Your Everyday Provider: The Role of Oncology Nurses

May 14, 2025, at 12 p.m. EST

Rose Gerber, MS, Advocacy Chat host and COA’s Director of Patient Advocacy and Education, will be joined by Shannon Besselman, RN, BSN, a clinical manager for Northwest Medical Specialties for a discussion of the roles that oncology nurses play in community oncology practices.

Previous Advocacy Chats

Each month, a special guest joins COA’s Director of Patient Advocacy & Education, Rose Gerber for a conversation on oncology and advocacy-related topics.

A prepared advocate is an effective advocate. That’s why COA and CPAN are working to provide advocates with the latest information on policy changes. As a new year begins, ensure you have the tools and knowledge you need to advocate for local, affordable cancer care.

View all past chats with full video playback, notes, and session slides.

Previous Advocacy Chats

Each month, a special guest joins COA’s Director of Patient Advocacy & Education, Rose Gerber for a conversation on oncology and advocacy-related topics.

A prepared advocate is an effective advocate. That’s why COA and CPAN are working to provide advocates with the latest information on policy changes. As a new year begins, ensure you have the tools and knowledge you need to advocate for local, affordable cancer care.

View all past chats with full video playback, notes, and session slides.

  • The Problem with White & Brown Bagging – What Patients Need to Know

    October 14, 2020 12:00 am

    Barbara L. McAneny, MD

    On October 14, 2020, Rose Gerber, Director of Patient Advocacy and Education at COA, was joined by guest Barbara L. McAneny, MD, a board-certified medical oncologist/hematologist from Albuquerque, N.M., immediate past president of the American Medical Association (AMA), and a long serving Community Oncology Alliance (COA) board member, for a discussion of the problems with white and brown bagging of cancer drugs.

  • Emotional and Financial Resources for Cancer Patients

    September 9, 2020 12:00 pm

    Patricia Goldsmith

    Cancer patients need compassion, care, and access to resources. The Community Oncology Alliance Patient Advocacy Network (CPAN) hosted a virtual Advocacy Chat on resources to address the emotional and financial needs of patients on Wednesday, September 9 from 12-12:30 p.m. ET. Our special guest was Patricia Goldsmith, CEO of CancerCare, a leading national organization providing free, professional support services and information to help people manage the emotional, practical, and financial challenges of cancer.

  • Where You’re Treated Makes a Difference

    August 12, 2020 12:00 pm

    Mark Thompson, MD

    There are many places where people with cancer can go for treatment, but not all cancer care is created equally. Community oncology is different because the doctors responsible for treating patients actually own and operate their local practices. Receiving cancer care at practices right in their own community is convenient for people with cancer – and their families – and typically costs less than treatment in a hospital setting, without sacrificing access to innovations like the latest procedures and clinical trials.