Panel Discussion: Patient Navigation (Spring 2023 Cancer Policy Roundtable)
NCCS’s bi-annual Cancer Policy Roundtable (CPR) convenes stakeholders in the cancer community to discuss pressing issues related to cancer research, development of new cancer therapies, and the delivery of quality cancer care. Participants include cancer survivors, advocates, providers, payers, researchers, government officials, and industry representatives.
Note: All times Eastern. Session times subject to change.
Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PHD, MMHC
Director, National Cancer Institute
W. Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, MMHC, was sworn in as the 17th NCI director on December 18, 2023. She previously led the Vanderbilt University Medical Center as physician-in-chief and chair of the Department of Medicine.
Dr. Rathmell has held leadership positions with the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Society for Clinical Investigation, serving as secretary–treasurer and president. As a result of her efforts, Dr. Rathmell has been elected to the Association of American Physicians, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the National Academy of Medicine.
Dr. Rathmell’s specialty is the research and treatment of complex and hereditary kidney cancers. She also focuses on underlying drivers of kidney cancers using genetic, molecular, and cell biology to develop interventions to improve patients’ lives. Dr. Rathmell’s research has resulted in more than 250 articles in leading peer-reviewed journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine, Nature, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Elizabeth Carpenter
Executive Vice President, Policy and Research
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)
Elizabeth Carpenter serves as executive vice president of policy and research for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).
Elizabeth joins PhRMA from Avalere, where she spent 10 years, most recently as President. Prior to joining Avalere, Elizabeth was a senior advisor in the Health Policy practice at McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP, where she provided government affairs and public policy support to payers, providers, private exchanges, and states on a wide-range of health policy and political issues. Previously, she served as the associate policy director for the Health Policy Program at the New America Foundation where she led Congressional and media relations during the debate over the ACA and provided educational and technical support to stakeholders, members of Congress, and the media. Elizabeth started her career on Capitol Hill on the legislative and campaign staffs of Senator Lincoln Chafee (RI).
Debra Curtis
McDermott+ Consulting
Debra Curtis is a highly-respected health policy authority who helps clients advance their missions in Congress and beyond. With more than three decades of experience working both on the Hill and with the health insurance exchange marketplace, she helps clients execute payment strategy, see around the corner on policy and regulatory changes, and pursue effective advocacy. In addition, Debbie has deep experience working closely with payers, industry stakeholders and government officials at the federal, state and local levels.
During her 24 years as a Congressional Staffer, Debbie served most recently in a joint position as Chief of Staff to US Representative Pete Stark (D-CA), and as a professional staff member on the US House of Representatives Committee on Ways & Means, Health Subcommittee. Debbie was integrally involved in the creation and movement of health legislation through the committee, with a focus on improving and protecting Medicare. She was a key staffer in the development of the Affordable Care Act, and worked closely with the Administration and other Congressional committees and Leadership on the implementation of the law.
Debbie joins McDermott+ from the DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority, where she was part of the founding team that established and operated DC Health Link, the District of Columbia’s online state-based health insurance exchange marketplace. In that capacity, she worked closely with stakeholders, advocates and government officials at the local and federal levels and led the Authority’s interactions with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Stephanie (Stef) Gayhart, MHI, RN
AYA Cancer Survivor
Chief Learning Officer
Presently
Stephanie (Stef) Gayhart is a registered nurse, certified trauma-informed coach, and a young adult head & neck cancer survivor with extensive experience in critical care, clinical education, and survivorship programs. With a Master in Healthcare Innovation and a deep commitment to empathetic design thinking, Stef brings her passion for patient-centered care and expertise in trauma-informed coaching to her current role as Chief Learning Officer at Presently — an early-stage startup providing a blended model of trauma-informed peer support to cancer survivors.
Lydia Isaac, PhD, MSc
Vice President, Health Equity and Policy
National Urban League
Lydia Isaac is the Vice President for Health Equity and Policy at the National Urban League. Dr. Isaac has a faculty appointment at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the Department of Health Policy and Management. She most recently served as the Executive Director of the RWJF funded Health Policy Research Scholars Program (HPRS) program where she was responsible for the day-to-day operations and curriculum development for the program. Previously, she was the Director of Policy and Health Systems Analysis in the Office of Policy, Planning and Strategic Data in the First Deputy Commissioner’s office at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Dr. Isaac has worked in local and state government throughout her career and in academia where she has taught classes on community health assessment and the social disparities in health. She has a bachelors’ degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton University, a Master of Science degree in Health and Social behavior from the Harvard School of Public Health and a doctorate in Health Policy and Management from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Dr. Isaac’s research interests include advancing Health Equity through translating research into policy and practice, investigating the mechanisms that lead to racial and ethnic health disparities, the social determinants of health and the neighborhood environment and its role in health promotion.
Emily Mace, JD
Deputy Chief of Staff and Counsel
U.S. House of Representatives
Emily Mace is Deputy Chief of Staff & Counsel in the office of Congressman Larry Bucshon (IN-08), where she manages the health policy portfolio. A Midwesterner by background, Emily started on Capitol Hill in the summer of 2017 after graduating from the University of Missouri with degrees in law and health administration. She worked previously for Representatives from Arkansas and Virginia.
Aaron P. Mitchell, MD
Oncologist, Health Services Researcher
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Dr. Aaron P. Mitchell is an oncologist in New York City, and is affiliated with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He received his medical degree from New York University Grossman School of Medicine and has been in practice between 11-20 years. Dr. Aaron P. Mitchell has expertise in treating chronic leukemia, prostate cancer, among other conditions.
Shelley Fuld Nasso, MPP
Chief Executive Officer
National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS)
As Chief Executive Officer, Shelley Fuld Nasso leads the public policy activities of NCCS at a time of rapid and fundamental health care system change. Shelley joined NCCS in December 2012 and was named CEO in October 2013.
Prior to joining NCCS, Shelley served in leadership roles at Susan G. Komen, where she leveraged Komen’s grassroots network in Washington, D.C., and in state capitals. There she built relationships with policymakers and partner organizations and led a team of staff and volunteer leaders to influence state budgets and legislation. Under her leadership, Komen successfully secured $80 million in state funding for cancer screening and treatment for uninsured and under-insured women. She and her team also expanded the Komen grassroots advocacy program from a pilot of seven affiliates to more than 100 affiliates across the country engaged in federal and state advocacy efforts. Shelley has also served as Director of Community Philanthropy at The Dallas Foundation and held management positions at communications and technology enterprises. She is a graduate of Rice University and holds a Master of Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.
Shelley’s commitment to the work of NCCS is strongly tied to the experiences in the cancer care system of her dear friend, Dr. Brent Whitworth, a beloved physician who was diagnosed with stage IV cancer days before his 42nd birthday and who passed away 19 months later. Through Brent’s experiences, Shelley witnessed the strengths and flaws of the cancer care system and embraces the notion that policy change can make cancer care better for patients and caregivers. Shelley and her husband Michael live in Maryland and are the parents of three young boys.
Gary Puckrein, PhD
President, Chief Executive Officer
National Minority Quality Forum
Gary A. Puckrein, PhD, is President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Minority Quality Forum (formerly the National Minority Health Month Foundation), a not-for-profit organization that he founded in 1998. The Forum addresses the critical need for strengthening national and local efforts to use evidence-based, data-driven initiatives to guide programs to eliminate the disproportionate burden of premature death and preventable illness for racial and ethnic minorities and other special populations. The goal of the Forum is to strengthen the capacity of local communities to eliminate the disproportionate burden of premature death and preventable illness in minority populations through prevention, early detection, and control of disease complications. Dr. Puckrein also serves as the Executive Director of the Alliance of Minority Medical Associations (a collaborative effort of the Asian and Pacific Physicians’ Association, the Association of American Indian Physicians, the Interamerican College of Physicians and Surgeons, and the National Medical Association), which was formed on the basis of evidence-based data that highlight significant disparities in health-care treatment plans and outcomes among many underserved populations within the United States. In April 2001, the National Minority Health Month Foundation launched National Minority Health Month in response to Healthy People 2010, the national health-promotion and disease-prevention initiative.
Dr. Puckrein graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Brown University, where he received his master’s degree (1974) and doctorate (1978). Between 1974 and 1992, he taught and lectured at Roger Williams College, Brown University, Connecticut College, and Rutgers University, where he was a tenured member of the faculty. Dr. Puckrein has received many awards and honors, including being named a visiting scholar and fellow at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and a visiting fellow at Princeton University. He was publisher of American Visions, the country’s leading African American art and cultural magazine, which he launched during his tenure at the Smithsonian Institution and Rutgers University. Dr. Puckrein also created and launched Minority Health Today, which served the needs of clinicians practicing in minority communities.
Lara Strawbridge, MPH
Deputy Director for Policy
Medicare Drug Rebate and Negotiations Group
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Lara Strawbridge, MPH is the Deputy Director for Policy in the newly-formed Medicare Drug Rebate and Negotiations Group in the Center for Medicare. In this role, Ms. Strawbridge helps to lead the policy development and implementation of the Medicare Prescription Drug Inflation Rebate Program and the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, as created by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.
Previously Ms. Strawbridge was Director of the Division of Ambulatory Payment Models in the Patient Care Models Group in the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), where she led CMS’s efforts on Part B drug models as well as physician specialty models, such as the Oncology Care Model, Enhancing Oncology Model, and Radiation Oncology Model.
Prior to taking on the Division Director role, Ms. Strawbridge led the Oncology Care Model and also previously worked in CMMI’s Research and Rapid-Cycle Evaluation Group. Ms. Strawbridge began her career in health policy and research at the Institute of Medicine and previously was a teacher in Hertfordshire, England, and Washington, DC. Ms. Strawbridge earned her MPH from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Rodney Whitlock, PhD
McDermott+Consulting
Rodney is an accomplished health care advisor with more than two decades on the Hill where he specialized in rural health, the health care safety net and disability policy.
With more than 25 years of experience, Rodney possesses and offers clients the kind of knowledge that is uniquely available to those who have drafted and advanced legislation. He strategically guides clients through dense Medicare and Medicaid issues that have significant business impact.
While working in Congress, Rodney served as former US Representative Charlie Norwood’s (R-GA) health policy director where he managed the Patients’ Bill of Rights (S.1890), among other notable health policy matters. Rodney then went on to serve Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in the Senate. He first joined the Senate Finance Committee Staff as a health policy advisor to Chairman Grassley, and ultimately joined the Senator’s personal office as health policy director. During his time in the Senate, Rodney served as the lead Republican staffer for Medicaid legislation from 2005 to 2010, and continued to serve Senator Grassley on all health-related issues through 2015. During his time in the Senate, Rodney helped staff Republicans in the Senate on such prominent and important legislation as the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006, CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2007 and 2009 and Affordable Care Act of 2010.
For the last 20 years, Rodney has been an adjunct faculty member at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health’s Department of Health Policy and Management, and the Graduate School of Political Management’s Department of Legislative Affairs. Hundreds of students have taken Rodney’s courses and have gone on to pursue careers in Washington, DC.
CPR Registration has closed. Please contact Nadine Dorvelus at ndorvelus@canceradvocacy.org with any questions about attending the event.
(as of 10/1/2024)
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Northeast Regional Cancer Institute
“Perhaps one of the most impactful collaborations in Dr. Brereton’s extraordinary career remains his early work and long friendship with Ellen Stovall. Through him, and in turn through the thousands of lives he has touched, Ellen’s work continues, and her mission lives on.”
—Karen M. Saunders
President, Northeast Regional Cancer Institute
Social Media Toolkit
We encourage speakers and participating organizations to engage with NCCS on social media throughout the Fall 2024 Cancer Policy Roundtable. Please contact NCCS Communications and Marketing Manager Kara Kenan at kkenan@canceradvocacy.org with any questions or concerns.
Hashtags
Sample Social Posts
We have provided some sample posts below for each social platform.
Sample Posts for Attendees
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Joining @CancerAdvocacy’s #CPR24 today! Grateful for this space to address policy challenges in #cancerpolicy and quality care. Looking forward to the discussions! #canceradvocacy
I’m proud to represent [organization] at @CancerAdvocacy’s Fall 2024 Cancer Policy Roundtable. Great insights into the future of cancer care. #CPR24
Thank you, @CancerAdvocacy, for hosting the Fall 2024 Cancer Policy Roundtable. I’m excited for the future of cancer care. #CPR24
LinkedIn
Participating in @NCCSCancerAdvocacy’s Cancer Policy Roundtable with policy experts, advocates, and researchers. Looking forward to today’s agenda, which includes discussions with leaders in cancer care and health policy. Ready for impactful conversations! #CPR24 #canceradvocacy
I’m proud to represent [organization] at the @NCCSCancerAdvocacy’s Fall 2024 Cancer Policy Roundtable. Great insights into the future of cancer care. #CPR24
Thank you, @NCCSCancerAdvocacy, for hosting the Fall 2024 Cancer Policy Roundtable. I’m excited for the future of cancer care. #CPR24
Instagram
Excited to attend @cancersurvivorship’s #CPR24 Cancer Policy Roundtable! From #cancerpolicy to quality care, today’s sessions bring together leaders to drive change in #cancersurvivorship.
I’m proud to represent [organization] at @cancersurvivorship’s Fall 2024 Cancer Policy Roundtable. Great insights into the future of cancer care. #CPR24
Thank you, @cancersurvivorship, for hosting the Fall 2024 Cancer Policy Roundtable. I’m excited for the future
Facebook
At @cancersurvivorship’s Cancer Policy Roundtable today with leaders in #cancerresearch and #cancerpolicy. Looking forward to today’s sessions, which includes discussions leaders in cancer care and health policy. Ready for impactful conversations! #CPR24 #canceradvocacy
I’m proud to represent [organization] at @cancersurvivorship’s Fall 2024 Cancer Policy Roundtable. Great insights into the future of cancer care. #CPR24
Thank you, @cancersurvivorship, for hosting the Fall 2024 Cancer Policy Roundtable. I’m excited for the future of cancer care. #CPR24
Sample Posts for Speakers
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Honored to participate in @CancerAdvocacy’s #CPR24, gathering top experts to address policy needs in #cancersurvivorship, #cancerresearch, and access to care. Let’s drive change together.
Thank you, @CancerAdvocacy, for inviting me to speak at today’s Fall 2024 Cancer Policy Roundtable. I’m excited for the future of cancer care. #CPR24
LinkedIn
Excited to contribute to @NCCSCancerAdvocacy’s #CPR24 Cancer Policy Roundtable. Today’s discussions with leaders in cancer care and health policy are vital for advancing #cancerresearch and #cancerpolicy for quality care.
Thank you, @NCCSCancerAdvocacy, for inviting me to speak at today’s Fall 2024 Cancer Policy Roundtable. I’m excited for the future of cancer care. #CPR24
Instagram
Proud to speak at @cancersurvivorship’s #CPR24 Cancer Policy Roundtable! Exploring the future of #cancerpolicy with leaders in health and research. Together, we can make a difference. #cancersurvivorship
Thank you, @cancersurvivorship, for inviting me to speak at today’s Fall 2024 Cancer Policy Roundtable. I’m excited for the future of cancer care. #CPR24
Facebook
Honored to join leaders in cancer care and health policy at @cancersurvivorship’s #CPR24 Cancer Policy Roundtable to discuss the future of #cancerresearch and policy changes needed to support #cancersurvivorship. Let’s make strides toward quality care and accessibility.
Thank you, @cancersurvivorship, for inviting me to speak at today’s Fall 2024 Cancer Policy Roundtable. I’m excited for the future of cancer care. #CPR24