Message from Andrea Ferris, President and CEOReaching everyone in need I hope you and your loved ones are continuing to stay safe at home. As you know, LUNGevity is committed to providing medically accurate and credible information about COVID-19 as it becomes available. This means reaching everyone who needs this information, including those who might not speak or be fluent in English. We’ve been working hard to develop resources in multiple languages, including an entire COVID-19 website in Spanish. We will soon be posting a video interview in Mandarin with oncologist Dr. Vicky Lai of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. We hope these resources will help you navigate this difficult time. If there is anything else we can do to bring you the information you need, please reach out to us at info@LUNGevity.org. Update from Upal Basu Roy, PhD, MPH, Vice President of ResearchAnswering some of your COVID-19 questions There are still so many unanswered questions about COVID-19 and the public health crisis; we are working to address these questions in our weekly joint statements. This week, we answered some frequently asked questions, including:
Find out the answers to these questions and more in this week’s joint statement. Check back Monday for next week’s update. This week’s Conversation with Healthcare Experts featured David Carbone, MD, PhD. Dr. Carbone answered several questions about COVID-19 and lung cancer trials and infusion-related treatments from his perspective as a medical oncologist at The Ohio State University. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we will continue to bring you accurate, current information from healthcare experts on how the disease affects people with lung cancer and how to stay safe. Check back often for new videos. Update from Katie Brown, VP of Support and Survivorship ProgramsNew postings in Self-Care During COVID-19 Resource Center Have you checked out our Self-Care for Patients and Caregivers During COVID-19 website yet? This is a great place to find resources, tools, and tips to help you through these stressful times. Find videos on stress management, exercise, nutrition, and more! We recently added three new videos:
You should also check out Ina®, Your Personal Intelligent Nutrition Assistant. You can communicate with the Ina® chatbot 24/7 to receive personalized, clinically appropriate, and “on demand” nutrition support and guidance. Ina® is providing tools to eat healthy throughout the COVID-19 crisis by providing grocery lists for common nutrition-related side effects; tips on how to shop for an immune-boosting stocked pantry and freezer; and guidance on which veggies and fruits stay fresh the longest. Learn more and check out Ina® for yourself by visiting lungevity.org/ina. Be sure to give our virtual communities a try! Lung Cancer Support Community, LUNGevity’s online message board, has more than 13,000 users and more than 44,500 posts. Our staff and volunteer moderators are online and ready to connect with you across multiple forums, topics, and posts. There are COVID-specific forums, like the COVID-19 master thread, with updates on the virus, and the Tell Me Something Good forum, filled with good news to be shared and highlighted. Learn more here. You can also connect with others through our private Facebook groups; these robust communities are there for you to connect with other patients and caregivers and share information. Find out more about the groups and how to join. If you prefer a face-to-face connection, give our weekly Zoom meetups a try. Meetups occur every Friday, either midday or early evening, with multiple meetups running simultaneously. Join once or several times to meet new people and see old friends. If you are interested in joining the next meetup, make sure you are registered for ILCSC and continue to check your email for more information. There are so many ways to connect. Please remember: LUNGevity is here for you. Reach out to support@lungevity.org or 312-407-6116 if you are feeling isolated or need support. We are stronger together. Update from Kristen Santiago, Senior Director, Public Policy InitiativesLUNGevity advocating for you During these tough times, we continue to advocate on behalf of lung cancer patients and caregivers. This week, we joined other cancer advocacy organizations in signing on to two letters from the cancer community organized by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network to government officials. The first, which was sent to leaders of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, encouraged Congress to consider certain priorities on behalf of cancer patients when developing the next COVID-19 legislative package. Specifically, the letter urged Congress to ensure patient access to care and coverage, such as temporary amendments to current treatment policy and additional funding for state Medicaid programs. You can read the specific requests and see our partner organizations in the signed letter. The second, which was sent to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), urged HHS to institute additional measures that would make accessing cancer care easier for patients during this public health crisis. The letter requested changes on specific insurance policy requirements, such as the need to see a specific provider, go to a certain treatment center, or even leave home to see a doctor or receive treatment, that would allow patients more flexibility in care and treatment while staying safe and healthy. You can read the full proposed changes in the signed letter. We are also working to keep you informed about any policy changes that might affect you. This week, many might have received checks as part of the stimulus package created to help support the nation during this crisis. This stimulus package was just one of several since the crisis began, and each of these packages included healthcare-related provisions and changes. More information about what these healthcare-related provisions were will be available soon. We will continue to keep you updated on any additional regulatory changes related to COVID-19 that may impact you. If you have specific questions, please reach out to Kristen Santiago, Senior Director, Public Policy Initiatives, at ksantiago@lungevity.org. |