ACCCBUZZ BLOG

Advocating on behalf of their patients and programs, ACCC members from 14 states participated in Virtual Hill Day, speaking with Congress and their staff on key legislation asks regarding access to care, telehealth, prior authorizations, and more.

ACCCBuzz had an opportunity to speak with B.J. Rimel at Cedars-Sinai Cancer Center about the organization's LGBTQ+ Cancer Symposium and barriers to oncology care members of these communities face.

Looking to the future, CMS is seeking to leverage the agency’s strength to advance health equity; drive high-quality, person-centered care; and promote the affordability and sustainability of the Medicare Program.

June 16 to 22 is National Black Family Cancer Awareness Week—a week dedicated to increase awareness of the importance of clinical trial participation and specimen donations for cancer research among Black Americans. Learn what ACCC is doing to address health disparities for all underserved populations across America.

Dr. Richard Ingram shares why he got involved in ACCC's Appalachian Community Cancer Alliance and why it's so important for this initiative to collaborate closely with primary care providers in the region.

It is no surprise to financial advocates that accessing treatment cost assistance for radiation oncology patients is a major challenge. In response, ACCC’s Financial Advocacy Network held two small-group coffee chats to assist its members in identifying and addressing barriers to financial support for patients receiving radiation therapy.

Patients receiving anti-cancer infusions often experience lengthy appointment wait times due to the highly complex nature of their care. To address this lack in communication, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center developed a digital wallboard to better inform patients of their appointment status.

ACCC has partnered with several of its oncology state societies to establish the Appalachian Community Cancer Alliance—a key effort to address disparities in cancer screening and care delivery in the region.

During a recent virtual briefing by Modern Healthcare, one session explored the current trends and models of excellence in at-home care. ACCCBuzz highlights panelists' insights on the common characteristics and challenges of successful hospital-at-home programs.

In recognizing Cancer Immunotherapy Month and National Cancer Survivors Day (June 5), ACCC is highlighting the resources it has created to assist the multidisciplinary team in creating and adapting survivorship care plans to meet these patients’ unique needs and support toxicity management for better outcomes.

ACCC Board Member Wendi Waugh tells ACCCBuzz about her experience speaking at and attending the in-person Oncology Reimbursement Meetings this spring, covering topics from financial advocacy in oncology to formulary management and networking with colleagues to address workforce concerns at your cancer center.

In recognition of Bladder Cancer Awareness Month, ACCC would like to stress the importance of reducing existing disparities in bladder cancer care.

ACCC is supporting the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2021, which would require Medicare Advantage plans to standardize and streamline prior authorization processes and increase the transparency of their requirements to prevent unnecessary denials and delays in patient care.

ACCC recently partnered with Hallmark Health Care Solutions to host a live broadcast, where expert panelists discussed barriers and effective practices to ensure the recruitment and retainment of a quality workforce.

The final post in a three-blog series, ACCCBuzz spoke to Megan Morava, PA-C, and Alexandra Greenawalt who share how one independent oncology practice and local community center are taking action to improve equitable cancer care delivery at the local level.

Testing for measurable residual disease can shape treatment choices and patient management to achieve better outcomes, and the need persists for members of the multidisciplinary cancer care team to better understand the purpose, use, and significance of this testing in all cancer treatment settings.

Technology has a key role to play in the future of cancer care delivery. Read how artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to help cancer programs and practices stay financially viable, while offering high-quality care.

The second post in a three-blog series, ACCCBuzz shares how Carolina Blood and Cancer Care Associates' NOLA initiative is addressing access to care, clinical trials, biomarker testing, and more.

This blog is the first in a two-part series on value-based care transformation, focusing on new site of care settings like patients' homes.

Carolina Blood and Cancer Care Associate's No One Left Alone (or NOLA) initiative is a multi-phase pilot program aimed at lessening disparities in cancer care in three key areas: care access, biomarker testing, and clinical trials.

ACCC—which has made mitigating disparities in cancer care a core component of its mission—recognizes the importance of National Minority Health Month and National Minority Cancer Awareness Week this April.

This is the first post in an ACCCBuzz series on effective leadership practices in cancer care, written by Dr. Barbara Schmidtman.

The US has seen a steady decline in the overall incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) during the past several decades. In 1975, 60 people per 100,000 were diagnosed with colorectal cancer; by 2018, that number had fallen to 34. But overall trends in CRC incidence and outcomes often differ among racial groups and geographic locations. Black Americans are more likely to be diagnosed with CRC than White Americans and more likely to die from it. CRC mortality rates in American Indian and Alaska Native populations have stubbornly stayed put.

Jeanie Troy, a financial navigator at Lake Region Healthcare in the Cancer Care and Research Center, discusses how to help uninsured patients access their anti-cancer treatment if they are not eligible for Medicare or Medicaid.