Community-Academic Partnerships to Reduce Cancer Inequities: The ChicagoCHEC Community Engagement Core

Abstract

P oor Chicago communities with high concentra tions of African Americans (AAs), Hispanics/Latinos (H/Ls) or other ethnic/racial minority groups have significantly higher rates of cancer mortality and morbidity than the city of Chicago overall. Chicago cancer death rates Abstract Background: In 2015, Chicago Cancer Health Equity Collaborative (ChicagoCHEC) was formed to address cancer inequities. The Community Engagement Core (CEC) is one of the key components aimed at establishing meaningful partnerships between the academic institutions and the community. Herein, we describe ChicagoCHEC CEC processes, challenges, opportunities, successes, and preliminary evaluation results.Methods: CEC stresses participatory and empowerment approaches in all aspects of ChicagoCHEC work. Evaluation processes were conducted to assess, report back, and respond to community needs and to evaluate the strength of the partnership.Results: CEC has facilitated meaningful community integration and involvement in all ChicagoCHEC work. The partnership resulted in annual cancer symposium; more than 50 outreach and education activities, including cancer screening and referrals; the development of health resources; and providing expertise in culturally and health literacy appropriate research targeting minorities. Preliminary partnership evaluation results show that ChicagoCHEC researchers and community partners have developed trust and cohesiveness and value the community benefits resulting from the partnership.Conclusions: CEC is essential in achieving research objectives following community participatory action research (CPAR) approaches. Some key lessons learned include 1) the need for clear, honest, and open channels of communication not only among the three participating academic institutions, but also among the community partners, 2) transparent operational processes, and 3) mutual trust and understanding regarding the different cultures, structure, foci and processes, expectations at each institution and partnering organization.

From Cancer Epidemiology to Policy and Practice: the Role of a Comprehensive Cancer Center

“…Most similar to SF CAN is the Be Well Communities program begun by MD Anderson Cancer Center in 2017 to introduce evidence-based prevention interventions in Baytown near Houston starting with children in schools [ 48 ]. In Chicago, the Lurie Cancer Center has sponsored the Cancer Health Equity Collaborative since 2015 with the objective of focusing on inequities in prevention and quality care through engaging both community leaders and health care providers [ 49 , 50 ]. In Boston, the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Kraft Center for Community Health support the Implementation Science Center for Cancer Control Equity, which is focused on community engagement and education, but also on decreasing the financial burden of clinical trial participation [ 51 ].…”

Prostate Cancer: Community Education and Disparities in Diagnosis and Treatment

“…In Washington, D.C., the Lombardi Cancer Center at Georgetown and a community organization of Black men collaborated to develop video‐ and print‐based prostate cancer education materials [134]. A study in Chicago demonstrated that a collaboration between health outreach community organizations and local universities increased access to educational and health resources for community members in addition to promoting long‐term community engagement [135]. Collaborations between prominent community organizations have similar benefits to academic‐community partnerships.…”

“…Collaborations between prominent community organizations have similar benefits to academic‐community partnerships. The main lessons learned from these two promising partnership models were the importance of strong communication, transparent processes, and mutual trust and understanding of different cultures and expectations [135].…”

Architecture Matters—Moving Beyond "Business as Usual": The Chicago Cancer Health Equity Collaborative

“…3 The community engagement core holds a special place in the organizational structure of ChicagoCHEC, because it is charged with developing, nurturing and sustaining meaningful community partnerships and ensuring community representation and integration into the activities of all ChicagoCHEC cores. This core is structured to foster group dynamics that respond to the inherent inequality between academic institutions, researchers, community residents and leaders, health care providers, and community organizations by leveling the playing field, as described in Giachello et al 4…”