COA Looks Ahead with Hope to Continue to Shape Care for the Millions Touched by Cancer

WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES, January 10, 2023/ EINPresswire.com / -- The Community Oncology Alliance (COA), a non-profit organization singularly dedicated to advocating for community oncology practices and the patients they serve, is celebrating 20 years of shaping policy and legislation to preserve access to cancer care. Since its founding in 2003, COA has fought for patients and their community oncology medical teams to preserve access to the highest quality, most affordable cancer care close to home. During the past two decades, COA has evolved from a small grassroots initiative to a formidable player in Washington, D.C. in the halls of Congress and the White House, as well as in statehouses across the country.

The majority of Americans with cancer are treated in independent community oncology practices ranging in size from solo practitioners to large practices with hundreds of oncologists, with clinic sites in rural communities, large cities, and everywhere in between. Clinical research at community oncology practices has played a critical role in the development of cutting-edge cancer therapies. In the past four years alone, most new cancer drugs approved for use in the United States were studied in clinical trials at community oncology practices.

Over the past 20 years, COA has also grown to meet the changing needs of practices in patient care and operations, particularly through its powerful peer-to-peer networks the COA Administrators’ Network (CAN), the Community Oncology Pharmacy Association (COPA), COA Advanced Practice Provider Network (CAPP), and COA Patient Advocacy Network (CPAN). Through these networks, independent oncology practice professionals and their patients discuss their challenges, share effective strategies, and find valuable resources to enhance patient care.

COA has also become an industry-leading publisher of data, analyses, and reports on key cancer care issues and important public policy challenges, especially the role of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and large 340B health systems in adversely impacting patient access to care and fueling drug prices. The COA Practice Impact Report, which tracks the changing landscape of oncology practices, is a highly cited standard for tracking the landscape of cancer care. To date, COA has published nearly 200 reports, policy position statements, and analyses of issues critical to the field of cancer care.

COA will mark its 20th anniversary throughout the year with events and activities, including at the 2023 Community Oncology Conference. The COA Conference theme, “The Next 20 Years of Community Oncology: Adapt. Evolve. Transform.” will be a celebration of community cancer care’s incredible evolution and a look at the future. It will take place on March 23-24, 2023, and is expected to draw close to two thousand cancer care participants from across the country.

Marquee COA events like the annual Community Oncology Conference, Payer Exchange Summit on Oncology Payment Reform, and Patient Advocacy Summit have become key convenings for thousands of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, practice administrators, advanced practitioners, patients, survivors, and diverse teams who care for those with cancer.

“Community oncology has evolved and grown but stayed true to its roots over the past two decades, always focused on providing the highest quality, cutting-edge cancer care that is accessible to all patients and is affordable. Throughout it all, COA has been by our side, leading the advocacy charge for our patients and charting a path to a bright future,” said Miriam Atkins, MD, FACP a practicing oncologist at AO Multispecialty Clinic in Augusta, Georgia, and newly elected COA president. “It is an honor to be a part of COA’s growth and legacy of success, and I look forward to the next 20 years of serving the community that supports us. We could not have achieved our outstanding success without the dedication of talented cancer care teams across the country. Their passion for the work – and putting patients first – fuels COA’s fire.”

“The birth of COA took place in Memphis when a few dedicated oncologists and practice administrators met to protect community oncology from destructive Medicare payment changes,” said Ted Okon, executive director of COA. “One of the first things we did was to go to D.C. to advocate for cancer care on Capitol Hill. For two decades, COA has led an advocacy revolution in cancer care. Every year since, we have expanded our support to all aspects of community oncology to enhance the care and experience of those Americans with cancer. Our passion has been driven by patients and will fuel the next 20 years of COA.”

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About the Community Oncology Alliance: The Community Oncology Alliance (COA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to advocating for community oncology practices and, most importantly, the patients they serve. For more than 20 years, COA has been the only organization dedicated solely to community oncology where the majority of Americans with cancer are treated. The mission of COA is to ensure that patients with cancer receive quality, affordable, and accessible cancer care in their own communities. More than 5,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with cancer every day and, deaths from the disease have been steadily declining due to earlier detection, diagnosis, and treatment. Learn more at www.CommunityOncology.org. Follow COA on Twitter at www.twitter.com/oncologyCOA or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CommunityOncologyAlliance.

Drew Lovejoy
Community Oncology Alliance
info@coacancer.org
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