Centering Voices: How POQC Is Shaping Cancer Care in Michigan
Since its creation in 2017, MOQC’s Patient and Caregiver Oncology Quality Council (POQC) has become a powerful example of what it means to center the lived experiences of patients and caregivers in quality improvement. What began as a small group of dedicated individuals has evolved into a structured, representative council of people from across Michigan, spanning varied backgrounds, diagnoses, and regions. These members not only bring their stories and expertise but also help shape the future of cancer care across the state.
In 2025, POQC defined its core values: Integrity, Compassion, Collaboration, and Empowerment. These values serve as a foundation for how POQC operates and shows up in partnership with MOQC. Building on this, POQC also finalized its purpose statement: We use our lived experiences to improve cancer care in Michigan. Together, these guiding elements will shape the council’s direction and impact moving forward.
June Biannual Meeting
During the June meeting, MOQC invited practices to reflect on their own engagement with patients and caregivers: Do you have a patient and caregiver advisory group? Do you regularly gather feedback from those with lived experience before launching new processes? What benefits have you seen, or could you imagine, from deeper partnership?
POQC workgroups also shared updates on their 2025 priorities:
- The Recruitment and Retention Workgroup is focused on deepening community partnerships and creating more open spaces for patient and caregiver engagement. This includes updating patient-facing materials and seeking opportunities, like community events or collaborative learning sessions, for council members to grow and contribute.
- The Financial Navigation Workgroup launched a high-demand training funded by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and partnered with the Patient Advocate Foundation and Gilead Sciences to understand how practices screen for unmet non-medical needs. Read more about these initiatives in this newsletter under MOQC’s “Financial Navigation Training Empowers Oncology Practice Members Across Michigan” and “Enhancing Screening for Unmet Non-Medical Needs Through Practice Collaboration.”
- The Patient & Caregiver Resources Workgroup expanded MOQC’s online resource library (visit CancerHelp.moqc.org) to include new topics such as diet and nutrition, disability support, mindfulness, social and veteran support, and more. The workgroup also secured funding for a pilot caregiver navigation training in Southeast Michigan, offering practices the opportunity to build skills and improve support for those caring for someone with cancer. If your practice is in Lapeer, Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw, or Wayne counties and is interested in this training please contact moqc@moqc.org.
These efforts reflect the heart of POQC’s work: that quality improvement is most effective when shaped by the people it’s meant to serve. POQC demonstrates what is possible when lived experiences drive system change in oncology care.