Community Outreach and Engagement

Program Director/Principal Investigator (Last, First, Middle): Chu, Edward COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The overarching goal of the MECC Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) is to promote health equity and reduce disparities in cancer-related health outcomes in our Bronx catchment area (CA). More than 85% of patients who come to MECC for cancer care reside in this CA. The Bronx is a community of nearly 1.5 million residents, with 55% Hispanic/Latinx, 33% Black, 14% White, and 34% identifying with two or more races. Bronx residents are 35% foreign-born and 26% report difficulty with English. The Bronx is designated as a persistent poverty county with over 24% of residents living at or below the poverty level. The case mix of patients that come to MECC reflects this diversity. Cancer incidence in the Bronx is strongly associated with neighborhood poverty. As such, COE focuses on addressing social determinants of health in partnership with the community. Our specific aims are to: 1) Define, assess, and monitor cancer burden in the Bronx CA; 2) Develop, implement, and evaluate the impact of strategies to address the cancer burden; 3) Foster and facilitate catchment area- relevant research within all MECC Research Programs; 4) Enhance enrollment of underrepresented patients in clinical trials; and 5) Share lessons learned through dissemination to advance cancer health equity The MECC COE is led by Bruce Rapkin, PhD, Associate Director for COE. MECC’s COE efforts are built upon exceptionally strong relationships with community and health system partners. COE activities span the cancer continuum, from prevention and early detection to treatment to survivorship and supportive care. The COE team consists of project coordinators, data managers, and community outreach specialists, along with cancer patient advocates and pre-med interns. COE partners with community, clinic and public health sectors to leverage established programs and relationships. COE strategies are conceived and guided by a Community Advisory Board (CAB), COE liaisons from MECC Research Programs, and MECC Senior Leadership to ensure alignment of action, research, policy and practice. Our Learning Health Care Community logic model fosters on-going data- driven decision-making and problem-solving among these multiple stakeholders. Ongoing needs assessments provide direction and iterative feedback on metrics of success. Disseminating MECC research outcomes is intrinsic to the process. By addressing cancer equity in the broader context of social determinants through community partnerships, we have been able to arrive at solutions that are making a real difference in our CA. COE seeks to continue to expand and innovate as we work to become a national model for reducing cancer incidence and disparities in diverse populations. OMB No. 0925-0001/0002 (Rev. 03/2020 Approved Through 02/28/2023) Page