2020 Maine Session Summary
Victory in the fight against cancer requires bold new public policies that promote cancer prevention, early detection of cancer, and expand access to quality, affordable health care.
News
2015 Quality of Life Health Forum: Removing the Barriers of Care
June 22, 2015
The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) hosted a Patient Quality of Life Forum on June 10th at Roper St. Francis Cancer Center. The event brought together doctors, lawmakers and patients to build awareness, understanding and dialogue around the importance of palliative care and quality of life for patients living with serious chronic illnesses like cancer.
Palliative care honors patient choice about treatment goals and helps bring the family into the care process. It focuses on providing patients with relief from the symptoms, pain and stress of a serious illness. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family.
Conquering cancer and other chronic illness is as much a matter of public policy as scientific discovery. The event provided an opportunity for health care organizations to listen and learn from one another and to share their views and concerns.
The forum united some of South Carolina’s leaders and decision makers in business, health care, patient advocacy, health policy and government. Speakers included: Dr. Thaddeus Bell, Thaddeus John Bell Family Practice, Founder and CEO of Closing the Gap in Health Care Inc.; Dr. Leigh Vaughn, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Medical University of South Carolina; Dr. Robert Lake, Director Palliative Care and Post Acute Care at Roper St. Francis; Caryn O’Hara, cancer survivor; and, Rachel Urban, American Cancer Society Health Systems Manager Hopsitals.
The program program highlighted how palliative care throughout the course of an illness achieves the triple aim of better patient experience, better quality of care and lowered health care costs. The discussion also focused on federal legislation that would help eliminate access barriers to palliative care. Senator Graham's LowCountry Staff Member Mason Sullivan attended the event on behalf of the Senator.
Palliative care is provided by a team of doctors, nurses and other specialists who work with the patient’s other doctors to provide an extra layer of support. Palliative care is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness, and can add more days to patients’ lives and more life to their days.
The forum was sponsored by Roper St. Francis, Bristol Myers Squib, University of South Carolina Center for Colorectal Cancer Research, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, PhRMA, and AARP of South Carolina.
If you are interested in learning more about Quality of Life of getting involved in the ACS CAN please contact Beth Johnson, Grassroots Manager for ACS CAN SC at 843-858-2310 or via email [email protected]