Diversity in Oncology is a first of its kind initiative to learn from and co-create solutions to address health inequities with three specific communities: the AAPI, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latin. Bristol Myers Squibb in partnership with Gryt Health have been listening to the local leaders in these three communities to learn the barriers to accessing quality healthcare. Delving into real world examples, we will hear from community health leaders in Boston, MA on how complex and unique obstacles to care affect their communities. Leave this session with a better understanding of language, stigma and screening challenges to be able to take active roles in creating more inclusive and responsive experience for underserved humans.

According to ASCO’s 2021 member survey*, only 33% of oncology providers feel prepared to address disparities when it comes to equity in healthcare. In the fourth live session of the Diversity in Oncology series, we will hear from providers, oncology researchers and advocacy organizations taking action to address barriers. Our panel will showcase a range of topics and resources, including, financial toxicity, mental health, mentorship, the Clinical Treatment Act and more. During this session attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and share their own experiences, helping everyone to come away armed with knowledge and empowered for their healthcare journey.

While the FDA, industry sponsors, academia, and others have taken important steps to address the challenges of clinical trial diversity, progress has been limited. Overcoming barriers to recruiting, enrolling, and retaining underrepresented groups in clinical research requires deliberate, concerted, and sustained actions. Patient and community engagement, partnerships, and collaborations can play crucial roles in overcoming barriers to clinical trials. The goal of this session is to create a safe space for courageous conversations where Academic researchers can share their experience building meaningful community collaborations to deepen relationships, build trust, gain an understanding of community priorities, and make research programs more responsive to the needs, values, and perspectives of the affected populations.

Despite many initiatives addressing health disparities over the past 10 years, a lack of meaningful representation of certain diverse populations continues in the oncology workforce. A diverse workforce allows oncology care providers to engage and increase participation among patients and build trust within various communities. In this session, a diverse panel of physicians/PIs will discuss from their perspectives and experiences, the challenges that they face in providing care. The goal of this session is to create a safe space for courageous and necessary conversations to share lived experiences and ways to improve access to care for diverse patients, greater patient choice and satisfaction, and better patient-provider communication.

Too often diverse populations are underrepresented in clinical trials or are not represented in that stage of research. Many diverse populations experience challenges related to awareness, access, technology, or transportation when participating in a clinical trial. In this session, a diverse panel of patients and caregivers will discuss, from their perspectives and experiences, the challenges that they have faced navigating their care. The goal of this session is to create a safe space for courageous conversations where healthcare providers and researchers can learn from patients to understand their lived experiences and identify ways to adapt the system to lessen the burden on others in the future.