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Cancer-care advocates urge state support for rural access, workforce expansions and NCI designation push
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Summary
Georgia CORE told the committee that rural Georgians face cancer-care access gaps, workforce shortages and infrastructure needs; recommendations included increasing tobacco-settlement funding for screening, expanding loan forgiveness and supporting NCI designation efforts.
Lynn Durham, president and CEO of Georgia CORE, summarized the House Study Committee on Cancer Care Access's findings and recommendations, saying many cancer-care resources are concentrated in Metro Atlanta and rural Georgians face meaningful access gaps in screening, treatment and clinical trials.
Durham said Georgia has 48 Commission on Cancer-accredited facilities, most in Metro Atlanta, and noted the state receives about $148 million annually in tobacco-settlement funds, of which roughly 9% is allocated to cancer-related activities; she urged the legislature to increase the share devoted to prevention and early detection. "We wanna make sure that all Georgians have access to cancer screenings, and we know that they don't at this point," she said.
The study committee offered recommendations including expanding physician loan repayment and loan-forgiveness incentives for rural oncology, increasing oncology-related Medicaid reimbursements and ensuring the geographic practice cost index reflects rural practice burdens, encouraging mobile screening units and supporting the Georgia Cancer Center's pursuit of National Cancer Institute designation to expand clinical trial access and research capacity in the state.
Durham also highlighted workforce shortages (about seven oncology fellowship positions statewide), infrastructure needs (transportation, infusion nodes, broadband) and the high cost of deploying mobile screening units (estimated by the witness at roughly $10 million per unit). She noted the legislature provided $250,000 in the prior amended budget for a colon-cancer screening campaign and asked lawmakers to consider additional funding to expand prevention, navigation and rural screening efforts.
