Council History

The KP National Cancer Patient Advisory Council (CPAC) was formed in May of 2024 and has been very active and productive since. It includes both cancer patients and caregivers. It is part of a rich history of KP’s leadership in the Person & Family Centered Care (PFCC) space with 1600 Patient Partners and over 100 Patient Advisory Councils across all levels of the KP Universe.

Council Purpose

The purpose of the KP National Cancer Advisory Council is to support the development and optimization of cancer care at Kaiser Permanente. In partnership with the National Excellence in Cancer Care team, the council Patient Partners provide input and influence for a variety of cancer care related topics including the overall strategy and specific programs. The council meets about every month and has provided feedback on almost every one of KP’s national cancer care topics and programs. Their impact has been meaningful and has led to relevant, high quality, safe and exceptional experiences for KP members, patients, caregivers, and employers now and in the future.

There are numerous examples of the impact the council has created:

  • One example of the impact of their influence in the strategy space is around the use of certain terms and language for cancer care. Members recommended moving from the phrase “fighting cancer” to a less combative term as it might imply those who pass from cancer perhaps did not “fight hard enough”.

  • Another example was the input they provided for the Kaiser Permanente National Cancer Support Line. This line provides a direct line for KP members to call for comprehensive non-clinical cancer support services. They helped to name the line, the name of the Cancer Support Specialist role, services offered and the tone and content of promotional materials.

  • A third example is the co-design and optimization of how the electronic symptoms management tool for chemotherapy patients allows patients to report their symptoms to their care team in a less burdensome way with symptom management tips sheets available to patients for all of the symptoms they report.

Council Membership

The council members are well-rounded and insightful. There is representation on the council from each of our 8 regions.

For more information about this council, please email EICCT@kp.org.