Community Oncology Alliance hires Julie McDowell to lead communications

The Community Oncology Alliance has named Julie McDowell as director of communications, putting a veteran health care communications leader in charge of media, digital and advocacy messaging. The hire is meant to sharpen COA’s national voice as it pushes for independent community oncology and patient access to care.

Why it matters: - COA is adding a communications leader with deep experience in cancer care, federal policy and media strategy. - The role sits at the center of COA’s effort to raise the profile of independent community oncology practices and the patients they serve. - Stronger messaging could help COA reach policymakers, reporters and health care stakeholders more consistently.

What happened: - The Community Oncology Alliance announced that Julie McDowell has joined COA as director of communications. - McDowell will lead COA’s communications strategy and execution. - She will oversee media relations, digital and editorial content, and messaging tied to COA’s advocacy priorities, professional networks, events and special initiatives. - COA said McDowell will work with leaders, members and partners to expand the organization’s national reach.

The details: - McDowell brings more than 20 years of experience leading communications for national health care associations. - Her background spans cancer care, federal health policy, media relations and member engagement. - She most recently served as director of strategic communications and digital content at the College of American Pathologists. - At CAP, she led communications across media relations, digital, social media, email, podcasts and the web. - She also handled communications for federal and state advocacy issues including Medicare physician reimbursement, laboratory-developed test oversight, and artificial intelligence and digital pathology policy. - McDowell’s work at CAP included a national media briefing series that won a 2026 ASAE Gold Circle Award. - The series connected physician experts with CNN, NBC, FOX and NPR and produced more than 70 broadcast segments. - She also led communications for the 2026 Pathologists Leadership Summit, which reached 175 congressional offices. - McDowell directed communications for CAP’s electronic cancer protocols, which support cancer reporting and treatment decisions. - Before CAP, she held communications and editorial roles at the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine and Washington G-2 Reports. - McDowell earned a master’s degree in nonfiction writing from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

Between the lines: - COA is signaling that communications is a policy tool, not just a support function. - McDowell’s background in advocacy-heavy health organizations suggests COA wants tighter coordination between media outreach, public messaging and legislative priorities. - Her experience translating technical issues into broad media coverage fits COA’s need to make community oncology easier for outside audiences to understand.

What’s next: - McDowell will begin shaping COA messaging across advocacy, media and digital channels. - COA is likely to use the hire to boost visibility around independent community oncology and patient access issues. - McDowell said she looks forward to working with members, advocates and staff to communicate the value of independent community oncology and support policies that protect patient access to care.

The bottom line: - COA is betting that a seasoned health care communicator can help strengthen its voice in the fight over how and where cancer care is delivered.

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