NASPCC ORGANIZATION FORMED
A summit was held to form the structure of the National
Alliance of State Prostate Cancer Coalitions (NASPCC) and to
facilitate a unifying initiative through cooperation,
collaboration and communication between states.
Members of 25 State Prostate Cancer Coalitions and Task Forces
met in Los Angeles, CA on October 23rd and 24th to
create the National Alliance of State Prostate Cancer
Coalitions (NASPCC). Many of the attending representatives
have been working for nearly ten years to spread national
awareness and education around prostate cancer through their
state coalitions and/or organizations.
Merel Grey Nissenberg, Esq., President of the California
Prostate Cancer Coalition (CPCC), was unanimously elected
President of the NASPCC. She stated that as an official
organization, NACPCC represents a formidable group of prostate
cancer survivors, community and family members that will serve
as a collective and collaborative voice to make prostate
cancer a priority in this country. NASPCC’s intent is to help
establish prostate organizations in all 50 states.
The mission of the alliance is to raise national awareness of
prostate cancer by facilitating the development of, and
providing support for state prostate cancer coalitions and
serving as a collective voice.
Additional
information regarding the Alliance and the future of Prostate
Cancer in the United States may be obtained by calling
President Nissenberg at (858) 459-0631.
IMPACT
PROGRAM UPDATE
IMPACT PROGRAM UPDATE
Goal of
Impact Program for the 2004-05 year is to provide treatment
for as
many men
possible, and fully expend the $6.5 million in the budget for
treatment. The Impact Program administrators have submitted a
comprehensive closeout plan to accomplish this goal .
Technicalities are being worked out, and CPCC is monitoring
very closely to see as many of these needy men are treated as
possible. Funding for the Impact Program comes to and end as
of June 30, 2005, although patients enrolled in the program
prior to that date will be treated up to 12 months as provided
by the Closeout Plan.
Funding
for the Impact Program for fiscal years 2005-06 and beyond is
unfunded at this time. Funding will have to come from either
the Budget Process or Legislative Process.
CPCC
recognizes the needs of these men that have no means of
treatment other than the Impact Program. The CPCC Impact
Committee is actively exploring all avenues how the Impact
Program can be funded for 2005-06 and beyond.
We will
be calling for your help once again . With your help, we
succeeded funding the Program for the 2004-05 year, and with
your help once again, we can succeed in 2005-06 and beyond.
Advocates make a difference - DOD
funding saved!
Thanks
to all who wrote, called and faxed your members in Congress,
the Department of Defense's (DOD) Prostate Cancer Research
Program has been saved. The Defense Appropriations Conference
Committee followed the recommendation of the House to keep
DOD's prostate cancer program separate from other cancer
programs and funded at $85 million for fiscal year 2005. Both
chambers are expected to finalize the bill before the weekend.
Thanks for showing people care about prostate cancer and
making a difference.
Calendar of Events :
PCRI CONFERENCE IN LOS ANGELES A SUCCESS
PCRI’s regional
prostate cancer conference at USC - Norris Cancer Center on
Oct. 9th was an overwhelming success. Four hundred fifty
English-speaking men and their partners attended the conference.
PCRI held a simultaneous conference in Spanish in an adjacent
auditorium, attracting attendance by more than 350
Spanish-speaking
