Community Outreach and Engagement

PROJECT SUMMARY – Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) The Office of Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center (NCCC) addresses the cancer-related community health needs for our catchment area of Los Angeles County (LAC), where 84% of NCCC patients reside. COE supports NCCC’s mission to reduce the cancer burden in our catchment area and beyond through research, education, outreach, and dissemination. To establish and align NCCC strategic priorities with the cancer burdens and unique disparities in our catchment area, COE leveraged data from the NCI-funded Cancer Surveillance Program (CSP), our ongoing Community Needs Assessment, a community environmental scan, and input from our Community Advisory Board (CAB). NCCC priorities include: prostate, breast, lung, liver, and colorectal cancers, and acute lymphoblastic leukemia as well as behavior change priorities, including obesity, tobacco/vaping, and HPV/cervical cancer prevention.

NCCC COE has the following Specific Aims: 1) to define, assess, and monitor cancer-relevant needs of our catchment area; 2) to foster catchment-relevant research, education, and outreach; 3) to enhance enrollment of community members across the lifespan in cancer-related research, including clinical trials; 4) to elevate the impact of NCCC research through policy/advocacy for our catchment area; and 5) to extend our reach beyond the catchment area. Signature achievements include: 1) in 2019 alone, we partnered on initiatives with 30 community-based organizations and disseminated educational materials to 290 community-based, patient-centered, and government organizations throughout LAC; 2) led or participated in 162 events, reaching a total of 519,782 individuals; ~80,000 individuals were engaged through social media, and over 600,000 were reached through Univision COE Spanish language television appearances; 3) fostered the new NCI U54 CaRE2 center grant (U54CA233465) as co-director of a COE Core; 4) contributed to the new NCI U19 prostate cancer RESPOND study in African American men by fostering recruitment (U19CA214253); 5) catalyzed and contributed to several cancer-related R01-level peer- reviewed grants and seven of eight NCI CCSG P30 supplements awarded in the current grant period; 6) developed six cancer-specific mini-monographs to monitor the cancer burden in the catchment area; 7) fostered recent major NCI grant submissions including an NCI Moonshot grant on engagement of Hispanic colorectal cancer patients in genomics research and an NCI P20 on liver cancer disparities in Hispanics (October 2020); 8) fostered strong accrual of communities and individuals across the lifespan to clinical trials; and (9) impacted public policy by participating in tobacco control coalitions in Los Angeles, Long Beach and Pasadena, testifying to pass bills on restricting electronic cigarette flavors and on prohibiting access to electronic cigarettes where combustible cigarettes are prohibited. COE extended its reach to the Toiyabe Tribe in Monyo County (CCSG Supplement) and to Amerindian tribes living in Los Angeles and the Central Valley.

Grant Number: 5P30CA014089-50
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: LOURDES BAEZCONDE-GARBANATI