"There's great potential and power in acknowledging this. It's self to self, self to others single, self to others plural, and self to others at the macro level. You begin to appreciate how beautiful it can be all around you, how much we all need help, and how very related we are in our own ways."

In episode 62, Dr. Leigh Boehmer emphasizes the crucial role of self-awareness in understanding and practicing intersectionality, which goes beyond recognizing one's own complexities and involves acknowledging the unique layers of others. 

Leigh is the Chief Medical Officer for the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) and is responsible for assessing educational needs and designing interventions for multidisciplinary cancer care teams serving patients in community oncology programs and practices. He also serves as a liaison with external stakeholders, including patient advocacy organizations, policy experts, and governmental agencies, to advance the objectives of the ACCC membership and projects.

Leigh describes how ACCC responded to health disparities that were exacerbated by the pandemic, and how it acted as a convener to connect individual community needs with the mechanisms necessary to address inequities. Finding ways to enhance human connection and practice empathy becomes even more crucial as technology continues to advance, with the rise of big data, AI, and machine learning. 

Leigh highlights ACCC initiatives that foster connection and build equity such as the  ACCC-ASCO implicit bias training program, which, combined with a clinical trial site self-assessment tool increased knowledge among participants of health disparities and strategies to address implicit bias and diversity in cancer clinical trials. The FDA requirement for the pharmaceutical industry to develop Diversity Action Plans from July 2023 is an additional, granular step toward addressing diversity and the broader social, political, and economic issues affecting cancer care. 

Join us for a conversation about how continuing education, professional development, and the oncology community can give form to intersectionality and equity by asking the right questions, bringing the right people to the table, and listening.

Connect with Leigh
Email: [email protected]
Association of Community Cancer Centers
LinkedIn

Resources
Barret N, et al. An Assessment of the Feasibility and Utility of an ACCC-ASCO Implicit Bias Training Program to Enhance Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Cancer Clinical Trials. JCO Oncol Pract. 2023 Apr;19(4):e570-e580.

Guerra C et al. Increasing Racial and Ethnic Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Cancer Treatment Trials: Evaluation of an ASCO-Association of Community Cancer Centers Site Self-Assessment. JCO Oncol.Pract. 2023;19(4): e581-e588.

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