June 14, 2021
Medidata, a Dassault Systèmes company, announces its sponsorship of the Lazarex Cancer Foundation’s Disrupting the System IV virtual event, taking place on June 15, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. EDT. The event is set to be a provocative conversation, delving into the issues of cancer health disparities, clinical trial participation, patient access and improving cancer health outcomes.
“The mission of the Lazarex Cancer Foundation is to improve the outcome of cancer care, giving hope, dignity and life to advanced stage cancer patients and the medically underserved,” said Dana Dornsife, the Foundation’s founder. “We’re grateful for the support Medidata provides, which translates into assistance with costs for FDA clinical trial participation, identification of clinical trial options, and support for community outreach and engagement.”
The Foundation’s fourth annual Disrupting the System event will feature disruptors and innovators in oncology and patient advocacy who are working to make cancer research accessible to all and will discuss solutions to fix deep-rooted problems across the oncology space. Among these innovators is Alicia Staley, vice president, patient engagement at Medidata.
“I am honored to be participating in this year’s event,” said Staley. “As a three-time cancer survivor, I have devoted my career to improving the patient experience for those fighting cancer, and fully understand the importance of having a healthcare system that works for all patients. In its current state, our health system falls short of properly caring for all patients, especially those with diverse identities and backgrounds—I look forward to discussing how we can create an ecosystem that provides high-quality care for all cancer patients.”
The event will consist of three panels that highlight solutions contributing to improved health solutions:
- “Building Trust in Healthcare” will explore hindrances in patient care such as lack of cultural representation and systemic racism, as well as successes and solutions such as community-based programs that seek to break down cultural barriers and ultimately build bridges to better, more trustworthy treatment.
- “Dirty Little Secret in Healthcare” will discuss “payer mix” problems in insurance coverage, how it leads to greater health disparities for patients with government care compared to those with commercial insurance and explain why talking about payer mix is an important first step in addressing the issue.
- “Truth in Numbers” will examine how a lack of FDA requirements for race and ethnicity classifications in health care settings are a barrier to equitable healthcare and ask why the FDA doesn’t mandate diversity in clinical trials.
Also during the event, special Lazarex Disruptor Awards will be presented to Loretta Jemmott, PHD, MSN, RN, FAAN, VP Health & Health Equity at Drexel University, and Craig Melvin, Today Show and MSNBC Host.
Those interested in attending this free event can register here for a link to tune in on June 15.
For more information, contact Paul Oestreicher, external communications director at poestreicher@medidata.com.