The second phase of the American Cancer Society National Consortium for Cancer Screening and Care is to strengthen our preparedness, infrastructure, and partnerships to minimize disruptions and address inequities. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted existing vulnerabilities within our nation’s public health and healthcare systems. Understanding the weaknesses in the U.S. healthcare system that worsened outcomes in cancer screening and care can help us identify the potential action steps needed to better prepare and equip our public health and healthcare systems from future disruptions (e.g., pandemics, natural disasters, etc.) moving forward.
Through the second Issue Hub and Summit meetings, the ACS National Consortium has built consensus on sensible next steps and provided actionable recommendations as the nation reprioritizes cancer screening. These recommendations will be critical to not only accelerate the recovery from the pandemic but also to strengthen the nation’s resilience and overall improvement in providing quality cancer screening and care for all.
Below you’ll find links to the recordings and reports from the Strengthen phase Issue Hub and Summit.
Issue Hub #2: Strengthening Public Health and Healthcare Systems to Advance Cancer Screening and Care
On September 9, 2021, the ACS National Consortium hosted its second Issue Hub to discuss vulnerabilities within our nation’s public health and healthcare systems that contributed to the decrease in cancer screening and care during the pandemic as well as the further exacerbation of inequities. Panelists also explored and showcased concrete action steps that can be taken to build resilience in our public health and healthcare systems.
Summit #2: Recovering & Improving Cancer Screening & Care Throughout the Pandemic
On October 12, 2021, the ACS National Consortium hosted its second Summit to review strategic priorities gleaned from Issue Hub #2, build consensus on sensible next steps, and provide actionable recommendations that can build resilience in our public health and healthcare systems moving forward.
Strengthen Recommendations
The National Consortium has collaborated to identify bold but sensible recommendations that aim to strengthen our preparedness, infrastructure, and partnerships to minimize disruptions and address inequities in cancer screening and care. If adopted widely, these recommendations will directly impact our immediate and long-term recovery from the pandemic.