Assistant Professor Ashley Glode, PharmD, BCOP, was named a 2020 Advocacy Champion by the Association for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) during the Association’s 2021 Advocacy Summit in April. Advocacy Champions are ASCO volunteers who have made meaningful contributions to ASCO’s advocacy activities throughout the year to ensure that every patient with cancer has access to high-quality, high-value cancer care, no matter who they are or where they live.
Glode is one of only two pharmacists selected as an ASCO Advocacy Champion. She is also the only pharmacist of 15 individuals selected for the Senator’s Club, an honorary recognition reserved for advocates who participate in more than one of ASCO’s advocacy activities.
"We have a responsibility as healthcare professionals to advocate for our patients. ASCO has provided the tools I need to speak up and encourage changes to the healthcare system. Patients deserve access to affordable, cutting edge, evidence- based care and we can provide the voice to champion the changes needed to make that happen," said Dr. Glode.
Advocates speak with federal lawmakers and agencies, send personalized letters to Members of Congress through ASCO’s ACT Network, engage with state lawmakers on policy priorities at the state-level, and host site visits for lawmakers in their home states and districts.
In 2020 ASCO advocates worked on the CLINICAL TREATMENT Act, one of ASCO’s top advocacy priorities which was signed into law at the end of the year. This law increases access to clinical trials for Medicaid patients.
“Congratulations to this year’s Advocacy Champions. The work of these individuals is vital in making monumental change, such as the recent passing of the CLINICAL TREATMENT Act,” said Carolyn Hendricks, MD, FASCO, chair of ASCO’s Government Relations Committee. “Through their continuous commitment to educate our lawmakers, our advocates have helped shape the policies that improve access to high-quality, equitable care for people with cancer.”
In addition to her teaching duties, Dr. Glode's clinical appointment is in the Phase 1 Clinical Trials/GI/Head and Neck/Sarcoma Clinic at the University of Colorado Cancer Center. Her clinical practice and areas of research interest focus on identifying improvements to supportive care interventions and enhancing the quality of life of patients undergoing cancer treatment.
