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Opening Session

President’s Cancer Panel looks at equity in cancer screening

In the midst of an unprecedented year, we gathered online as the CEO Roundtable on Cancer to look to the future of fighting cancer. At our Vision 2020 Annual Conference and Meeting we were honored to have our Founding CEO Bob Ingram share about the work he is doing as a member of the President’s Cancer Panel.

The Panel (https://prescancerpanel.cancer.gov/) was established in 1971 and exists to monitor the activities of the national cancer program and report to the President on barriers to progress fighting cancer in the U.S.

Ingram said he believes the Panel’s work is leading to tangible results in policy and private enterprise. The Panel identifies high-priority topics, convenes meetings with key experts, frames possible recommendations, and submits a report to the President of the United States. Ingram revealed their current focus -- “Improving Resilience and Equity in Cancer Screening: Lessons from COVID-19 and Beyond” -- and said the intention is to serve all patients around the country.

Ingram stressed that screening is a necessity, and he would like to see everyone with equal access to it. Access to care overall is a key topic being discussed by the panel. “It is up to us to find ways to get patients in for proper screenings and the right treatments,” Ingram said. Ingram said he “takes a great amount of pride in what [we] have done, are doing and will do here at the CEO Roundtable.” He challenged everyone in attendance to maintain Gold Standard accredited companies. “The best thing we can do as the CEO Roundtable on Cancer members is to strive to be Gold Standard in our practices while encouraging others to join in and grow membership,” he said.

Ingram shared the schedule of meetings for the President’s Cancer Panel (https://prescancerpanel.cancer.gov/) and invited the group to attend.