Community Outreach and Engagment

PROJECT SUMMARY – COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT The mission of the Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) Office is to reduce the burden of cancer and cancer health disparities across Wisconsin through impactful outreach and community engagement spanning the cancer control continuum from prevention to survivorship. The Specific Aims of COE are: (Aim 1) increase understanding of the cancer burden in Wisconsin with a focus on achieving health equity; (Aim 2) foster mutually beneficial community relationships and engage communities in research; and (Aim 3) disseminate and implement evidence-based interventions and policy recommendations. Motivated by our growing reach throughout the state clinically and through expansion of our impactful research and outreach activities, the choice of the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center (UWCCC) catchment as the state of Wisconsin resulted from internal strategic planning and recommendations by our External Advisory Board and Community Advocacy Boards. The UWCCC prioritizes, invests in, and mobilizes research and outreach efforts that: reduces the greatest burden of cancer across the catchment; leverages the novel scientific strengths and expertise at the UWCCC; and addresses cancer types (breast, prostate, head and neck, and leukemia/myeloma) and their risk factors (smoking, alcohol drinking, HPV vaccination) where rates in Wisconsin are greater than in the U.S. overall, notably African American, American Indian, and rural residents. To achieve our aims, COE links basic, clinical, translational, and population scientists with community members through routine structured forums and individual guidance to build the evidence base for interventions that benefit our catchment area and beyond. Expanding infrastructure draws upon the relationships between COE personnel and UWCCC senior leaders, leaders of training and diversity efforts, clinical care and research teams, and statewide research and outreach partners including faith-based organizations, advocacy groups, affiliated health systems, and regional networks. Multiple impactful efforts demonstrate how the COE Office has leveraged the expertise and resources of the UWCCC for statewide impact including exponential statewide case submission to the Precision Medicine Molecular Tumor Board, numerous effective tobacco cessation interventions for at-risk individuals and cancer patients, powerful media campaigns, substantive increases in clinical trial recruitment among historically underrepresented populations, and successful influence on policy changes through cooperative relationships with state lawmakers. Collaborative relationships with our Community Advocacy Boards, diversity and equity leaders, Statewide UW Extension partners, and the State’s Comprehensive Cancer Control Program maximize our ability to ensure our research reflects the voices and needs of our catchment. The COE leadership team has over two decades of community-engaged participatory research experience. A reimagined COE strategic plan provides an innovative framework for COE activities and guideposts for evaluating progress towards our common vision and shared goals for defeating cancer and achieving cancer health equity across Wisconsin and beyond.