At GO2 for Lung Cancer, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) principles fuel our work to save, extend, and improve the lives of ALL those vulnerable, at risk, and diagnosed with lung cancer. GO2 for Lung Cancer serves a diverse community and is committed to reducing lung cancer disparities among under-resourced communities and achieving health equity across the care continuum, from early detection through treatment and long-term survival, among everyone we serve.
This commitment represents our core operating principle to “empower everyone, ignore no one” and guides every aspect of our work. DEI principles are central to our values and culture, and we collaborate with community partners to achieve the best outcomes for the millions living with and at risk for lung cancer, no matter who they are or where they live.
Reducing Disparities and Achieving Health Care Equity for the Lung Cancer Community
INTRODUCTION
With over 25 years of experience, GO2 for Lung Cancer understands the unmet needs and disparity in health outcomes that exist among our community. Social determinants of health, including geographic location, socioeconomic status, education levels, insurance status, access to healthcare/quality services, race or ethnicity, and sexual and gender identification can result in inequities across the lung cancer trajectory, including:
- Understanding of and access to preventive screening
- Access to guideline-based care, biomarker testing, and personalized treatment options
- Access to second opinions
- Awareness of and access to clinical trials
- Access to survivorship resources, programs and support
STRATEGIC VISION TO ACHIEVE HEALTH EQUITY & TRANSFORM SURVIVORSHIP
In 2019, GO2 for Lung Cancer reaffirmed its commitment to achieving health equity through a comprehensive strategic plan to double five-year survival rates from 20% to 40% by 2025 focusing on meeting 4 key goals:
- Increasing the rate of lung cancer diagnosed early
- Ensuring patients receive comprehensive biomarker testing and have access to high-quality care
- Increasing the reach and impact of community engagement
- Improving quality of life across the lung cancer spectrum
Over 80% of people receive their care at community cancer centers. Our success will be measured within our growing network of nearly 900 community-based medical facilities across the country who have received our Center of Excellence (COE) designation. This dynamic provider network confirms that high quality screening and care can be provided at the community level. Our work with community-based providers allows us to gather real world, real-time information to understand barriers, develop solutions, and measure impact, especially for vulnerable and underserved segments of our community. Examples include:
- Focusing outreach and COE program expansion efforts in regions of the country with high risk, underserved communities heavily impacted by lung cancer, such as Kentucky and other “tobacco belt” states.
- Piloting programs with a focus on primarily African American, rural, and under-resourced, high need areas including:
- In partnership with the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center (UAB), the Alabama Lung Cancer Awareness, Screening, and Education (ALCASE) project using a Community Health Advisor model to educate on lung cancer risk and screening while building regional capacity for excellence in screening & care.
- In collaboration with Vanderbilt University, UAB and Augusta University, the Studying Trial Determinates of Success (STRIDES) project, designed to understand and address barriers to clinical trial participation in Black communities in Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia.
- Increasing efforts to measure reach to and engagement with underserved populations and geographic areas within our community to improve our HelpLine, LungMATCH, Lung Cancer Registry and COE programs, and inform our health policy strategies to ensure equitable access to care.
- Partnering with Department of Veterans Affairs to reach, educate and screen Veterans at high risk through providing technical assistance to VA medical centers and expanding access to screening and care through our COE network.
- Working directly with the vulnerable Small Cell Lung Cancer patient community to improve survival rates and access to care with support, targeted educational materials, and cutting-edge clinical trials.
We approach our work with cultural humility and work with expert partners and collaborators. Our efforts combine qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis to identify best practices and strategies. We learn what others are doing to avoid duplication and, by the use of prioritization methodology, we make the best use of our resources to make the greatest impact on the many needs of the lung cancer community.
BUILDING A STRONGER CULTURE OF INCLUSION, DIVERSITY AND BELONGING
While we work with the larger community, we also continue to embed DEI principles within our own workplace culture, including:
- Ensuring leadership competencies and management strategies that value and encourage diversity of people and ideas. With greater engagement and input from all, we achieve more successful programs, better outcomes, and higher levels of staff retention.
- Continuing to build upon diversity among our staff, culturally and regionally.
- Improving our hiring, on-boarding, and training processes to cultivate and ensure a culture of belonging and inclusion.
- Providing on-going professional development to all staff, including the top leadership level, and offering growth and promotion opportunities.
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