The Phoenix Area Indian Health Service (HIS) cares for more than 100,000 Indian people extending from the small Cocopah tribe in southwestern Arizona to the widely dispersed Paiute tribe in Nevada and Utah. Phoenix Indian Medical Center (PIMC) is the largest hospital in the IHS. Patients are referred here for specialized care not available at the reservation facilities. The Arizona Cancer Center together with the PIMC wish to compete as a single site for CA-99-003 a unique RFA for minority health research and minority advancement. The Principal Investigator will be Dr. Michael Lobell who worked with PIMC since 1991 directing the oncology clinic. This award will give us the funding to develop programs that will improve oncology care for our patients stressing cultural sensitivity and trust. Working with an advisory board that combines the talents of PIMC as well as the Arizona Cancer Center and the National Cancer Institute, a strong oncology program dedicated to our native American patients is the goal. To accomplish this goal, tribal representation on the advisory board and a close and continuous relationship with the tribes is essential. Cancer awareness will be promoted through educational programs and health fairs. Telecommunication will be available at several sites to allow for immediate consultation. The Arizona Cancer Center through the Women's health Initiative and its superb cancer prevention and early detection program will be a very strong resource not oniy in adding to patient care but in training of Native American physicians in cancer related research. Offsite clinics for patient follow-up will be considered by the advisory board. Integration of traditional Native American healing concepts will be strongly encouraged as an integral part of protocol development. Establishment of partnerships with other community groups will be a focus of the advisory board. The success of the project will be measured by the increase in number of Native American patients to clinical trials as well as the successful training of Native American physicians and scientists in clinical and academic medicine. To serve our patients best we must continue to stress mutual trust, cultural sensitivity and tribal representation.
| Coe, Kathryn; Wilson, Charlton; Eisenberg, Merrill et al. (2006) Creating the environment for a successful community partnership. Cancer 107:1980-6 |
