NCCS to Honor Dr. Richard Pazdur and Ellen Goodman at “Focus on the Care” Reception

Silver Spring, MD — The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship will host a reception to honor Dr. Richard Pazdur and Ellen Goodman on Wednesday, October 21^st in Washington, DC.  Survivors, friends, advocates, health providers, researchers, policymakers, and members of the press are invited to attend as we celebrate these individuals who have made cancer care better for patients and their families.

We are pleased that special guest Dr. Robert Califf, Deputy Commissioner for Medical Products and Tobacco, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), will present the NCCS Public Service Leadership Award to Dr. Pazdur. A distinguished researcher and leader in clinical trial design and drug development in advanced colorectal cancer, Dr. Pazdur is the Director of the Office of Hematology and Oncology Products in the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research of the FDA. The Public Service Leadership Award is given to an individual whose efforts have advanced cancer survivorship in the public sector.

We will also present the inaugural Jessie Gruman Award for Patient Engagement. The award was established with a grant from the Center for Advancing Health (CFAH) to honor the legacy of Dr. Gruman, a tireless advocate and leader in patient empowerment. In celebration of Dr. Gruman’s contributions, there will be a special presentation featuring interviews with Dr. Richard Sloan, Dr. Gruman’s husband, and Dr. Julia Rowland, director of the National Cancer Institute’s Office of Cancer Survivorship.

The inaugural Jessie Gruman Award for Patient Engagement will be presented to Ellen Goodman, a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist, author, and the founder of The Conversation Project, a widely-celebrated national public health campaign that works to change the way people talk about and prepare for their end-of-life care.

The reception will take place at the Four Seasons Hotel located at 2800 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW in Washington, DC from 5:30PM to 7:30PM. For more information, please go to https://www.canceradvocacy.org/about-us/events/2015-reception/.

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About the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship: Founded by and for cancer survivors, the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship (NCCS) is a patient-centered organization that advocates for quality cancer care for all people touched by cancer.  We drive patient-centered public policies to make cancer care the best possible for survivors—from the time of their diagnosis onward—and their loved ones. Find out more at www.canceradvocacy.org. Media Contact: Jordan Jennings at jjennings@canceradvocacy.org.