Today, the International Gynecologic Cancer Society has reached a membership milestone – we now have over 4,000 members! That’s 4,000 gynecologic cancer care professionals dedicated to improving women’s health, quality-of-life, and advancing cancer care within their region and worldwide.
In 2016, the IGCS was made up of less than 1,000 members. In eight years, our society has expanded and transformed through the power of key volunteer leaders and engaged members ready to help their society. This growth has and will continue to affect real change in global health as our reach is well balanced in low-, middle-, and high-income regions of the world—our members span over 122 countries.
This year, I challenged myself and my team along with the leadership of the IGCS to “THINK BIG.” With a global society, there is so much work to do. I’ve been reminding my team and our board often and we’ve been taking bold actions in developing our programs and keeping the lines of communication open. And we have been rewarded with unprecedented membership growth! I’m proud to see what the IGCS has become and determined to see what more we can achieve.
Our membership has grown not only because of the individual members called to our society’s mission but also in large part thanks to our Strategic Alliance Partner Program. Through this program, regional groups and societies of gynecologic cancer care professionals have partnered with the IGCS to bring educational opportunities to their members and to facilitate collaboration with other IGCS members on a global scale.
Rosie Stephans, IGCS Membership and Administrative Coordinator said, “The interest and engagement coming from our regional partners to renew their group memberships each year is so encouraging. Many of these individuals would not have had the resources to afford membership on their own. Through this program, physicians and researchers are finding the value in being a part of the IGCS. And we value them too.”
IGCS President, Dr. Keiichi Fujiwara said “This is a major milestone for the IGCS. Seeing this rapid growth over the last few years shows me that we are on the right path to advancing gynecologic cancer care and women’s healthcare worldwide. As the society’s membership spreads in various regions of the world, we can develop a truly global network, share knowledge, and collaborate to overcome obstacles for the benefit of our patients. A diverse membership is important to strengthen our society and closing the gaps in care is our ultimate goal.”
Not only is the IGCS membership growing, but the International Gynecologic Cancer Advocacy Network is also starting to take shape with the participation of dozens of patient advocacy groups and foundations in the Uterine Cancer Awareness Month Campaign. Together, we can do more!
See a full list of IGCS Strategic Alliance Partners here and view the IGCANetwork partners here. Thank you all for being a part of the IGCS and IGCANetwork!
Mary Eiken, MS
IGCS CEO