COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT ABSTRACT San Diego County (SDC), the Moores Cancer Center (MCC) catchment area, is a minority-majority region, in which non-Hispanic whites (NHWs) are not the majority population (46%). Hispanics comprise 33.5% of the population and Asian Pacific Islanders (APIs) make up 12.8%. A sizeable percentage of individuals in SDC are foreign-born (23.5%) and have limited English proficiency (15%). Through MCC?s Community Outreach and Engagement (COE), knowledge of cancer burden and community needs shape its research agenda and outreach activities to address the cancer-relevant needs of the catchment area. The overarching goal of the MCC COE is to decrease the burden of cancer in SDC by facilitating research relevant to this burden, engaging with communities and health care providers, and partnering with local and state agencies to disseminate and facilitate the implementation of evidence-based recommendations. This goal is accomplished through the following Specific Aims: 1) Assess cancer burden and use this knowledge to facilitate transdisciplinary research relevant to the MCC?s catchment area; 2) Address cancer disparities along the cancer continuum, from primary prevention to survivorship, through research and community engagement; 3) Disseminate evidence-based practices and resources for cancer prevention, screening, treatment and outcomes to communities and providers in the catchment area; and 4) Engage with regional, national, and global partners to extend MCC?s reach beyond the catchment area and impact policy. The goal and aims of the COE are accomplished working under a structure that includes a Steering Committee and a Community Advisory Board. MCC?s community outreach has had substantial impact in facilitating research and policy for cancers that are prevalent in SDC and those that disproportionately affect racial/ethnic minority and underserved populations. Future directions will build upon ongoing activities and recently-funded research. MCC will continue to expand community-academic partnerships, including those with federally qualified health centers, to better address the needs of medically underserved communities. Continued efforts to enhance minority accrual to therapeutic trials and participation in research projects are an essential part of the COE.
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