Community Outreach and Engagement

Beckman Research Institute/City Of Hope, Duarte CA

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Abstract Community Outreach and Engagement Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) activities of COHCCC are led from the Center of Community Alliance for Research & Education (CCARE), which was created in 2006 in response to Catchment Area cancer burden and health disparities. COHCCC‘s overall goal is to enhance COE impact by fully integrating and amplifying community outreach and engagement throughout the COHCCC and its Catchment Area. Our Catchment Area encompasses the Southern California counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino totaling 18 million Californians who are among the most ethnically diverse population in our nation. The COE team facilitates community-scientist-clinician collaborations for community engagement in cancer prevention and COHCCC research. COE’s work is informed by population-level data and our community health needs assessments and by guidance from our multiethnic Community Advisory Board (representing the four counties of our Catchment Area) and by the COHCCC Director and Leaders. During this cycle, COHCCC heavily invested in COE, creating a robust COE team that includes four new staff, four faculty affiliates, and twelve Faculty Champions. Highlighted COHCCC COE accomplishments: Expanded and deepen ties with community partners (CAB) towards reducing Catchment Area cancer burden and disparities targeting two key priority areas: common cancers (colorectal, breast, lung, prostate), and preventable cancers (cervical). We also prioritize unique cancers with disparities (liver, myeloma). COE facilitated Catchment Area responsive research in all five COHCCC Programs (see Table 5). COE championed minority accrual efforts within the Clinical Trials Office, contributed to our diversity strategy (PED), and informed training and education (CRTEC) diversity workshops. Using a “Train-the-Trainer” approach, the COE team led 78 workshops training >550 advocates, clinicians, and navigators to increase community cancer prevention (e.g., smoking cessation) and screening and trained 105 multiethnic navigators to improve community research awareness and participation in clinical studies. COE Specific Aims are: Aim 1. Identify and attend to cancer burden, risk factors, societal determinants of health, and community health needs within the COHCCC Catchment Area. Aim 2. Build capacity for community driven cancer prevention/control and implement community responsive interventions and screening to reduce cancer burden across the lifespan. Aim 3. Mobilize COHCCC Catchment Area and equity focused research. Aim 4. Expand policy engagement on access to care and clinical studies within and beyond our Catchment Area. For the next cycle, these reach of these aims will be expanded using communication and digital technology and through implementation and team science approaches for greater community reach and service to reduce Catchment Area cancer burden and disparities.