Register Today for NBCC's Annual Advocacy Conference

Register today for National Breast Cancer Coalition's Annual Advocacy Conference
April 30 - May 3, 2011
Washington DC

http://takeaction.stopbreastcancer.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Conf2011schedule

Scholarships Available for National Breast Cancer Coalition Advocacy Conference May 22-25

NBCC and NOBCCF have scholarships available for area breast cancer activists who wish to attend NBCC's Annual Advocacy Training Conference in Washington DC.

Start Date: Saturday, May 22, 2010
End Date:   Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Address:
Renaissance Washington, DC Hotel
999 9th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
You can apply for NBCC's scholarship, covering registration and lodging expenses here .
Deadline to apply is April 2010, so hurry!

You can apply for NOBCCF's scholarship, covering travel expenses, etc. by sending an email to info@nobcc.org.  We'll send you an application to apply.  Deadline for NOBCCF's application is May 1, 2010.

House Passes Health Care Reform Bills

We did it!  Thanks so much to our northern Ohio breast cancer activists for all your help making calls, sending emails and lobbying on Capitol Hill.  Your work was incredibly important in gaining passage of this historic legislation.

We began our work on health care reform in 2001.  At a time when most others didn't understand the need for health care reform, breast cancer activists knew all too well that women were losing the battle against this disease simply because they lacked access to timely, affordable screening and treatment.

Thanks so much to National Breast Cancer Coalition for all their hard work over the years in both policy analysis and development as well as legislative action. Thanks also to key northern Ohio leaders in Congress like Sen. Sherrod Brown, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, Rep. Tim Ryan and Rep. Betty Sutton who didn't need to be persuaded to understand the health care crisis breast cancer survivors faced and the utter futility in "finding a cure" when so many patients had no access to treatment. Like us, they awoke every day thinking of what they could do to solve this problem.

The effort for affordable, quality health care for all isn't complete. The Senate still has legislative fixes to pass and there are many improvements needed to ensure cost control, patient protection and adequate enforcement of regulations.   But we're well on the way to our goal of affordable, quality health care for all.  So let's celebrate!

Health Care Reform Bill - Ohio Whip Count - Update #3

Northern Ohio breast cancer activists are celebrating the latest news that northern Ohio representatives Dennis Kucinich, John Boccieri, Charlie Wilson and Betty Sutton are all planning to vote for the health care reform bill in the House.

Thanks to all of them for stepping up and making the decision to help over 31 million uninsured Americans get affordable health care.  Make sure to call their offices and give them your thanks!

Updated to add 2 new members to the "yes" column - Reps. Marcia Fudge & Mary Jo Kilroy.  Thanks, Ladies!

Update #2 -  Rep. Marcy Kaptur is leaning "yes" on the vote, per the Toledo Blade.

Update #3 - Rep. Marcy Kaptur confirms she will vote "yes" link

Below is the latest "whip" count for all northern Ohio representatives on the critical HCR vote:

Voting "Yes"

Rep. John Boccieri (OH-16)
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (OH-10)
Rep. Timothy Ryan (OH-17)
Rep. Betty Sutton (OH-13)
Rep. Charlie Wilson (OH-6)
Rep. Marcia Fudge (OH-11)
Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15)
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (OH-9)

Undecided

Rep. Marcia Fudge (OH-11)
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (OH-9)
Rep. Zach Space (OH-18)
Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy (OH-15)

Voting "No"

Rep. Jim Jordan (OH-4)
Rep. Steve LaTourette (OH-14)
Rep. Robert Latta (OH-5)
Rep. Patrick Tiberi (OH-12)

Please call the House members who have pledged to vote "yes" and thank them! And call the members who are undecided and ask them to vote "yes"!   It appears the vote will take place this Sunday, so call today!


Link to National Breast Cancer Coalition's Action Center

Let's make this happen!

National Breast Cancer Coalition 2010 Legislative Priorities

NBCC has released its 2010 Legislative Priorities


LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY #1

Guaranteed Access to Quality Health Care for All: We will not achieve our mission of eradicating breast cancer until everyone has guaranteed access to quality health care. NBCC developed a set of principles and a Framework to guide our work in achieving this goal.


LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY #2

$150 million dollars for FY11 for the Department of Defense Peer Reviewed Breast Cancer Research Program: The inclusion of consumers in every aspect of decision-making and the Program’s unique grant opportunities have led to groundbreaking scientific advances.


Public Policy Priorities:

Breast Cancer Prevention Initiative: Despite years of effort by scientists, we still don’t know what causes much of this disease or how to prevent it, and we need a plan of action. NBCC will develop an overall breast cancer initiative that will make certain this happens.


Preservation of the Medicaid Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program: While NBCC pursues its work on guaranteeing access to quality health care for all, we are committed to making sure women screened and diagnosed with breast cancer through federal screening programs have access to the care they need. Congress enacted the Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act (P.L. 106-354) in 2000 after years of NBCC grassroots lobbying and influence.

Consumer Involvement in all appropriate venues where decisions about healthcare and research are made: NBCC will pursue federal and state legislation and regulation to ensure meaningful consumer involvement in research and our healthcare system.


Follow this link to learn more details

ProjectLEAD Workshop April 3-5 in Philadelphia, PA

Learn the Science of Breast Cancer

If you've ever thought you may be interested in research advocacy, here's an opportunity to learn more.

National Breast Cancer Coalition is featuring a ProjectLEAD Workshop in Philadelphia, PA April 3-5.

The Project LEAD workshop is a new two-day training program for advocates interested in an introductory education in the science of breast cancer. Students will study the biological and molecular concepts that explain how breast cancer works and the research methods and study designs that allow scientists to discover newinformation and test their ideas. This workshop, open to everyone interested in learning about breast cancer, will teach students how to be critical thinkers and how to better understand the breast cancer science in the media every day. Graduates of this program will be better able to explain this information to their colleagues, friends, and family. Taught by renowned scientific faculty, this is a unique opportunity. For those who are excited about learning even more and working in research advocacy, applying for the Project LEAD Institute (see below) could be the next challenge. There is no registration fee for this workshop and travel and lodging scholarships are available for NBCC members in financial need.

Links to more information about ProjectLEAD including scholarship info click here