Asco Association

OUR MISSION IS TO CONQUER CANCER THROUGH ADVOCACY FOR RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND THE PROMOTION OF THE HIGHEST QUALITY, EQUITABLE PATIENT CARE.

ADVOCACY: THE ASSOCIATION'S ADVOCACY WORK FOCUSES ON THE ISSUES OF ACCESS TO AND DELIVERY OF HIGH-QUALITY, EQUITABLE CANCER CARE FOR CANCER PATIENTS. WORKING WITH VOLUNTEER MEMBERS, THE ASSOCIATION ENGAGES WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, CONGRESS, AND STATE LAWMAKERS TO ADDRESS ISSUES OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE TO THE PRACTICE OF ONCOLOGY AND PATIENT CARE. THE ASSOCIATION'S ADVOCACY PROGRAMS COVER A BROAD SPECTRUM OF ISSUES, INCLUDING CLINICAL CANCER RESEARCH, HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE, CLINICAL PRACTICE, WORKFORCE, EQUITABLE ACCESS AND DELIVERY OF CARE, COST, CANCER SURVIVORSHIP, AND CANCER PREVENTION AND CONTROL. THE ASSOCIATION'S ADVOCACY ACTIVITIES INCLUDE TRACKING, ANALYZING, AND INFLUENCING PENDING LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS AND ADVOCATING FOR POLICIES THAT INCREASE ACCESS (CONTINUED IN SCHEDULE O) TO HIGH QUALITY EQUITABLE CANCER CARE FOR ALL PATIENTS, AND EDUCATING ITS MEMBERSHIP, AFFILIATED STATE AND REGIONAL ONCOLOGY SOCIETIES, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC ABOUT EXISTING AND EMERGING POLICIES AND THEIR IMPACT ON CANCER RESEARCH, PATIENTS, AND PROVIDERS. IN 2021, THE ASSOCIATION HAD OVER 400 SUBSTANTIVE MEETINGS WITH MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND THEIR STAFF MEMBERS WHO LEAD POLICY IN AREAS IMPORTANT TO ONCOLOGY. DESPITE COVID IMPACT AND THE NEED FOR VIRTUAL MEETINGS, THE ANNUAL ADVOCACY SUMMIT SUSTAINED PARTICIPATION, WITH MORE THAN 140 PARTICIPANTS WHO ENGAGED AND COMMUNICATED ASCO POLICY PRIORITIES TO INFLUENTIAL MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. WITH INCREASING IMPORTANCE OF STATE ACTIONS, ASCO AND STATE AFFILIATES ARE INCREASINGLY PARTNERING IN STATE-LEVEL ADVOCACY, ENSURING THAT THE VOICE OF ONCOLOGY IS HEARD BY STATE POLICYMAKERS ON ISSUES SUCH AS UTILIZATION MANAGEMENT, CLINICAL TRIALS COVERAGE, MEDICAID EXPANSION, CANCER PREVENTION, AND OTHERS. ASCO SUPPORTS STATE AFFILIATES BY:**PROVIDING STATE ADVOCACY TOOLKITS, POLICY STATEMENTS, AND OTHER RESOURCES**ANALYZING STATE LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS**DRAFTING COMMENT LETTERS ON LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS**PREPARING TESTIMONY FOR STATE HEARINGS AND MEETINGS**COORDINATING GRASSROOTS ALERTS THROUGH ASCO'S STATE ACT NETWORK**FACILITATING ACCESS TO STATE LEVEL COALITIONS ON LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES**CRAFTING SOCIAL MEDIA MESSAGING, INCLUDING TWEETS WHEN APPROPRIATETHIS YEAR, THE ASSOCIATION TRACKED HUNDREDS OF BILLS RELATED TO ASCO POLICY PRIORITIES AND SUPPORTED NUMEROUS STATE ADVOCACY INITIATIVES FOCUSED ON PROTECTING ACCESS, EQUITY AND QUALITY OF CARE FOR PATIENTS WITH CANCER.STATE/REGIONAL AFFILIATE PROGRAM: THE 48 STATE/REGIONAL AFFILIATES INTERACT WITH THE ASSOCIATION AND ITS AFFILIATE, THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY (SOCIETY) THROUGH THE STATE AFFILIATE COUNCIL, WHERE EACH STATE AFFILIATE HAS A VOTING REPRESENTATIVE CHARGED WITH SERVING AS THE BRIDGE BETWEEN THAT STATE AFFILIATE AND THE ASSOCIATION AND THE SOCIETY. STATE AFFILIATES HAVE ACCESS TO A NUMBER OF PROGRAMS, INCLUDING STATE SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION ASSISTANCE, LEADERSHIP TRAINING, FEDERAL-LEVEL ADVOCACY SUPPORT, EDUCATION AND RESOURCES ON PRACTICE-RELATED ISSUES, AND A WEBSITE DEVELOPMENT TOOL.

MEMBER SERVICES: THE ASSOCIATION WORKS TO SUPPORT AND EDUCATE ITS GLOBAL NETWORK OF NEARLY 45,000 ONCOLOGY PROFESSIONAL MEMBERS THROUGH ITS DAILY ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING-RECRUITING NEW MEMBERS, RENEWING MEMBERSHIPS FOR CURRENT MEMBERS, MAINTAINING ONLINE FORUMS THAT ALLOW MEMBERS TO DISCUSS ISSUES OF PROFESSIONAL INTEREST, AND RECRUITING MEMBERS FOR, AND TRACKING PARTICIPATION IN, VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE ASSOCIATION, INCLUDING SERVING ON COMMITTEES.

ASCO CONNECTION IS THE OFFICIAL MEMBER MAGAZINE FOR AND ABOUT MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION AND THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF INFORMATION ABOUT PROGRAMS AND SERVICES OF THE ASSOCIATION AND ITS AFFILIATES. ALONG WITH ITS COMPANION PROFESSIONAL NETWORKING SITE, ASCOCONNECTION.ORG, ASCO CONNECTION PROMOTES OPPORTUNITIES FOR INTERACTION BETWEEN THE ASSOCIATION AND ITS MEMBERS, AND MEMBERS AND THEIR COLLEAGUES, TO FACILITATE THE DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION RELATING TO CLINICAL RESEARCH, BEST PRACTICES STANDARDS, AND TREATMENT OF PATIENTS. ASCOCONNECTION.ORG FEATURES COMMENTARY BY LEADERS IN THE FIELD, DISCUSSION FORUMS, ONLINE EXCLUSIVES, AND COMMENT-ENABLED ARTICLES FROM THE MEMBER MAGAZINE, AS WELL AS OPPORTUNITIES TO CREATE GROUPS.

ACCREDITATION & CERTIFICATION: THE ASSOCIATION CONDUCTS AN ACCREDITATION PROGRAM THAT FURTHERS THE COMMON BUSINESS INTERESTS OF ITS MEMBERS BY MAINTAINING AND IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF MEDICAL CARE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC AND MAINTAINING HIGH STANDARDS OF EXCELLENCE IN ONCOLOGY. THE QUALITY ONCOLOGY PRACTICE INITIATIVE (QOPI) CERTIFICATION PROGRAM ("QCP") PROVIDES A THREE-YEAR CERTIFICATION RECOGNIZING HIGH-QUALITY CARE FOR OUTPATIENT HEMATOLOGY-ONCOLOGY PRACTICES. THE QCP STANDARDS WERE ADAPTED FROM THE CHEMOTHERAPY ADMINISTRATION SAFETY STANDARDS CODEVELOPED BY ASCO AND THE ONCOLOGY NURSING SOCIETY AND ARE INTENDED TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ERRORS WHEN PROVIDING CHEMOTHERAPY TO PATIENTS WITH CANCER. PARTICIPATING PRACTICES RECEIVE SITE VISITS FROM EXPERIENCED ONCOLOGY PROFESSIONALS TO ASSESS COMPLIANCE WITH QCP STANDARDS THROUGH INTERVIEWS, OBSERVATION, AND MEDICAL RECORD REVIEWS. PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE REPORTS DOCUMENTING THEIR LEVEL OF COMPLIANCE WITH EACH CERTIFICATION STANDARD AND MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS OR REQUIREMENTS FOR IMPROVED CARE. QCP CERTIFICATION IS NOT REQUIRED FOR ANY PROFESSIONAL LICENSING, NOR IS IT REQUIRED OF THE ASSOCIATION'S MEMBERS.