Office of Community Engagement and Cancer Health Equity

Question 1

Members

Answer

Nita Karnik Lee, MD, MPH
Assistant Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Section of Gynecologic Oncology
Associate Director for Community Outreach and Engagement

Gina Curry, MPH, MBA
Director, Office of Community Engagement and Cancer Health Equity

Erika Rodriguez, BA
Latinx Outreach Specialist, Office of Community Engagement and Cancer Health Equity

Alia Poulos, MA, MPP
Education Outreach Specialist, Office of Community Engagement and Cancer Health Equity

Helen Lam, PhD, RN
Lead Community Health Educator, Office of Community Engagement and Cancer Health Equity

Question 2

LUCERO - Latinos United for Cancer Education, Research and Outreach

Answer

LUCERO, Latinos United for Cancer Education, Research and Outreach, our Latinx cancer control task force, works to engage Latinx communities within our catchment area and works to meet Latinx-focused cancer needs. LUCERO includes representation from various Latinx-serving community-based organizations, UChicago Medicine clinicians, cancer investigators and staff members from the Center for Supportive Oncology. LUCERO has administered a needs assessment to Chicagoland Latinx communities to understand their cancer-related priorities, barriers, needs and strengths. Using this data, LUCERO will identify key areas to focus their outreach work within local Latinx communities.

Question 3

Community Health Educators

Answer

OCECHE staff lead efforts in the local African-American and Asian communities to disseminate NCI culturally-tailored education materials promoting cancer screening and early detection, clinical trial and biobanking participation. The Community Health Educators (CHEs) develop and foster meaningful collaborative relationships with many community- and faith-based organizations which can positively impact vulnerable community members.

OCECHE is an active participant in the National Cancer Institute’s Screen to Save program. Through Screen to Save, community health educators funded by the NCI’s National Outreach Network (NON) provide culturally-tailored, evidence-based education and resources on colorectal cancer screening, HPV vaccination, and clinical trials participation within racially and ethnically diverse and rural communities nationwide.

Although the NCI discontinued the grant program, the UCCCC continues to sustain it using institutional funds since September 2022.

Question 4

Community Cancer Education

Answer

OCECHE brings cancer expertise to the community through culturally-tailored, evidence-based community cancer education sessions. Our topics are wide-ranging and we can accommodate small and large groups virtually, onsite at community locations or at the UChicago Hyde Park campus. Our community cancer education session offerings include:

COVID-19 and Cancer Care
Cancer and Nutrition
Cancer Survivorship and Support
Breast Cancer Screening
Cervical Cancer Screening and Early Detection
Tobacco Cessation

Are you interested in a topic related to cancer prevention, care or survivorship that’s not listed above? We may be able to tailor a cancer education session to meet the unique needs of your group; please contact us to coordinate.

Question 5

Community Health Worker Training

Answer

We know that community health workers are trusted patient providers and advocates within the communities they serve and play an integral role in public health. We work with local community-based organizations and colleges to train community health workers on cancer-focused topics so that they can expand their reach within their communities, providing quality care and patient navigation. We are responsive to the needs of our community partners and can design community health worker trainings on a variety of topics related to cancer prevention, screening, treatment, patient care, and survivorship.

Question 6

HealthyU

Answer

Our HealthyU program provides virtual education to the community through webinars and online Q&A with UChicago Medicine oncologists, cancer researchers, cancer support staff, patients and community advocates. Our webinars cover a variety of topics and feature speakers from across the cancer continuum. The full library of HealthyU webinars can be found on our YouTube page.

Question 7

Community/Researcher Partnership

Answer

We work with community stakeholders and cancer investigators at the University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center to broker relationships and allow for community integration into cancer research. We schedule consultations for cancer investigators looking to expand their community engagement efforts within their research programs as well as community stakeholders looking to become more involved in cancer-focused research projects.

Question 8

Community-Academic Partnership Pilot Grants

Answer

Our Community-Academic Partnership Pilot Grant program was developed to connect community-based organizations with University of Chicago cancer investigators to allow for equitable collaboration on a cancer research project. The seed grant provides funding and partnership with a UC cancer researcher to participate in a community-driven cancer research experience.

Question 9

Chinese Cancer Survivor Group

Answer

The only bilingual formalized cancer survivorship support group for Chinese-speaking cancer survivors and caregivers, meeting the needs of this vulnerable immigrant community with a known high burden of gastrointestinal and lung cancer.

For more information, contact Helen Lam at hvallina@bsd.uchicago.edu.

Question 10

NCI Connect for Cancer Prevention

Answer

As part of our mission to increase participation and representation of diverse groups in cancer research, OCECHE drives community awareness to the national Connect for Cancer Prevention cohort study. The Connect study aims to enroll 200,000 participants over the next five years to further investigate the etiology of cancer and its outcomes, which may inform new approaches in precision prevention and early detection. UChicago Medicine is one of nine healthcare sites across the country participating in this research effort and will help recruit people from all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds to ensure the study’s findings benefit the broadest number of people.

Question 11

Illinois Precision Medicine Consortium/All of Us Research Program

Answer

The OCECHE team members continue to play an important role in education and recruitment within diverse communities about the importance of participation and representation in the national All of Us research program. Please visit the Illinois Precision Medicine Consortium website for additional information.

Question 12

Cancer Policy Advocacy

Answer

Members of the OCECHE team and its Community Advisory Board are leading efforts to advocate for cancer policies that impact patients in partnership with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Chicago Department of Public Health, and the Illinois Department of Public Health. OCECHE supports legislative initiatives at the local, state, and federal level that advance cancer research, reduce cancer disparities, and provide equitable access to cancer prevention information and screening resources. Our office works with local organizations to educate the community on cancer policy and provide avenues for inclusive advocacy work.

Question 13

Oncology Lifetime Learners

Answer

The Oncology Lifetime Learners is an online cancer education program developed by a cancer survivor and a faculty cancer expert. These self-guided learning modules allow the community to learn about cancer at their own pace and on their schedule. OCECHE offers learners who complete any four self-guided learning modules an Oncology Lifetime Learners certificate that can be used on a resume or CV to show prospective employers, education programs, etc., that they are furthering their cancer knowledge through our educational programming. Courses on cancer-focused topics include: HPV, colorectal cancer, clinical trials, lung cancer, breast density, Cancer 101, Cancer 201, and skin cancer.

Question 14

Partnerships

Answer

Academy for Continued Healthcare Learning
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
American Cancer Society
Apostolic Church of God
Asian Health Coalition
Black Cancer Collaborative
Blue Hat Foundation
Calvary Baptist Church
Cancer Support Center
Cancer Support Team
Carolyn Y. Adams Breast Cancer Foundation
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Centro Comunitario Juan Diego
Chicago Department of Public Health
Chicago Family Health Center
Chicago Hispanic Health Coalition
Chicago Public Schools
Chicago State University
Chinese American Service League
EGFR Resisters
Elevated Survivorship
Endeleo Institute
Equal Hope
Friend Health
Illinois Cancer Partnership
Illinois Department of Public Health
IL State Representative Marcus Evans
Insight Hospital & Medical Center
Greater Roseland Breast Health Consortium
Matters at Heart
Metropolitan Asian Family Services
Mission of Faith Baptist Church
Muslim Women Resource Center
New Beginnings Church of Chicago
Nicole Cares Foundation
Northwestern University
Partnership for Healthier Asians (PHA)
Project Brotherhood
The New Roseland Community Hospital
Rush University
Sisters Working It Out
South Side Health Collaborative (SSHC)
Tapestry 360 Health
The Center for Faith and Community Health Transformation
Trinity United Church of Christ
University of Illinois Cancer Center
University of Chicago Medicine Urban Health Initiative
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority

Question 15

Community Research Advisors

Answer

Involving cancer patients and community members directly in the research process is a critical component in generating scientific evidence that is useful to patient and, more importantly, trusted. In 2022, OCECHE recruited experienced community members to provide community perspectives and deepen engagement with each of the UCCCC research programs.

Immunology & Cancer
Ramona Burress
Breast cancer survivor

Clinical & Experimental Therapeutics
Ivy Elkins
Lung cancer survivor

Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer
Kimberly Richardson
Breast & ovarian cancer survivor

Cancer Prevention & Control
Nichelle Stigger
Lung cancer survivor

Question 16

Partnership with Chicago State University

Answer

For over a decade, the UCCCC has partnered with minority-serving institution Chicago State University (CSU) to increase underrepresented minorities in the healthcare workforce as a mechanism to reduce disparities and advance research pertinent to the community.

In 2022, the UCCCC deepened this commitment and partnership by developing Associate Memberships for CSU faculty to provide research opportunities for them and help better diversify UCCCC’s researcher pool.

The two associate members from CSU are:

George R. Smith Jr., EdD, MPH
Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health and coordinator of the undergraduate program in public health at CSU

Yashika Watkins, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor in the Department of Public Health, College of Health Sciences at CSU

Office of Community Engagement and Cancer Health Equity

Our Team

Members

Programs

LUCERO - Latinos United for Cancer Education, Research and Outreach

Community Health Educators

Community Cancer Education

Community Health Worker Training

HealthyU

Community/Researcher Partnership

Community-Academic Partnership Pilot Grants

Chinese Cancer Survivor Group

NCI Connect for Cancer Prevention

Illinois Precision Medicine Consortium/All of Us Research Program

Cancer Policy Advocacy

Oncology Lifetime Learners

Partnerships

Partnerships

Community Research Advisors

Partnership with Chicago State University