Southeast Georgia Cancer Alliance and Memorial Health Convene Symposium on Health Disparities in Cancer Care

7/30/2010

The Health Disparities in Cancer Care: Reducing the Unequal Burden symposium was held at the Armstrong Center in Savannah, Georgia on Friday, June 11, 2010. Steven T. Brower, MD, FACS and Howard A. Zaren, MD, FACS were the program chairmen. The Health Disparities in Cancer Care: Reducing the Unequal Burden symposium is a collaborative effort of the Southeast Georgia Cancer Alliance to create a network of healthcare providers dedicated to improving the overall cancer health disparities of the community. Presentations provided insight on the impact of the Healthcare Reform Law on access to care, patient-centered care practices, tools for reaching patients in rural and underserved communities, disparities in clinical trial availability and methods to integrate evidence-based medicine into treatment planning for all patients. Keynote Speakers included: Kenneth H. Buetow, Ph.D., Laboratory of Population Genetics, NCI Katherine Cummings, Executive Director, GA Rural Health Association Cynthia E. Gonzales, M.D., Peds Hem/Onc, Memorial University Medical Center Bettye Green, R.N., Northern Indiana Cancer Research Consortium Ray Rudolph, M.D, FACS, Center for Breast Care, Memorial University Medical Center William Todd, President, Georgia Cancer Coalition Howard Zaren, M.D., FACS, Director, Nancy N. and J.C. Lewis Cancer Pavilion Shaunta Wright, MPH, Project Manager for Georgia CORE, presented on "Assessing Disparities in Availability of Cancer Clinical Trials in Georgia using Mapping Software".