City of Hope Cancer Center Atlanta has joined the Georgia Hospital Association (GHA) and Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals (GACH) to further advocate on the behalf of Georgians to make health care more accessible and equitable.

“We believe in bringing hope to all touched by cancer. Our commitment to Georgia is that we provide comprehensive, people-first care to everyone, irrespective of their background or location,” says Jonathan Watkins, president of City of Hope Atlanta. “We have a lot of work to do in Georgia to make health care more accessible by reducing socioeconomic barriers and promoting policy change, and to that end we are actively expanding our collaboration efforts within organizations such as the GHA and GACH.”

The American Cancer Society estimates around 63,000 Georgians will be diagnosed with cancer in 2024; yet according to the U.S. Census Bureau, roughly 1.2 million Georgians do not have health insurance. City of Hope is working to transform the landscape of health and cancer across the country through advocacy with private and public entities at the local, state, regional and national level. This includes establishing their Cancer Care is Different campaign promoting cancer care as a human right; and serving as a founding member of the CancerX public-private partnership with The White House’s Cancer Moonshot program.

The largest hospital trade association in Georgia, GHA serves nearly 150 hospital members, all of whom demonstrate a commitment to promoting the health and welfare of the public through the development of better hospital care for all of Georgia's citizens. The GACH works for and with Georgia's not-for-profit hospitals by pushing for the enactment of sound health and hospital laws, rules and regulations. They conduct research on important health care issues and are a clearinghouse for ideas that will improve Georgia’s health care.

Watkins added, “Joining the GHA and GACH, both of which are dedicated to supporting their members through advocacy and policy change resources, is City of Hope Atlanta’s latest step towards pursuing our mission in Georgia.”

City of Hope Atlanta offers a uniquely integrated model spanning cancer care, diabetes, clinical research and development, academics and philanthropy. Earlier this year, City of Hope Atlanta announced the launch of its Blood Cancer Center to provide leading-edge blood and marrow transplantation and cell therapy programs to Georgians. With a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer center in Los Angeles, a new cancer center in Orange County, California and recent expansion to Arizona, Illinois and Georgia, City of Hope’s national clinical network makes leading-edge research and treatment accessible to more patients and families.