Assessing needs and assets for building a regional network infrastructure to reduce cancer related health disparities

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Kristen J. Wells, University of South Florida; Diana S. Lima, University of South Florida; Cathy D. Meade, University of South Florida; Teresito Munoz-Antonia, University of South Florida; Isabel Scarinci, University of Alabama Birmingham; Allison McGuire, University of Alabama Birmingham; Clement K. Gwede, University of South Florida; W. Jack Pledger, University of South Florida; Edward Partridge, University of Alabama Birmingham; Joseph Lipscomb, Emory University; Roland Matthews, Morehouse School of Medicine; Jaime Matta, Ponce School of Medicine; Idhaliz Flores, Ponce School of Medicine; Roy Weiner, Tulane University; Timothy S Turner, Tuskegee University; Lucio Miele, University of Mississippi; Thomas E. Wiese, Xavier University; Mona Fouad, University of Alabama Birmingham; Carlos S Moreno, Emory University; Michelle Lacey, Tulane University
• Language: English
• Date: 2014-06-01
• Publisher: Elsevier: 24 months
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2013.12.003
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Evaluation and Program Planning
• ISSN: 0149-7189
• Volume: 44
• Start Page: 14
• End Page: 25
• Grant/Funding Information: The work contained within this publication was supported in part by the Survey Methods and Biostatistics Cores at the Moffitt Cancer Center.; This work was supported by the NCI at the National Institutes of Health (U54 CA118948 [University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center]; and 3U56 CA118809-14S2 [H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute]).
• Keywords: DEEP SOUTH NETWORK; Biobank; Social Sciences - Other Topics; BREAST; Biospecimen; Team science; COMMUNITY-BASED RESEARCH; Multi-institutional; Cancer health disparities; Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary; Evaluation; Needs assessment; CARE; PUERTO-RICO; Implementation plan; Social Sciences; LATINA IMMIGRANTS
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Health Care Management; Health Sciences, Oncology

Abstract

Significant cancer health disparities exist in the United States and Puerto Rico. While numerous initiatives have been implemented to reduce cancer disparities, regional coordination of these efforts between institutions is often limited. To address cancer health disparities nation-wide, a series of regional transdisciplinary networks through the Geographic Management Program (GMaP) and the Minority Biospecimen/Biobanking Geographic Management Program (BMaP) were established in six regions across the country. This paper describes the development of the Region 3 GMaP/BMaP network composed of over 100 investigators from nine institutions in five Southeastern states and Puerto Rico to develop a state-of-the-art network for cancer health disparities research and training.We describe a series of partnership activities that led to the formation of the infrastructure for this network, recount the participatory processes utilized to develop and implement a needs and assets assessment and implementation plan, and describe our approach to data collection. Completion, by all nine institutions, of the needs and assets assessment resulted in several beneficial outcomes for Region 3 GMaP/BMaP. This network entails ongoing commitment from the institutions and institutional leaders, continuous participatory and engagement activities, and effective coordination and communication centered on team science goals.