The Griffith Family Foundation/Sideline Cancer Youth Initiative was proud to take the following students/volunteers to Washington D.C. to the 27th annual Public Policy Forum for the Digestive Disease National Coalition: Caitlyn Edgell, Marissa Lombardi, Sierra Cobler, Joel Redfoot, Mary Ann Redfoot, Bonnie Waltz, and Kaitlin Farnan.
On the first day of the DDNC Symposium, the students and volunteers listened to speakers from panel presentations from National Cancer Institute, National Cancer Moonshot, Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition, National Institute of Diabetes and Kidney Diseases, Centers for Disease Control, and American College of Gastroenterology.
The second day of the symposium consisted of Senate and Congressional visits and a Congressional Luncheon and Awards Presentation at the Hart Senate Office Building. While visiting Senate and Congressional offices, DDNC attendees spoke to their local representatives about supporting continued funding to the National Institute of Health, to not repeal the Affordable Care Act without first preparing a replacement through thorough stakeholder collaboration, retain four essential patient protections for ensuring quality, affordable, and accessible health coverage:
- Prohibit pre-existing condition discrimination
- Prohibit lifetime and annual caps on insurance benefits
- Allow young adults to stay on family coverage until age 26, and
- Limit out-of-pocket costs for patients.
The DDNC Symposium ended with a debriefing for all in attendance at the Longworth House Office Building.
Pictured below is Griffith Family Foundation Board Member Dr. Kevin Yeskey, Bonnie Waltz, Kaitlin Farnan, Cathy Griffith – founding members of Sideline Cancer.
Pictured below are medical students from the University of California San Diego who were introduced to our Sideline Cancer Youth Initiative Campaign.
Pictured below are DDNC public forum members walking to the Rayburn Congressional House Office Building and Hart Senate Office Building.
DDNC Senatorial Office Visit
DDNC Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient Jane Holt, DDNC Treasurer and Co-Founder of the National Pancreas Foundation.
DDNC 2017 Congressional Distinguished Public Service Award Recipient Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana.
DDNC President Dr. Ralph McKibbin of Blair Gastro and Associates was the Pennsylvania and Connecticut Team Leader.
Congressional Luncheon and Awards Presentation at the Hart Senate Office Building.
Pictured below are DDNC President, Dr. Ralph McKibbin, and DDNC Vice Chair, Cathy Griffith, with Sideline Cancer students and volunteers.
Pictured below are Sideline Cancer students and volunteers with Executive Director of the National Pancreas Foundation Matt Alsante.
Pictured below are Dr. Ralph McKibbin, DDNC President, and Cathy Griffith, Vice-Chair of DDNC.
