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The visionary leaders from the public and private sectors who created the Coalition and continue to advance its mission, recognize the importance of establishing and maintaining a cancer care continuum built upon the state’s existing cancer infrastructure and talent. The strategic plan cited the inequality in cancer resource distribution across the state that resulted in a disparate cancer burden for rural residents and minorities.
The governance of the state’s cancer initiative through the Georgia Cancer Coalition provides a unique opportunity to promote and foster collaboration. Recognizing Georgia’s vast statewide network of resources, no single entity, facility or agency will be designated as Georgia’s cancer ‘center’. Rather, existing resources, as well as new and leveraged investments in cancer care, will be linked together to collectively form the state’s comprehensive cancer system.
In response to this strategic direction, the Georgia Cancer Coalition designed its Regional Cancer Coalitions of Excellence mechanism to operate in concert with the Coalition’s Centers for Excellence. These Centers are designed to meet standards of excellence in cancer treatment, education and research based on national benchmarks while strengthening a continuum of cancer care tailored to the unique needs of local communities and populations.
The Coalition envisioned a networked cancer care delivery system to offer every Georgian cancer care close to home. More advanced treatment utilizing cutting-edge technology, will be available at several key medical centers throughout the state, making it unnecessary for Georgians to go elsewhere in the nation.
All Georgia cancer care providers will become part of the Coalition’s efforts.
The Coalition created the model of Regional Cancer Coalitions of Excellence as a mechanism to:
- Support and build upon existing cancer programs and services
- Strengthen programs and services by elevating cancer efforts to national standards of the American College of Surgeons, National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Association of Community Cancer Centers, etc.
- Reduce duplication and competition among cancer related entities
- Leverage state dollars and maximize opportunities for private investment
- Adapt statewide efforts based on national standards to local communities
- Reduce disparate access to treatment and services based on geography, race, and insurance status
The Centers for Excellence and Regional Cancer Coalitions of Excellence were designed to work in concert, creating a continuum of comprehensive cancer care dedicated to fulfilling the Coalition’s goals while maximizing and leveraging public and private investments in this unique model.
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