocacy Day that brought together over 6,000 members of the Grassroots Network to connect, inform, and educate greater numbers of advocates and policymakers.
Research and Technology
Developed and deployed the first wave of a longitudinal study measuring emotional and financial concerns of cancer patients during the pandemic.
Disseminated new research to drive new policy and program development.
Affiliates
Held our first-ever virtual annual leadership conference bringing together 524 attendees for information-sharing and networking at the “mask-erade” ball.
Grew our network with new affiliate groups here and abroad: Gilda’s Club, New Hampshire; CSC-Memphis; CSC-Chattanooga; CSC-SW Colorado; and CSC-South Africa.
A New Model of Care in the Nation's Capital
More people die from cancer in Washington, D.C. than from Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, chronic lower respiratory disease, HIV/AIDS, suicide, influenza, and pneumonia combined. And in communities of color, where lack of resources present significant barriers to early screening, care, and treatment, the outcomes are even worse.
To combat these inequities, we are building CSC Washington, D.C. to serve all people in the National Capital Region impacted by cancer―patients, caregivers, family members, children, or teens. Established as a “center of excellence,” CSC DC will provide direct patient support and navigation; house a think tank focused on the challenges of health equity; and serve as a hub for ideation, cross-sectoral collaboration, and the testing of new modalities of care.
We are just beginning the development of this new center. Click on the link below for more about how you can help bring CDC DC to life.
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A New Bio-Marker Testing Tool FOR Lung Cancer
Lung-cancer patients can now benefit from more precise and targeted treatment recommendations thanks to a new and transformative development in cancer diagnosis: biomarker testing. The tool gives patients and their loved ones easy-to-understand, personalized information about their testing options and the targeted therapies that could affect the course of their treatment.
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Advancing the Promise FOR Precision Medicine
In December, CSC held a three-day summit dedicated to eliciting feedback from patients regarding our precision medicine education materials and educating the cancer community on the promise of this innovative approach and the barriers and gaps that exist in ensuring access for all.
Dr. Jennifer Klemp, professor and director of Cancer Survivorship at the University of Kansas Cancer Center, gave the keynote presentation. The event also featured an advocacy panel with colleagues representing the Melanoma Research Alliance, LUNGevity Foundation, Colorectal Cancer Alliance, Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance, and the Association of Community Cancer Centers.
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CSC Received 14 Honors at Fall Digital Health Awards
Overall, CSC took home 14 awards, surpassing the 10 it garnered in the spring edition of the Digital Health Awards. Seven of these awards were bestowed upon our Frankly Speaking About Cancer eBooks, which are accessible for free via our website.
The APEX Awards for Publication Excellence recognized our Frankly Speaking about Cancer: Metastatic Breast Cancer book with a Grand Award in the Digital Media category. The annual awards program acknowledges excellence in graphic design, editorial content, and overall communications.
The Center for Plain Language recognized our Tips for Budgeting and Managing Your Cancer Costs with a ClearMark Award of Distinction. The award celebrates high achievement in clear communication and plain language from government, nonprofits, and private companies.
Three Digital Health Awards were granted to our Spotlight on Coronavirus podcast series. Organized by the Health Information Resource Center, the awards recognize excellence in digital health resources.