HARRISBURG, Pa., June 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Pennsylvania Health Secretary Dr. Calvin B. Johnson today announced the appointment of 16 health-care leaders to the board of the Pennsylvania Cancer Control Consortium, known as PAC3. The directors will be responsible for implementing Pennsylvania’s recently developed, first-ever, statewide plan to reduce cancer in Pennsylvania.
“This group of health-care leaders has cancer expertise ranging from prevention and healthy lifestyle to diagnosis, treatment, care delivery and quality of life,” Dr. Johnson said. “When you combine their knowledge with that of other experts who work in partnership with them, you have the know-how and commitment to successfully implement our strategic plan on how to address and reduce cancer in Pennsylvania.”
The five-year plan to reduce cancer in Pennsylvania identifies the current problems associated with cancer control today: the heavy and unequal cancer burden borne by the elderly; access to care issues faced by low-income and rural residents; and lack of coordination and limited resources for cancer prevention and control. The plan also identifies various strategies to improve cancer control efforts. A primary goal is to ensure that cancer- related health disparities are eliminated to benefit all Pennsylvanians.
The PAC3 Board includes: -- Catherine M. Belt, RN, MSN, AOCN, CNA, Oncology Nursing Society; -- Fritz Bittenbender, President, Pennsylvania Biotechnology Association; -- Aaron D. Bleznak, MD, FACS, State Chairman for the Commission on Cancer; -- Larry E. Davis, PhD, Dean of the School of Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh; -- Geoffrey P. Dunn, MD, FACS, Medical Director, Palliative Care Consult Service at Hamot Medical Center and Medical Director of Great Lakes Hospice; -- Robert F. Durkin, President of the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute; -- Karen Wolk Feinstein, PhD, President of the Jewish Healthcare Foundation of Pittsburgh; -- Donald R. Fischer, MD, MBA, Medical Director for Strategic Physician Relations at Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield; -- Ronald B. Herberman, MD, Director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute; -- Gary Allen Leipheimer, MPH, Vice President, Cancer Control, American Cancer Society, Pennsylvania Division, Inc.; -- Joseph B. May, Director, Bureau of Health Planning, Pennsylvania Department of Health; -- Ronald E. Myers, PhD, Professor of Medicine, Department of Medicine, Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University; -- Witold B. Rybka, MD, Professor of Pathology and Medicine, Penn State Cancer Institute; -- Barbara E. Stader, RN, Director of Health, Allentown Health Bureau; -- Glenn D. Steele, Jr., MD, PhD, CEO and President, Geisinger Health Systems; and -- Col. (Ret) James E. Williams, Jr., USA, Co-Chairman, Board of Directors, Pennsylvania Prostate Cancer Coalition.
The mission of PAC3 is to reduce the human and economic burden of cancer for all citizens of the Commonwealth through a collaboration of leaders from many organizations. It was created in 2001 by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the American Cancer Society and represents more than 400 stakeholders and organizations from the health-care community, cancer research centers, academia, community organizations, advocacy groups, insurers, industry, state government and cancer survivors.
To view a copy of the plan, contact the PAC3 Coordinating Office at (412) 623-3209 or visit the PAC3 Web site at http://www.pac3.org/ or http://www.health.state.pa.us/.
* Note - the “3" in “PAC3" is superscript.
CONTACT: Jessica Seiders, Pennsylvania Department of Health, +1-717-787-1783.
Pennsylvania Department of Health
CONTACT: Jessica Seiders, Pennsylvania Department of Health,+1-717-787-1783
