Join the COA Patient Advocacy Network (CPAN) on Wednesday, December 10th at 12 p.m. ET for the final Advocacy Chat of the year. COA’s Director of Patient Advocacy and Education Rose Gerber, MS, will provide an overview of the various ways CPAN advocates have worked year-round to educate and engage the diverse members in the community oncology landscape, ranging from cancer patients to CEOs. CPAN's advocacy activities and outcomes have included cancer patients and caregivers sharing their personal stories on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, to CPAN-led educational events held in community oncology practices.

Host Rose Gerber, MS, was joined by Darcie Champagne Wells, the president and CEO of CanCare, a nonprofit that provides support for caregivers of patients with cancer. Rose and Darcie discussed their various perspectives on caregivers: Rose as a former patient and current director of a patient-centered advocacy network, and Darcie as the head of a national organization caring for the caregivers and as a three-time caregiver herself. They also discussed resources available to help caregivers emotionally, mentally, and materially as they support their loved ones.

Host Rose Gerber, MS, was joined by COA's Director of Clinical Initiatives, Christine Pfaff, RPh, MBA, as they discussed how PBMs fit into the care equation. Created to manage pharmacy benefits for employers, PBMs have ballooned into Fortune 100 companies that are blocking critical care in the name of profit.

April Rozzo, MS, RD, CSO, LD/N, the clinical nutrition manager at Florida Cancer Specialists and Research Institute, met with Rose to talk about the importance of crafting personalized dietary recommendations for patients with cancer and survivors at all stages of the cancer care continuum.

The COA Patient Advocacy Network (CPAN) met on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, for a discussion on how the causes of cancer prevention and common-sense cancer policy are fueled by personal experiences.