Community Outreach and Engagement

Research Inst Of Fox Chase Can Ctr, Philadelphia PA

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT – COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT Fox Chase Cancer Center (FCCC) has a long legacy of community engagement and research aimed to meet the needs of the catchment area (CA) with discovery, cancer prevention, and care. Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) is led by Charnita Zeigler-Johnson, PhD, MPH, new Associate Director for COE. Her support team includes Assistant Director of Catchment Area Data and Research Translation, Shannon Lynch, PhD, MPH; Assistant Director of Community Outreach and Evaluation, Evelyn González, MA; twelve COE staff; and a diverse and active Community Advisory Board (CAB). The FCCC CA includes 7.5 million residents, consists of primarily urban and suburban counties spanning two states (including six counties in southeastern Pennsylvania and nine counties in southern New Jersey) and has racial/ethnic, linguistic, cultural, and socioeconomic diversity. Cancer incidence is 12% higher in the FCCC CA than in the US population generally and has striking racial/ethnic disparities for several cancers, notably the CA priority cancers (lung, prostate, liver, cervical, breast, bladder, and pancreas). To be responsive and proactive to the needs of the CA, COE addresses the following specific aims. Aim 1: Evaluate and monitor the cancer burden, disparities, risk factors and needs of the CA. Aim 2: Promote bidirectional communication by engaging community stakeholders, FCCC leadership, and research program COE liaisons to inform research priorities and community outreach. Aim 3: Facilitate cancer research activities responsive to CA needs and that address health disparities. Aim 4: Implement and evaluate community outreach, cancer control and policy activities in collaboration with community partners in the CA. COE's achievements since the prior review include having: 1) conducted a Community Needs Assessment and additional cancer-focused surveys to more than 1,400 members of the CA to help direct FCCC strategies; 2) worked with the CAB to identify and finalize priority cancers in the new FCCC Strategic Plan; 3) increased the New Jersey representation of our CAB; 4) supported bidirectional communication by implementing COE liaisons; 4) created three COE-led teams; 5) created a pilot grant program to engage cancer center members in community-engaged research; 6) conducted educational sessions and events that reached more than 13,000 people; 7) increased investment in COE from $1.1M to $2.1M per year (2019 vs. 2023); 8) launched a Community Ambassadors' Program and 9) purchased a new mobile screening van, with expanded services (including phlebotomy for biosample collection and an exam table for cervical screening). We have successfully collaborated with CRTEC and the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (ODEIA) on multiple initiatives, such as providing cancer and career education to diverse students from the Philadelphia School District in partnership with the AACR. Lastly, we have facilitated impactful policy wins, with the passage of four state bills in Pennsylvania to reduce costs for breast cancer detection and genetic testing.