Two National Patient Advocate Foundation Executive Board Members Invited to Serve on The Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory Committee (MEDCAC)

Immediate Past CEO of Oncology Nursing Society and Council on Foundations Executive Will Provide Guidance and Expert Advice on Patient Advocacy Issues to CMS

WASHINGTON, June 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Patient Advocate Foundation (NPAF) – a national, non-profit organization dedicated to the mission of creating avenues of improved patient access to health care through public policy reform at the state and federal levels – is pleased to announce that NPAF Executive Board Members Pearl Moore, R.N., M.N., F.A.A.N., immediate past CEO of Oncology Nursing Society, and Rene Cabral-Daniels, J.D., M.P.H., an executive at the Council on Foundations, have been invited to serve on The Medicare Evidence Development & Coverage Advisory Committee (MEDCAC).

The MEDCAC is designed to provide independent guidance and expert advice to CMS on specific clinical topics and is used to supplement CMS' own research and internal expertise to allow an unbiased and current deliberation of "state of the art" technology and science.  MEDCAC members are selected based on their background, education, and expertise in a wide variety of scientific, clinical and other related fields.

"We are so pleased to have Pearl Moore and Rene Cabral-Daniels contributing their valuable expertise to the MEDCAC," said Nancy Davenport-Ennis, Founder and CEO of NPAF and PAF. "Pearl and Rene are such esteemed advocates for patients, and their dedication over the years has greatly contributed to PAF's and NPAF's shared mission of helping patients in need gain access to important medical care services."

Moore, the immediate past CEO of Oncology Nursing Society (ONS), joined ONS in 1975 as a founding member. During her tenure as CEO, ONS grew to more than 32,000 members with 220 chapters nationwide. Moore also helped to raise $16 million to support the ONS Foundation Center for Leadership, Information and Research, the largest contributor to nursing research outside of the National Institutes of Health. Moore has received numerous honors, including being named a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, receiving the Association of Community Cancer Centers Achievement Award, and being awarded the US Oncology Medal of Honor.

"I am honored to be invited to work with this impressive group of professionals in providing expert assessments on key health care issues," said Moore. "Throughout my career, I have seen many transformative changes in cancer care, and I hope to provide thorough and thoughtful information in finding the most effective means to ensure access to quality care for all cancer patients."

Cabral-Daniels has recently accepted a new position with the Council on Foundations where she will be responsible for enhancing the role of foundations and corporate grant-making organizations in public-philanthropic partnerships. Cabral-Daniels previously served as Vice President of Grant Programs at the Williamsburg Community Health Foundation and as the Director of the Office of Health Policy and Planning (OHPP), which is responsible for improving health care access to the residents of Virginia. Programs administered within the OHPP are Telemedicine, Limited English Proficiency, State Loan Repayment, Nursing Scholarship, Critical Access Program, Small Hospital Improvement Program and others. Cabral-Daniels received a B.S. in Spanish and Mental Health from Tufts University, a Masters in Public Health from Yale School of Medicine, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia.

"In order to continue to improve the quality of healthcare in the United States, decisions about policy, coverage, and patient advocacy must be continuously reviewed and evaluated," said Cabral-Daniels. "I look forward to providing advice and recommendations that will improve healthcare access for all across the United States."

Established in 1998, the MEDCAC reviews and evaluates medical literature, technology assessments, and data and information on the effectiveness and appropriateness of medical items and services that are covered under Medicare, or that may be eligible for coverage under Medicare. Up to 100 experts from clinical and administrative medicine, biologic and physical sciences, public health administration, patient advocacy, health care data and information management and analysis, health care economics, and medical ethics are selected to serve on the MEDCAC. For more information, visit https://www.cms.gov/FACA/02_MedCAC.asp.

National Patient Advocate Foundation (NPAF) is a national, non-profit organization that is dedicated to the mission of creating avenues of patient access through improved access to, and reimbursement for, evolving therapies, therapeutic agents, and devices through policy and legislative reform at the state and federal levels. Our mission is shaped by the experiences of the patients served through our companion organization, Patient Advocate Foundation.  For more information see www.npaf.org.

SOURCE National Patient Advocate Foundation