Advocacy & Public Policy
Susan G. Komen for the CureŽ Congratulates President-Elect Obama
On November 5, 2008 Susan G. Komen for the CureŽ congratulated Sen. Barack Obama on being elected the nation's 44th president, and
offered its assistance and support as his transition team and the new Congress begin to tackle the critical issue of health care reform.
As President-elect Obama said last night, 'if anyone still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, tonight is your answer,'"
said Susan G. Komen for the Cure CEO Hala Moddelmog. "We bring that same spirit to our fight to end breast cancer forever, and we're confident
that President-elect Obama and the 111th Congress will be key allies. We look forward to working with the new Obama Administration in the
coming months to win the war on all cancers by investing in breakthrough research that's making early, game-changing detection possible;
encouraging smarter scientific collaboration; and increasing the kind of access to affordable, quality care all Americans deserve. "
Moddelmog noted the bittersweet nature of this week for President-elect Obama, due to the loss of his grandmother, Madelyn Payne Dunham, on Monday.
"Like so many Americans, President-elect Obama knows firsthand the pain of losing a loved one to cancer. His public request on Monday that, in lieu of flowers,
donations go to organizations searching for the cures to cancer was an important, thoughtful gesture - a gesture of hope in the face of tragedy.
'Change' and 'hope' were dominant themes in his candidacy, and they are themes that also permeate our mission to reignite the war on cancer.
It's time to change our approach so that we're taking full advantage of the 21st century technologies that can alert us to cancer while it can still be defeated."
"As the largest private sector funder of breast cancer research and community outreach programs, Susan G. Komen for the Cure has invested more than $1.2 billion
over the past 26 years, toward fulfilling our promise to end breast cancer forever. We realize, however, that we can't do it alone.
To bring about the needed change, it's going to take a united effort, with both the public and private sectors making a
commitment to discover and deliver the cures."
Access to Quality Care Issues
Susan G. Komen for the CureŽ is working with policymakers to ensure patient access to quality care for all patients,
not just those who can afford it. Komen for the Cure is supporting a number of policy initiatives in this area,
including patient access to state-of-the-art cancer treatments for Medicare beneficiaries and support for nurse education.
Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention and Treatment Act
Nurse Reinvestment Act
Patient Navigator Services
Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act
We're on a mission. Join us.
- I Vote for the Cure
America's new President-Elect can save lives - but only if you ask. By taking a moment to sign the I Vote for the CureŽ petition,
which outlines three critical goals in the fight to end breast cancer, you can let him know that you expect him to make
breast cancer a national priority as he establishes his presidential agenda. One in eight women will be diagnosed with
breast cancer in her lifetime. But common-sense policies could ensure that every woman in America - regardless of
income - has access to life-saving early detection. It's simply a matter of making it happen. And that
starts with letting the President-Elect know how important this is! Click here to take this easy step
to make sure our President-Elect gets the message that Americans want a plan to end breast cancer forever!
- Volunteer
Increasingly, breast cancer public policy is becoming a major focus in metro Detroit. This is due largely to the 2007 Komen Breast Cancer Mortality Report,
highlighting our community's higher than average breast cancer mortality rate. In response, we've taken action,
and more is planned. If you'd like to join the Komen Detroit Public Policy / Advocacy Committee, please contact
Joan Dennehy at 248-351-1866 or dennehyj@karmanos.org. For more information on the report, click here.
- Other ways you can make a difference in the fight against breast cancer:
- Learn all you can about the disease.
- Spread the word about the importance of early detection by speaking to groups and individuals.
- Discuss breast cancer with your family members and friends; urge them to conduct breast self-examinations regularly and receive other screenings as appropriate depending on their individual risks.
- Participate in a clinical research study conducted to determine whether and how the disease can be prevented, or how it can be best treated.
- If you are a woman of color, please join the Circle of Promise.
Rev. 11-17-2008
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