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| Congressional and State Forums |
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Congressional Forums Breast cancer is a complex disease. It presents a number of difficult issues, many of which require a legislative response. The science on which that response must be based is often far from clear. New discoveries, ongoing research and the epidemic proportions of the disease create an almost constantly changing backdrop against which breast cancer policy must be determined. The National Breast Cancer Coalition is committed to a partnership with the scientific community and policymakers in a coordinated effort to eradicate breast cancer. An integral part of our mission is to assist policymakers to make informed decisions about breast cancer. To further that goal, NBCC holds a series of Congressional Forums on Breast Cancer. Each forum has experts address a specific breast cancer policy issue, present the science that drives the need for the policy and gives a constituent perspective on the issue. When there are diverse views among the scientific or lay community on a particular issue, our forums present this diversity and facilitate discussion. Our goal is to help members of Congress, state legislatures and their staff acquire up-to-date information about breast cancer and to report on research discoveries that impact policy. 2006 Forums Briefing on Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program Date: March 6, 2006 Speakers: Carolina Hinestrosa, Executive Vice President of Programs and Planning, NBCC Col. Janet Harris, Director of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, Department of the Army This forum educated congressional staff about the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program. Congressional staff and local NBCC board members and advocates were invited to attend. Carolina Hinestrosa provided opening remarks and gave an overview of the origin and history of the program, the role of NBCC, and the need for more research. Col. Janet Harris of the Army gave a presentation on the structure of the program and described its unique model and groundbreaking research. Briefing on Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Date: April 10, 2006 Room: DG-50, Dirksen Senate Office Building Speakers:
Carolina Hinestrosa, Executive Vice President of Programs and Planning, NBCC Dr. Kenneth Olden, former Director, NIEHS 2005 Forums Briefing on Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program Date: February 14, 2005 Speakers: Carolina Hinestrosa, Executive Vice President of Programs and Planning, NBCC Col. Kenneth Bertram, Director of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, Department of the Army Karin Noss, President of the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation This forum educated congressional staff about the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program. Congressional staff and local NBCC board members and advocates were invited to attend. Carolina Hinestrosa provided opening remarks and gave an overview of the origin and history of the program, the role of NBCC, and the need for more research. Col. Kenneth Bertram of the Army gave a presentation on the structure of the program and described its unique model and groundbreaking research. Karin Noss gave a presentation on the role of consumer advocates in the program. All congressional staff were provided with a packet of information about the DOD program and NBCC. Briefing on NBCC Legislative Priorities for 2005 Date: On April 11, 2005 Speakers: Carolina Hinestrosa, Executive Vice President of Programs and Planning, NBCC Jennifer Berzok, Consultant Karin Noss, President of the Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation This forum provided an overview of NBCC legislative priorities for 2005. Congressional staff and local NBCC board members and advocates were invited to attend. Carolina Hinestrosa opened the forum with an overview of the history of NBCC and provided insight about how the organization's legislative priorities are determined. Jennifer Berzok presented the 2005 NBCC legislative priorities. The NBCC priorities were:
Karin Noss closed the forum with an overview on the role of advocates with the National Breast Cancer Coalition. All congressional staffers were given an information packet with updated fact sheets of NBCC priorities. 2004 Forums Briefing on Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program Date: March 1, 2004 Speakers: Fran Visco, JD, President, NBCC Col. Kenneth Bertram, Director of the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, Department of the Army Carolina Hinestrosa, Executive Vice President of Programs and Planning, NBCC This forum educated congressional staff about the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program. Congressional staff and local NBCC board members and advocates were invited to attend. Fran Visco provided opening remarks and gave an overview of the origin and history of the program, the role of NBCC, and the need for more research. Col. Kenneth Bertram of the Army gave a presentation on the structure of the program and described its unique model and groundbreaking research. Carolina Hinestrosa gave a presentation on the role of consumer advocates in the program. All congressional staff were provided with a packet of information about the DOD program and NBCC. Briefing on NBCC Legislative Priorities for 2004 Date: On March 16, 2004 Speakers: Fran Visco, JD, President, NBCC Kim Love, Director of Government Relations and Public Policy, NBCC Carolina Hinestrosa, Executive Vice President of Programs and Planning, NBCC This forum provided an overview of NBCC legislative priorities for 2004. Congressional staff and local NBCC board members and advocates were invited to attend. Fran Visco opened the forum with an overview of the history of NBCC and provided insight about how the organization's legislative priorities are determined. Kim Love presented the 2004 NBCC legislative priorities. The 2004 NBCC priorities were:
Carolina Hinestrosa closed the forum with an overview on the role of advocates with the National Breast Cancer Coalition. All congressional staffers were given an information packet with updated fact sheets of NBCC priorities. 2003 Forums "A Briefing on NBCC's Legislative Priorities for the 108th Congress" Date: February 13, 2003 Speakers: Fran Visco, President, National Breast Cancer Coalition Carolina Hinestrosa, Member of NBCC Board of Directors and Co-Founder and Executive Director Nueva Vida, Inc. Jennifer Katz Berzok, Deputy Director of Government Relations, National Breast Cancer Coalition This forum was designed to introduce members of Congress and their staff to NBCC's legislative priorities for this year. Fran Visco explained how NBCC's priorities are established, and Carolina Hinestrosa spoke about the importance of strong enforcement from the perspective of a breast cancer survivor. Jennifer Katz Berzok discussed the status of each priority and the substance of each piece of legislation. This was an important introduction to new congressional staff. NBCC provided all the participants with information packets that included fact sheets on each priority, voting records, and general information about how Congress could help move NBCC's agenda forward. 2002 Forums "Briefing on the Department of Defense Peer-Reviewed Breast Cancer Research Program" Date: February 14, 2002 Speakers: Fran Visco, JD, President, National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC) Lt. Col. Stacey Young-McCaughan, RN, PhD, AOCN, U.S. Army Nurse Corps, Deputy Director, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, U.S. Army Medical Research and Material Command Maria Carolina Hinestrosa, Member of NBCC Board of Directors and Nueva Vida, breast cancer advocate and member of DoD BCRP programatic-review panel This was an afternoon briefing on the Department of Defense (DOD) Peer-Reviewed Breast Cancer Research Program. Launched in 1992 by the U.S. Army, this program has fostered new ideas and partnerships in breast cancer research. Fran Visco presented an overview of the program and its accomplishments. Lt. Col. Stacey Young-McCaughan explained how the program is run and discussed outcomes to date, such as new imaging techniques. Carolina Maria Hinestrosa, a breast cancer advocate, spoke about her participation on a peer-review panel. The goal of this Forum was to educate Hill staff and members of Congress about the importance of maintaining the DOD program. It was held before the circulation of NBCC's annual "Dear Colleague" letter that is signed by members of Congress in favor of funding the program. One way NBCC monitors support for this initiative is by tracking the number of members of Congress who sign a letter to the chairman of the committee that provides its funding. 2001 Forums "Briefing on the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program" Date: February 28, 2001 Speakers: Fran Visco, JD, President, National Breast Cancer Coalition Lt. Col. Stacey Young-McCaughan, RN, PhD, AOCN, U.S. Army Nurse Corps, and Deputy Director, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command Karin Noss, breast cancer advocate and member of peer-review panel "A Briefing on NBCC's Legislative Priorities for the 107th Congress" Date: April 5, 2001 Speakers: Fran Visco, JD, President, National Breast Cancer Coalition Rosemary Rosso, patient advocate, and member of the NBCC Board of Directors Jennifer Katz, Deputy Director of Government Relations, National Breast Cancer Coalition This forum was designed to introduce members of Congress and their staff to NBCC's legislative priorities for the year, which are:
Fran Visco explained how NBCC's priorities are established, and Rosemary Rosso spoke about the importance of strong enforcement from the perspective of a breast cancer survivor. Jennifer Katz discussed the status of each priority and the substance of each piece of legislation. This was an important introduction to new congressional staff. NBCC provided all the participants with information packets that included fact sheets on each priority, voting records, co-sponsorship lists, and general information about how Congress could help move NBCC's agenda forward. 2000 Forums "A Briefing on NBCC's Legislative Priorities for the 106th Congress" Date: January 20, 2000 Speakers: Fran Visco, JD, President, National Breast Cancer Coalition Carolina Hinestrosa, Programa Nueva Vida This forum was designed to introduce members of Congress and their staff to NBCC's legislative priorities for the year, which are:
Fran Visco explained how NBCC's priorities are established, and Carolina Hinnestrosa spoke about their importance from the perspective of a breast cancer survivor. Jennifer Katz discussed the status of each priority and the substance of each piece of legislation. Many in the audience were new and had never heard of NBCC before. This was an important introduction for them and, after the briefing, they had a number of questions for NBCC staff who, in turn, established new congressional contacts for the future. NBCC provided all the participants with information packets that included fact sheets on each priority, voting records, co-sponsorship lists, and general information about how Congress could help move NBCC's agenda forward. "A Briefing on the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program" Date: February 24, 2000 Speakers: Fran Visco, JD, President, National Breast Cancer Coalition Lt. Col. Stacey Young-McCaughan, RN, PhD, AOCN, U.S. Army Nurse Corps, and Deputy Director, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command Karin Noss, breast cancer advocate and member of peer-review panel.
State Forums Just as NBCC is committed to assisting policy makers make informed decisions at the federal level through our Congressional Forum Series, we also are dedicated to ensuring that state officials are knowledgeable about breast cancer issues generally and our grassroots advocates and state legislative agenda specifically. To that end, in 1999, NBCC launched a State Forum pilot project in California in cooperation with the California Breast Cancer Organizations (CABCO) to educate state-level policy makers about our issues and garner their support in passing/implementing those legislative proposals requiring state action. Each year, NBCC and CABCO jointly host a State Forum at the Capitol in Sacramento. State senators, assembly members and advocates are invited to attend the luncheon forum that includes a panel of speakers that can include scientific, policy and constituent perspectives on particular breast cancer policy issues. Following the luncheon, advocates spend the afternoon meeting with their senators and assembly members to seek their support in moving the state legislative agenda. Since inception of the California State Forum, advocates have successfully lobbied to get two important laws enacted: The Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program, which provides treatment for women diagnosed with breast and cervical cancer through the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) screening program through Medi-Cal; and clinical trials legislation that requires insurance companies to cover ordinary patient care cost for those patients electing to participate in clinical trials. |