Elected officials, staff members and state health care officials don a lab coat as they receive a first-hand look at how research is affecting cancer care.
North Carolina congressional staff, elected officials and state health care leaders visited the Duke Cancer Center last week to participate in Duke’s Project Medical Education (PME) program focusing on cancer care.
The PME: Cancer program, hosted by the Duke University Health System Office of Government Relations, gave participants an unusual experience that is expected to help inform and educate health care policy leaders on Capitol Hill and in Raleigh.
The program explained the role of research in translational medicine, the complexities involved with navigating cancer care as a patient, and the costs associated with comprehensive cancer care.
Attendees spent nearly a full day at Duke as “research fellows.” They explored a basic science laboratory, observed a mock multidisciplinary clinic that gave a glimpse into what patients experience during a cancer diagnosis and listened to Duke faculty detail groundbreaking research on treatments, clinical trials and the financial implications of cancer care.
After the presentations, State Representative Graig Meyer (D – Durham) noted the complexity of health policy issues. “I appreciated the chance to have a hands-on experience exploring cancer treatment. It's important that policy makers learn from people who are actually working on the ground,” Meyer said.