Parker County Today May 2018 | Page 80

The Importance of Political Advocacy to Protect Cancer Patients

“ There is nothing more important to me as a physician than your cancer treatment . I ’ ve been in practice for over two decades and have had the privilege of telling many patients that there is life beyond cancer . As president of The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders , I want to lead by example , practicing a firm belief that all patients should receive the finest medical care available , with the same concern and compassion as a cherished member of the family .”
Ray Page , D . O ., Ph . D . President and Medical Oncologist The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders
Schedule appointments by calling 817-596-0637 or online at www . thecentertx . com
Support services provided by :
In April , I was at the Community Oncology Alliance ( COA ) Annual Conference in Washington , D . C . where I gave a presentation on “ Advocacy 101 : What we stand for ”.
We are very excited at The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders , as we recently became the first community oncology practice in Texas to establish a COA Patient Advocacy Network ( CPAN ). We had a very successful launch at our main cancer center in Fort Worth . Many patients were interested and engaged about getting into advocacy efforts . We sent 3 of our patients - Tami Ramey , Terry Purdom , and Holly Lawson – with me to Washington . Along with Amanda Hodges and John Clagg , they visited the offices of John Cornyn , Kay Granger , Mike Burgess , and Joe Barton . They spoke specifically about cancer patient issues such as drug prices and access to care .
I just want to mention a few points that I spoke about at the COA conference . First of all , not everybody is cut out for political advocacy , and that is OK ! To be fully engaged it takes long , hard , difficult , and tedious work . Further , it can often take years of effort , with compromises , in order to achieve your goals . However , to start an advocacy movement it only requires ONE person in a practice or group . That person just needs to get one other person engaged in the movement and you are off and running . You can really get a lot done with just a small number of committed people , as they will represent a large practice or bigger organization .
Swaying politicians and policymakers into creating and endorsing new favorable laws , particularly in our federal congress , is an extremely arduous and frustrating process . It seems nothing ever moves quickly or in the direction that you desire . Often , as a physician leader , it seems that it makes no difference how credentialed , accomplished and knowledgeable a person is . You can provide overwhelming data , statistics , publications , projections , and examples until the point of exhaustion and , yet , there is only a palpable nudge that you made the connection .
With that being said , without a doubt , the most important person on the cancer advocacy team is the actual cancer PATIENT . When you have a cancer patient who is a constituent to the congressmen and makes a visit to tell a compelling personal story , it is then that political action has a chance .
When a cancer patient is face to face and says “ as a result of our laws , I am being harmed , I cannot get access to lifesaving care , I cannot afford my drugs , I am being financially devastated ” or “ I had to LITERALLY sell the farm to get the cancer care I needed ” – THAT is what moves our lawmakers .
At The Center we are very excited about adding engaged patients with compelling stories to our advocacy team .
Start by doing what ’ s necessary ; then do what ’ s possible ; and suddenly you are doing the impossible . -St . Francis of Assisi
To learn more about cancer care issues or to consult with a physician about a cancer diagnosis , contact us at 817.596.0637 .
MAY 2018 PARKER COUNTY TODAY
37