Community Outreach and Engagement

PROJECT SUMMARY The Fred Hutch/University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Cancer Consortium (Consortium) catchment area includes all of Washington state (WA) and includes 7.6 million individuals. The majority (86%) of Consortium cancer cases arise from the catchment area. The COE office amplifies the mission of the Consortium for all: to improve understanding of cancer, prevention, diagnosis, therapies, and participation in cancer care and research. The COE office leads an ongoing needs assessment to define and address the cancer burden in Washington. The five most common cancer sites for incidence and mortality include female breast, prostate, lung, hematologic, and colorectal cancers. American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) and non-Hispanic Black people experience the highest cancer incidence and mortality rates, respectively. We use a logic model as a framework for our work, which centers bidirectional community engagement. COE convenes community-based organizations (CBOs) in three Community Action Boards (CABs) for Western, Central, and Eastern regions of Washington to provide guidance on community needs and join efforts of the WA Comprehensive Cancer Control (CCC) Coalition. COE’s Recruitment and Retention Resource (R&RSR) advises researchers on enrolling research participants and is now a Cancer Center Support Grant developing shared resource that works closely with Clinical Research Support to improve participation in cancer clinical trials (CCT). Our catchment area pilot grant program encourages investigators to pursue research that addresses the needs of and engages catchment populations. The Consortium liaison program bidirectionally integrates COE and CABs into each Consortium program. Clinical patient navigation (CPN) addresses educational, social, and cultural needs of patients, reducing barriers to cancer treatment and CCT. COE organizes these resources to achieve the COE Specific Aims: 1. Define and continuously monitor the cancer burden in the catchment area. 2. Use a bidirectional approach to implement education, programs, and policies to reduce the cancer burden in the catchment area. 3. Facilitate research relevant to the catchment area to reduce the burden of cancer, including engaging catchment communities with Consortium researchers. 4. Facilitate cancer research in high need areas beyond the catchment area. COE Impact. We expanded the catchment area statewide and established offices and CABs in each region, which provided impetus to re-ignite the WA CCC plan. The R&RSR fulfilled >20 requests/year for recruitment of research participants. CPN navigated >1800 patients/year. We awarded 29 grants to CBOs statewide, funded four catchment area pilot grants with >twofold funding in return and launched an initiative to improve cancer health among AI/AN communities. We monitor the cancer burden and support catchment programs, research, and CCT.