Influencing Policy

Beyond Pink TEAM advocates work to influence public policy at multiple levels. We take action to educate our local community as well as our state and national public officials. Our goal is to shift public dialogue from breast cancer awareness and screening to prevention, saving lives, and ultimately ending breast cancer. By educating and empowering  women and men as advocates, we seek to increase the involvement and influence of those living with breast cancer and other breast cancer advocates wherever and whenever breast cancer decisions are made.

Our Advocacy Priorities
As a member organization of the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC), many of our advocates have participated in educational opportunities to learn more about the science of breast cancer as well as how to be more effective in our advocacy efforts. This training allows for a more strategic and evidence-based approach to advocacy. Trained advocates bring this knowledge back to our community, essentially establishing a grassroots advocacy action network here in the Greater Cedar Valley. Similar NBCC grassroots advocacy action networks have been established all across the country, yielding our advocates collective power and greater influence on public policy related to breast cancer issues.

Beyond Pink TEAM advocates meet regularly throughout each year with all six of Iowa’s congressional offices to advocate for public policy in congruence with the legislative and public policy goals of the National Breast Cancer Coalition. 

The Bottom Line
While we can assume that every member of Congress, the Administration, and state and local governmental entities wants to see an end to breast cancer, the question is, “What are they willing to do to get us all there?” Resolutions will not get us far. Expanding support for meaningful research and access to quality care will have a real, far-reaching impact.
So, do our Iowa Congressmen support the National Breast Cancer Coalition’s Legislative and Public Policy Priorities? Ask us!

​Educated Advocates Have a Seat at Research and Healthcare Decisions Table
We believe educated patient advocates should have a voice at all levels of health care decision making, including the research process, and therefore should have a seat at the table regarding all decisions which affect their lives. Educated patient advocates provide a unique perspective that cannot be offered by others. This is why we encourage interested advocates to take advantage of NBCC advocate training opportunities to better prepare them to serve in this role.

We need you!

The more Iowans we have in each congressional district in the State of Iowa participating in our advocacy work, the better. There are many ways you can take action. Here are a few suggestions:

• Contact us to get involved with our advocacy efforts.
• Join the Beyond Pink TEAM.
• Join the Iowa Stop Breast Cancer Facebook group.
• Respond to notifications (on the Beyond Pink TEAM Facebook page and Iowa Stop Breast Cancer Facebook group site)  to reach out to your legislators by calling or emailing.
• Post our legislative needs on various social media sites.
• Write a letter to the editor of your local paper.
• Write articles for the Beyond Pink TEAM’s newsletter.
• Get involved with the Ignite the Cancer Conversation planning committee.
• Learn about cancer prevention efforts and the role our environment plays, then make one small change for your health.

Stay Informed
The Beyond Pink TEAM hosts a Facebook group called Iowa Stop Breast Cancer with the purpose of informing and engaging advocates and community leaders at the grassroots level all across Iowa. Please join us in our grassroot advocacy efforts to eradicate breast cancer. You can also join NBCC’s National Action Network.

​Local Advocacy Efforts
At the local level, Beyond Pink TEAM advocates host an annual event called Ignite the Cancer Conversation. These events allow us to educate people in our community and across our state on issues surrounding not only breast cancer, but all cancers. Focus over the years has been on the latest research, prevention, the history of cancer, and more. Projects have come out of this event in the past that have changed policies at the local level.