Community Outreach and Engagement

ABSTRACT: Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center (HCCC) Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) is dedicated to assuring that the efforts of the HCCC are relevant to the State of Iowa, and that the HCCC and the people of Iowa, including minority and underserved populations, are engaged in HCCC cancer research. The overarching goal of HCCC COE is to alleviate Iowans' cancer burden by activating researchers and the population in assessing and addressing community-aligned priorities. Priorities include cancers in which Iowa is a top 5 state in incidence, mortality, or is increasing over time (colorectal, kidney, leukemia, lymphoma, melanoma, pancreatic); rural access to cancer screening and care; obesity-related cancers; environmental exposures to radon and agricultural chemicals; HPV-related cancers; and racial/ethnic disparities in cancer mortality. HCCC COE includes three interrelated specific aims and associated activities: (1) to assess the catchment area needs and understand health disparities; (2) to address these needs through strategic research across the HCCC; and (3) to engage the community and disseminate and evaluate evidence-based interventions. At the center of these aims is the HCCC Community Advisory Board whose advice guides priority-setting, inclusion of under-represented populations in research, and assuring cancer control activities are aligned with priorities. HCCC COE activities include providing data and geospatial visualizations to monitor goals and support community health needs assessment; communicating with researchers about community-driven priorities; pilot grants and technical assistance for researchers from any program for community-engaged research; expansion of efforts to enhance inclusion of under-represented populations; expansion of a rural cancer research network; and linking research to policy and disseminating information about cancer prevention and control guidelines and policies. HCCC Director George Weiner, MD and Associate Director of Population Science and Community Engagement, Elizabeth Chrischilles, PhD conduct strategic planning in consultation with the 20-member HCCC Community Advisory Board and three HCCC COE co-leaders Mary Charlton, PhD (Aim 1); Natoshia Askelson, PhD (Aim 2); and Kelly Sittig (Aim 3). The Co-leaders implement the HCCC COE logic model which includes a continuous cycle of interactions with the Community Advisory Board and associated activities, outcomes, and evaluation metrics.