Welcome to OCRA’s Advocate’s Corner, a new monthly series to keep you updated on how our Advocate Leaders and policy team are working on behalf of the ovarian and gynecologic cancer community.
OCRA’s Advocates are beginning 2024 with great momentum. Here’s a look at our most impactful achievements in 2023:
Co-founded a coalition to address the current chemotherapy drug shortage and prevent future shortages.
Nearly 300 advocates from 44 states met with 380+ Congressional offices to push for important initiatives, including expanded Medicare coverage of life-saving tools like genetic testing, at OCRA’s Spring and Fall Advocacy Days.
Secured 19 new co-sponsors on targeted legislation for federal education and awareness programs as a result of our Fall Advocacy Day.
Spearheaded Dear Colleague letters in both the U.S. House and Senate calling for an increase to $50 million for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program’s Ovarian Cancer Research Program. The bipartisan letters were signed by almost 100 legislators.
Initiated a research project to identify health disparities within gynecologic cancer outcomes, with an initial focus on racial and geographic disparities in care.
As the largest organization advocating on behalf of patients, survivors and families of those facing ovarian and related gynecologic cancers, OCRA is committed to effecting legislative change that can prevent more diagnoses, improve outcomes, and ease the financial burden of treatment and care.
Written by Julia Thayer, OCRA’s Associate Director, Advocacy Federal Rulemaking Update: Proposed Update to Uniform Guidance Advocacy isn’t limited to legislation and federal funding. This month, OCRA submitted a public comment on a proposed federal rule that could significantly impact how biomedical research is funded and conducted. On May 29, 2026, the Office of Management … Continued
Nearly 500 people have already registered for OCRA’s International Gynecologic Cancer Conference®—the largest conference dedicated to the gynecologic cancer community—taking place on September 16–17. The conference is free, online, and open to all, and will include programming for ovarian, endometrial, cervical, and rare gynecologic cancers. For the first time, each of these diseases will have a dedicated Ask the Experts session. Learn … Continued
Written by Julia Thayer, OCRA’s Associate Director, Advocacy Federal Funding Update: Two Priorities Gain Ground There’s encouraging news to share from this year’s federal funding process: two of OCRA’s top priorities are in line for more funding than they received last year. The House Appropriations Committee has recommended increases for both Johanna’s Law and the … Continued
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