The National Coalition of Hispanic Health and Human Services Organizations (COSSMHO) proposes a five-year program to establish and maintain the National Hispanic Leadership Initiative on Cancer (NHLIC). This initiative will build on two major strengths (1) COSSMHO's 19 years of expertise in coordinating national projects among diverse Hispanic communities and establishing broad based coalitions at the national and local levels, and (2) the experience and expertise of the seven regional coordinating centers and their respective Chairpersons: California Region, jean Richardson, Dr.P.H., Co-Director, Cancer Control Division, USC - Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA; Southeast Region (FL, GA), Edward Trapido, Ph.D., Assistant Director, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Miami, Miami, FL; Midwest Region, (Mary) Noel Chavez, Ph.D., R.D., Assistant Professor, Community Health Sciences Program, School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, IL; Northeast Region (NY, NJ, CT, MA), Jon F. Kerner, Ph.D., Director, Division of Cancer Control, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Caribbean Region (PR, VI), Angel Roman-Franco, M.D., Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR; Southwest Region (AZ, CO, NM), Manuel R. Modiano, M.D., Assistant Professor of Medicine, Director, Minority Cancer Control Activities, Arizona Cancer Center, Tucson, AZ; and Texas Region, Rumaldo Z. Juarez, Ph.D., Director, U.T. Texas-Mexico Boarder Health Coordination Office, U.T. Pan American University, Edinburg, TX. See support letters from each proposed RCC and from key agencies in the region. The NHLIC will achieve the following objectives: (1) Link existing components to establish the infrastructure for the NHLIC. (2) Identify the barriers preventing Hispanics from obtaining information on cancer, access to quality care, and referral to appropriate screening, diagnostic and therapeutic cancer programs. (3) Prevent future cancer incidence and mortality rate increases in Hispanic communities. (4) Improve cancer survival rates and reduce cancer mortality rates in Hispanic communities. (5) Evaluate the national outreach program through outcome and process measures.
