Shared Vision, Collective Impact, and Persistent Challenges: The First Decade of Georgia’s Oncology Research Network

Copyright © 2013 by American Society of Clinical Oncology

Shared Vision, Collective Impact, and Persistent Challenges: The First Decade of Georgia’s Oncology Research Network

1. Nancy M. Paris, MS, FACHE⇑,
2. James J. Burke II, MD, FACOG, FACS and
3. Frederick M. Schnell, MD, FACP

+ Author Affiliations

1. Georgia Center for Oncology Research and Education, Atlanta; Memorial University Medical Center, Savannah; Central Georgia Cancer Care, Macon, GA

1. Corresponding author: Nancy M. Paris, MS, FACHE, Georgia Center for Oncology Research and Education (Georgia CORE), 50 Hurt Plaza, Suite 704, Atlanta, GA 30303; e-mail: nparis@georgiacore.org.

Abstract

Ten years ago, Georgia was lauded for dedicating a portion of tobacco settlement funds to the Georgia Cancer Coalition (GCC). The plan championed by then-Governor Roy E. Barnes was designed to make Georgia a leader in prevention, treatment, and research. This plan called for the expansion of clinical trials to ensure Georgians had access to the highest quality care based on the most current treatments and discoveries. As a result, oncologists in the state were engaged in a planning process that resulted in a shared vision to improve the quality of cancer care through research and the formation of a new organization: the Georgia Center for Oncology Research and Education.