Montgomery County Commissioners, Ohio 2021

Thank you Montgomery County Commissioners for your continued support for Prostate Cancer Awareness and Education.

 

Champaign County Commissioners, Ohio 2021

 Thank you Champaign County Commissioners for your continued support for Prostate Cancer Awareness and Education.

Kent, Ohio 2021

Thank you Mayor Fiala for your continued support for Prostate Cancer Awareness and Education

 

Brook Park, Ohio 2021 Ohio

Thank you Mayor  Michael Gammella for Honoring June as Ohio Prostate Cancer Awareness and Education Month.

 

Brook Park, Ohio 2021 National

 

Thank you Mayor  Michael Gammella for Honoring September as National Prostate Cancer Awareness and Education Month.

 

Englewood, Ohio 2021

Thank you Mayor Thomas Franz for your continued support for Prostate Cancer Awareness and Education Month.

 

Fostoria, Ohio 2021

Thank you Mayor Eric Keckler for your continued support for Prostate Cancer Awareness and Education Month.

 

Prostate cancer Awareness and Education is Key!

 Prostate cancer Awareness and Education is Key!

Proclamations Received and Commitments 2021

***Chattanooga, Tennessee

**Representative Brian Stewart  78th Ohio House District – Pending 

**Representative Diane Grendell 76th Ohio House District - Pending

*Belmont County Commissioners

*Clermont County Commissioners - June

*Hamilton County Commissioners

*Lucas County Commissioners

*Mahoning County Commissioners

*Medina County Commissioners - June

*Montgomery County Commissioners - 

Bexley

Blanchester - Received

Brook Park

Brooklyn - June

Cincinnati

Lebanon 

London – Received

Parma – Received

Reynoldsburg

London, Ohio 2021

Thank you Mayor Patick Closser for your continued support for Prostate Cancer Awareness and Education Month.

 

Bold for Blue

 

Blanchester, Ohio 2021

 

Still need 59 signatures!!

I asked the BMV if it might be possible to get the plates put into production in June. The person in charge of the license plates said he will see if they can expedite the process. Fingers crossed!!!

Parma, Ohio 2021

 

June is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in Ohio

 ***UPDATE*** 

Thank you Representative Brown for sponsoring and Representative Lipps for co sponsoring our license plate bill. I would love for them to be on cars soon. June is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month in Ohio. 💙 We need 59 more signatures and then our license plates will be put into production!

 ZERO The End Of Prostate Cancer license plates will be the first in the nation. 

The petition indicates that the driver intends to purchase the plate when it is available; however there is nothing binding them to that decision and no penalties for not purchasing the logo plate.

Linda@zerocancer.org

Did you know?

June is Prostate Cancer Awareness and Education Month per the Ohio revised code 5.2217. Each year I ask elected officials for a Proclamation for Prostate Cancer Awareness and Education. So far this year I have two cities supporting my efforts. 

Proclamation request 2021

 Dear Elected Officials,

My Name is Linda Hoetger, I am asking for your support for the 9,010 men impacted by prostate cancer and their families just like mine. Some who live in your community and are not ready to speak up yet and share their journey. I have become an active advocate and helping them along the way. I ask for your support yearly so that one day we can be part of a cure and zero out prostate cancer. The month of June shall be designated as “Prostate Cancer Awareness Month” per the Ohio revised code 5.2217. This is also a way to educate the citizens in the community with a Proclamation, message board announcements, newsletter announcements. The nation recognizes Prostate Cancer Awareness and Education Month in September. On June 19, 2009, my life forever changed when my husband Ray and I were given the devastating news that he had an aggressive form of prostate cancer. Ray is a 20-year veteran of the United States Air Force. Veterans have a great risk of prostate cancer due to Agent Orange which is a herbicide and defoliant chemical used by the military. As of October 2019 there are over 489,000 Veterans with Prostate Cancer in the Veterans Health Administration system. Over 16,000 of them are Metastatic. As the wife/caregiver of a retired Veteran, and military brat. And for the thousands of Verans battling prostate cancer alone, we need to let them know they are not alone.

In 2013, I started engaging with elected officials for Proclamations and Resolutions supporting Prostate Cancer Awareness and Education Month. Since starting my mission there have been over 2,000 elected officials supporting my efforts in raising awareness in their Districts, and Communities. My husband and I have been invited to attend Proclamation readings and presentations during City Council meetings. Which is an honor to attend to share our story and raise awareness. Having the support from elected officials throughout Ohio will let the men and families impacted by prostate cancer let them know that their elected officials care and encourage the citizens to take action in awareness as well. Also, I hope that with me sharing my story they will share their story. And get more men talking so that one day there will be a cure for prostate cancer and more lives will be saved. I hope one day to have a Prostate Cancer Survivor from all areas of Ohio. Encouragement from Legislators, Commissioners, Mayors and other elected officials to support the families of prostate cancer and to educate residents about this horrible disease with a Proclamation and Resolution. We worked with Representative Richard Brown and Representative Scott Lipps, to have ZERO The End Of Prostate Cancer license plates passed, funds from the license plates would stay in Ohio to provide free patient navigation serviced to reduce financial toxicity among prostate cancer and free transportation for prostate cancer patients to doctors appointments. On October 22, 2020 ZERO The End Of Prostate Cancer license plates was signed into law. Once we have the 150 signatures need the license plates will be put into production through the Bureau Of Motor Vehicles. Working with ZERO has given me so many more opportunities to help raise awareness and to be part of ending prostate cancer. Each year Ray and I speak to our elected officials at the Annual ZERO Prostate Cancer Summit in Washington, D.C., and work locally in Ohio and across the nation to secure proclamations from each local government. I keep track of all the Proclamations and Resolutions on Google map and would be honored to add yours to it as well. Please send a copy to my address below or a PDF copy. Please write Do not bend on envelope.

June is Prostate Cancer Awareness and Education Month in Ohio

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness and Education Month

Whereas, this year approximately 191,930 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in the United States alone every year and roughly 33,330 will die this year from the disease; and

Whereas, in Ohio an estimated 9,010 new cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed and an estimated 2,000 deaths will occur in 2021; and

Whereas, Men with relatives – father, brother, son – with a history of prostate cancer are twice as likely to develop the disease; and

Whereas, Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind only lung cancer; and

Whereas, Men who served in the military who have been exposed to chemicals and herbicides are at a higher risk for developing prostate cancer; and

Whereas, 1 in 9 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer in his lifetime. African American men are at the highest risk for the disease with the rate of 1 in 6 and 2.2 times more likely to die from the disease; and

Whereas, Education regarding prostate cancer and early detection strategies is critical to saving lives, preserving, and protecting our families. The economic and social hardship it has on the families is huge; Prostate cancer is estimated to cost over $8 billion in direct medical expenditures; and

Whereas, Nearly 3.1 million men in the U.S. Are living with a prostate cancer diagnosis; that number is estimated to climb to 4 million by 2024 as men in the baby boomer generation age; and

Whereas, all men are at risk of prostate cancer and we encourage the citizens of (city) to increase the importance of prostate screening.

73 away!

We are 73 signatures away from having the first in the nation to have ZERO The End Of Prostate Cancer license plates.

email me to sign

Linda@zerocancer.org

 

Virtual Capitol Hill Day March 2021

Usually, this time of the year Ray and I are in Washington, D/C. For the ZERO The End Of Prostate Cancer Summit. The next day after the Summit is Capitol Hill Day. This year everything was virtual including Capitol Hill Day. March 8^th we had one zoom meeting and on March 10^th we had seven a total of eight for the Ohio Crew. Our meetings were with the legislative staff from the offices of Congressman Tim Ryan, Senator Sherrod Brown, Congressman Steve Chabot, Senator Rob Portman, Congresswoman Marci Kaptur, Congressman Anthony Gonzalez, Congressman Dave Joyce and Congresswoman Joyce Beatty. All the meetings went great and very receptive to our ask and hearing our stories about prostate cancer. We also asked the Legislative offices to sign the (House) King-Bishop dear colleague to the House Appropriations Committee supporting funding for PCRP program. And also sign the (Senate) Mendez-Crapo dear colleague letter to the Senate Approbations Committee will be circulated later in the year.

Legislative Asks

$120 million for Prostate Cancer Research Program (PCRP) at the Department of Defense (DOD)

$16. 2 million for prostate cancer outreach, surveillance, and education funding at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with emphasis on high-risk men.

Co-sponsorship of H.R. 1176, the PSA for HIM Act

*Elimination of PSA copay for African-American men and men with a family history of the disease

*Introduced by Representative Rush (D-FL) and Representative Bucshon (R-IN)

Co-sponsorship of the Veterans Prostate Cancer Treatment and Research Act when it is introduced by Representative Dunn (R-FL)

*Would require the VA to establish a clinical pathway for prostate treatment,

We urge Congress to support $120 million in funding for the PCRP in the FY 2022 DOD appropriations bill and fight any effort to undermine or eliminate the program in the National Defense Authorization Act

Provide $16.2 million (an additional $2M) for prostate cancer activities at the CDC, targeting high-risk populations in the Labor-NHS-Education FY 22 appropriations bill

The Prostate-Specific Antigen Screening for High-risk insured Men (PSA Screening for HIM) Act-H.R.1176 (Representative Rush (D-IL) and Representative Bucshon (R-IN)

*Waives deductibles, co-payments, and coinsurance for prostate cancer screenings for men who have a

family history of prostate cancer or who are African-American

*Instructs insurers and government agencies to treat these populations as if they had an “A” pr “B”

grade from USPSTF, which the Affordable Care Act ties insurance coverage

*USPSTF released finalized its PSA recommendation in May 2018 and improved the screening grade

from a “D” to a “C”

Veterans Prostate Cancer Treatment and Research Act = VA Clinical Pathways for Prostate Cancer

*Representative Dun (R-FL) will soon introduce legislation requiring the VA to develop a clinical

pathway for prostate cancer

*Pathways focus on the quality and efficiency of care after decisions have been made about what

procedures or services to perform, “Guidelines” are decision support tools for physicians to make

evidence-based decisions about treatment options, whereas a pathway, may be viewed as a quality

assurance tool for a hospital or system.

*Clinical Pathway is a plan of care that translates clinical guidelines into a structured and

standardized intervention for a specific clinical problem in a specific population of patients. It

includes time frames for progression through the pathway. 

Prostate screening

 How much do you about a prostate screening?

The screening process consists of a few tests. What tests are they?

1) a colonoscopy

2) a PSA test (blood draw)

3) a DRE

4) A biopsy

5) All the above

What is your answer?

 USPSTF released finalized it PSA recommendations in May 2018 and improved the screening grade from a "D" to a "C"