ACCC Statement on Juneteenth

Rockville, MD – The Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC) today released the following statement in recognition of Juneteenth (June 19) and National Black Family Cancer Awareness Week (June 17 - 23):

Our community of cancer professionals marks and celebrates the recognition of Juneteenth as a federal holiday.

Black patients with cancer continue to be underrepresented in clinical trials and experience higher rates of mortality. We use this time to focus on the work that lays ahead of the oncology community to create equitable cancer care solutions. And we continue marching forward toward care delivery reforms to better serve the Black community, including diversifying clinical trial participation and genetic databases for oncology research.

This issue has been, and remains, a top priority for ACCC’s leadership and members. From Immediate Past President Dr. Randall A. Oyer’s charge to improve clinical trial access, to current President Krista Nelson’s mission to improve health equity and social justice in oncology, ACCC in collaboration with the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is producing a robust suite of resources designed to give cancer programs and practices actionable strategies to implement bias training and better serve their diverse communities.

Everyone deserves access to timely, affordable, and innovative cancer care.

ACCC recently launched the ACCC Community Oncology Research Institute (ACORI) with the mission to close the racial gap in clinical oncology research. ACCC learning resources and tools, including webinars, video content, audio podcasts, and case studies designed to assist cancer centers in evaluating and implementing equitable cancer care solutions can be found on the ACCC website.