Outreach & Engagement Core

Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff AZ

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

Cancer is the second leading cause of mortality for American Indian Alaska Native (AIAN) populations. In Arizona (AZ), only the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Tribe have Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funding through the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program to provide breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services. The San Carlos Apache Tribe and the Tohono O’odham Nation use local funds to provide cancer education. Despite the overwhelming need for cancer related services and the Partnership for Native American Cancer Prevention’s (NACP) accomplishments in building program capacity, the remaining 18 of the 22 AZ AIAN Nations have no sustained cancer support programs or trained patient navigators to promote screening, explain treatment options, and support cancer patients and their families. This persistent need is linked to challenges in securing external funding and limited availability of patient navigation training specific to AIAN communities. In collaboration with these communities, NACP is well positioned to build on the expertise of the Hopi Tribe and Navajo Nation to enhance capacity among other AZ AIAN communities ready for robust cancer control programming to address all barriers to cancer care. The Outreach and Engagement Core’s (OEC) long-term goal is to strengthen AZ AIAN capacity and infrastructure to provide sustained, community-based cancer education, screening and care services to advance cancer health outcomes. In the next cycle, OEC will continue integrating community and contemporary scientific perspectives to leverage community assets to address community needs, an approach being adopted throughout NACP called the two-eyed seeing approach. The objectives of the Core’s proposal are to: a) enhance AIAN health department expertise in cancer education and patient navigation through training, peer-program mentoring, and program development, and b) increase access to and application of information generated by NACP funded research projects, as well as state and national resources. A guiding principle of the OEC is collaboration, specifically the continuation and expansion of partnerships with institutional partners, AIAN serving entities to build regional capacity through coalition building, supporting communities’ own efforts to bring cancer related services to their citizens, and mentoring NACP investigative teams to disseminate relevant research results to our community partners. Aim 1. Enhance AZ AIAN cancer patient navigation capacity through training and mentorship of community partners across the cancer care continuum. Aim 2: Facilitate a national AIAN cancer network to build programmatic knowledge, funding, and infrastructure for AZ. Aim 3. Mentor and guide NACP research teams in effective community-based dissemination and application of research activities through enhanced training.