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The co-founders of Research Advocacy Network have over 30 combined years in patient advocacy
and cancer research and represent various areas of expertise and backgrounds in NPO management,
education, patient services, grants management, research programs and facilitation and collaboration.
Mary Lou Smith
Mary Lou Smith is formerly Director of Patient, Payer and Government Relations for the Coalition of
National Cancer Cooperative Groups. She is currently serving as co-chair of the ECOG Patient
Representative Committee and as a community member of the IRB at Rush Presbyterian St Luke’s
Medical Center. Mary Lou is past president of Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization and serves
on the Cancer Leadership Council and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Breast Cancer
Treatment and Screening Guidelines Committees. She has served on the National Breast Cancer
Coalition’s Board of Directors and currently is an alternate to the Board. She is a 16-year breast
cancer survivor. Mary Lou was instrumental in the funding and organization of the Training Program
and has been influential in many advocacy efforts. She has spent over 20 years in health care.
Before coming to the Coalition she developed managed care products for the Blue Cross and Blue
Shield Association, including a “centers of excellence” network for pediatric oncology, a women’s
health initiative, clinical trials program, transplant medical review service, national second opinion
consulting panel, case management network and a national utilization management capacity.
Mary Lou has a Juris Doctorate with a Health Law Certification and a master’s degree in Business
Administration.
Elda Railey
Following 12 years of service with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation as Director of Grants,
where she led one of the largest programs for private funding of breast cancer research, Elda is now
an independent consultant working with patient advocacy organizations. Her interests include education
programs to enhance access for people of all backgrounds and socioeconomic status to quality
healthcare. She specializes in collaborations and training advocates for effective integration in research
and patient advocacy. Clients include: The Coalition of National Cancer Cooperative Groups, The National
Lymphedema Network, American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons and the Colorectal Cancer Network.
She has reviewed for Komen, Avon-NCI Partners in Progress, CDC and is a member
of the Intercultural Cancer Council, the External Advisory Board of the UCSF Breast Cancer SPORE and
the Conference Committee for Healthcare Advocates at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill,
School of Public Health. In her capacity with the Coalition of National Cancer Cooperative Groups she
has been contributing author on Modules 3: Drug Development, Module 4:Surgical and Radiation
Therapies and Module 6: Tissue and Its Use for the Patient Advocate Training Program and served as
coordinator for the Advocate Training Program. She serves on the Patient Advocate Committee for
ACOSOG.
Judy Perotti, M.S.
Judy Perotti is a consultant to various organizations such as the Coalition of National Cancer
Cooperative Groups. She brings to her work five plus years of experience as the Director of Patient
Services at Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization. She ran the Y-ME National Hotline, was
responsible for the training and education of staff and volunteers and oversaw Y-ME’s involvement in
SWOG S9832, CALGB 49907 and a pilot project to provide support to two ECOG studies. She is the
author of Understanding Your Breast Cancer Pathology Report, a brochure for breast cancer patients
published by Y-ME in 2000 and coauthor of The Patient Advocate Response: A Perspective On Assessing
The Clinical Significance For Quality Of Life Measures (publication pending). She is a member of the
ASCO Aromatase Inhibitors Technology Assessment Panel and the NCI Program for the assessment of
Clinical Cancer Tests (PACCT) Breast Cancer Working Group. Perotti is a member of the NCCTG Patient
Advocacy Working Group and the NSABP Patient Advocacy Committee. Perotti is a survivor of breast
cancer since 1988 and 2003.
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