Project Cancer Education

PROJECT CANCER EDUCATION ENLIGHTENS
STATE POLICYMAKERS AND STAFFS
Elected officials and their staffs, along with representatives from the governors office and the Ohio Department of Health, visited The James on Oct. 7 to participate in Project Cancer Education (PCE), an interactive program that educates state opinion leaders on important matters regarding cancer care.
Participants in PCE came to The James with the understanding that they would be entering as a staff physician, but they later assumed the role of a cancer patient, says Jennifer Carlson, assistant vice president for government relations at The James. Their assigned diagnosis enabled them to experience a cancer journey similar to those of actual patients. Common problems regarding health insurance were presented to give participants a sense of the challenges that our patients regularly face.
Carlson says policymakers and their staffs gained a greater understanding of translational research and the relationship between research and patient care, along with the need for additional state funding for cancer research. All of the their experiences in PCE were designed to aid them in making important healthcare decisions, Carlson explains.
Participant Adam Rosen, assistant to Ohio Rep. Kathleen Chandler, describes PCE as an insightful, rewarding and very educational experience. Anyone who is given the opportunity to participate in PCE should do so.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• cancer
• education
• policy
• lawmakers
• patient
• research
• advocacy