Health care leaders from around the state will gather at the Colorado Cancer Summit Monday, April 25 at noon at the Red Lion Hotel in Denver . The one and a half day conference will cover issues ranging from health care reform to inspiring healthier eating in our communities and will feature speakers from both state agencies and local cancer organizations.
At the Cancer Summit, the Colorado Cancer Coalition (CCC) will present the Colorado Cancer Plan. Colorado was one of the first states to develop a cancer plan, setting measurable goals over the years in the areas of cancer control.
“The work of the CCC is critically important,” says CCC Executive Director, Roxanne Johnson. “The Coalition is comprised of more than 700 individuals representing 250 organizations and the members work tirelessly everyday to save lives.”
According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 21,340 Coloradoans will be diagnosed with cancer and nearly 6,880 will die from the disease this year. This is the fourth edition of the Colorado Cancer Plan and in the past it has been utilized by state agencies, private health provides and not-for-profit organizations as a guideline for cancer prevention, control and care in the state.
One of the features of this year’s summit will be a panel discussion on the Affordable Care Act and how Coloradoans are affected.
“We want people to understand that the law, while not perfect, will meaningfully improve the health care system for people with cancer and save lives,” said R.J. Ours, the Federal Relations Director for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), Great West Division. “Provisions in the law are already making health care more adequate, affordable, available and easier to understand for cancer patients, survivors and their families.
The Colorado Cancer Coalition serves as the chamber of commerce for cancer-related organizations that are dedicated to coordinating cancer prevention, early detection, treatment, support services and research efforts to improve the quality of life for all Coloradoans.
