Partnering with the VA to Support Military Families

Rich Wender
Aug 25, 2017 · 2 min read

Last year, the American Cancer Society’s Military Family and Veterans Employee Engagement Group challenged our organization to do more to support our nation’s heroes. We have long engaged with veterans and their families in communities throughout the US, and we’ve decided to explore opportunities to do even more to serve those who have served our country.

Today, I’m proud to announce the American Cancer Society signed a groundbreaking partnership with the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to do just that. This new agreement touches nearly every aspect of the cancer continuum, from cancer prevention and early detection, to addressing disparities, to supporting cancer survivors and their caregivers.

Vivieca Wright Simpson, Department of Veterans Affairs chief of staff, presents the American Cancer Society with a certificate of appreciation.

What makes this collaboration so exciting is its potential impact. The VA is the nation’s largest health system, with nine million people enrolled, more than 1,200 outpatient sites, and 145 hospitals. This tremendous size and scope presents numerous opportunities and challenges in cancer control, and the VA’s commitment to reducing the burden of cancer is extraordinary. Just last year, the VA was recognized by the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable for an incredible 82 percent colorectal cancer screening rate — compared to about 67 percent for the US overall. The VA is also consistently among the nation’s leaders in breast cancer screening rates. In addition, they have been advancing our understanding in how to implement lung cancer screening programs, and we are pleased to invite representatives from the organization to the National Lung Cancer Roundtable steering committee.

Despite these notable achievements, the VA and the patients they serve still face challenges in controlling cancer — tobacco use is a key example. In 2011, 24 percent of active-duty military personnel reported smoking cigarettes, compared to 19 percent of civilians[1].

Another key aspect of this partnership focuses on supporting cancer survivors. We’ll be collaborating on a number of issues, including care coordination, navigation, programs and services for cancer patients and families, and the dissemination of survivorship guidelines through the VA systems. We’ve also invited representatives from the VA to participate on the Survivorship Care Roundtable.

Additionally, we’ll work together to address persistent disparities in breast cancer outcomes and discuss opportunities to collaborate on cancer research.

Partnerships are the lifeblood of the American Cancer Society, and all of them are vital to our work. This new partnership with the VA is uniquely meaningful and powerful. We have a moral imperative to provide the very best care possible for individuals who have served our country. I’m confident that working with the VA will enable us to more effectively ensure veterans have the opportunity to live a healthy life, prevent cancer, find it early, and receive high-quality treatment and support when they need it.

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/campaign/tips/resources/data/cigarette-smoking-in-united-states.html

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Rich Wender

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I am the Chief Cancer Control Officer for @AmericanCancer

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