Native People for Cancer Control (NPCC) is a currently funded regional Community Networks Program serving an 8-state region. NPCC is headquartered at the University of Washington in Seattle, with 3 additional sites that align geographically with the conduct of our Community Outreach Program activities. Site 1 includes Washington, Alaska, and Oregon;Site 2 includes Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming;and Site 3 includes North and South Dakota. South Dakota is also home to NPCC's partner organization, the non-profit, community-based Black Hills Center for American Indian Health (BHCAIH). NPCC is organized into an Administrative Core and Community Outreach, Research, and Training Programs. The Research Program is comprised of a Research Project, 2 Pilot Projects, and 2 Training Projects. Directorship of NPCC will be shared by Dedra Buchwald, MD, Professor of Medicine and Director, Partnerships for Native Health, University of Washington, and Jeffrey Henderson (Cheyenne River Sioux), MD, MPH, President and CEO of BHCAIH Aligned with the """"""""team science"""""""" approach of this application, the Administrative Core integrates the University's strength in administration, training, outreach, innovative community education, and methodology with the equally formidable strengths of BHCAIH in community-based participatory research and field work with American Indian and Alaska Native populations. This Core will provide day-to-day and long-term direction and support to NPCC. Accordingly, the Specific Aims of the Administrative Core are to 1) support logistical and field operations of the Research Projects, Pilot Projects, Community Outreach Program, and Training Program;2) stimulate, coordinate, and monitor diverse activities across the Research Projects, Pilot Projects, Community Outreach Program, and Training Program;3) supervise implementation of key strategic decisions; and 4) facilitate program planning, implementation, evaluation, and review. Administrative Core staff will support a broad range of logistical operations. The Steering Committee will make key strategic decisions and engage in program planning and review. Evaluations will be conducted in concert with program staff of the Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities and with NPCC's Community Advisory Group, comprised of local and regional experts and stakeholders. In addition to Drs. Buchwald and Henderson, other key Administrative Core personnel at the University of Washington who will implement logistical tasks are Ursula Tsosie (Navajo), MPH, and Carrie Nass, MPH, Co-Directors;Kim Tran, BA, Program Manager;and Michelle Xan, MS, Senior Computer Specialist. At BHCAIH, Sandra Albertson (Fort Peck Tribes), BA, Director of Grants and Contracts will assist Dr. Henderson.
The challenges of working with Native communities are not trivial. Few institutions possess the infrastructure on which to build and sustain a program of research on Native health disparities. Stable, continuous, culturally attuned resources are necessary to successfully mount and sustain a program of research under these conditions, carrying it past the intermittent, unforeseen shortfalls in funding that often plague research projects. Our team has the commitment and resources to successfully carry out the work of the NPCC
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