Amplify the Patient Voice in Community Oncology Care: Rose Gerber, MS

Rose Gerber, MS, director of patient advocacy and education at the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) Patient Advocacy Network (CPAN), draws on her own cancer survivorship journey to guide patients toward finding their advocacy voice—and she says it all starts with listening.

Gerber credits her experience navigating a cancer diagnosis as the foundation for her approach to building CPAN. Just as her oncologist guided her through treatment 1 step at a time, she believes effective advocacy must be built incrementally. “Definitely start small. Listen,” she emphasizes.

For Gerber, personal storytelling is most powerful when paired with knowledge about the issue at hand and a genuine understanding of what matters to the person or organization you hope to engage. She put her expertise on full display at the 2026 Community Oncology Conference, where she spoke in 5 sessions across 2 days.

A central theme in her work is the importance of cultural sensitivity and communication flexibility. Having worked across diverse patient groups, from breast cancer communities to PAN-tumor coalitions, Gerber stresses that no single communication style fits all. Some patients prefer written materials to review privately; others want to hear directly from someone who shares their ethnic background. Her advice: bring as many perspectives to the table as possible.

Gerber joined COA with a mandate to transform an internal initiative into a structured advocacy program. Combining her professional background in business and communications with the clinical expertise of medical oncologist Rick Frame, MD, at Utah Cancer Specialists and CPAN’s inaugural medical co-chair, she launched the program by introducing an advocacy track at the COA annual conference.

Gerber is also a strong proponent of patients telling their own stories at medical conferences, arguing that even well-intentioned clinicians can unintentionally misrepresent a patient's lived experience. “Patients are experts in their own lived experience,” she says.

Perhaps her most candid advice concerns readiness. Gerber urges aspiring advocates to honestly assess whether they have emotionally processed their diagnosis before stepping into the role. She also encourages survivors to identify their unique skill set, whether presenting, writing, or fundraising, and find the advocacy path that fits them best.