Quarterly Forum Brings Valued Resources to the Community

CAB2: ChatNChew lunchtime lecture series shares impactful cancer information with diverse communities

By Karen Gehrman | October 01, 2024

ChatNChew

Central to its mission of sustaining community partnerships and disseminating cancer information, the Office of Community Engagement (OCE) offers a quarterly lunchtime lecture series CAB2: ChatNChew sharing important cancer related information impacting diverse communities.

Wed, Oct 16th 12noon-1pm
CAB2 ChatNChew

"Journey Health: Building a Social Care Delivery System"
Featured Speaker: Kyra Freeman, Operations Manager, Journey Health
REGISTER

The CAB2ChatnChew is one component of year-round relationship and partnership building to foster equity in community engagement, cancer information dissemination, research design and advocating for policies to make progress toward eliminating the inequities that cause cancer health disparities. Lunchtime session topics are selected by the CAB and community members, and have included cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship/thrivorship, cancer research, patient navigation, precision medicine and quality of care. Recent forums the Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF), as well as broader conversations, such as a recent event discussing NCI guidelines for the ways comprehensive cancer centers improve cancer outcomes. 

The latest forum, "The Value of Health Navigation & Equity: Building a Network of Navigators," highlighted community organizations, many in remote areas outside the Bay. Participants included representatives from the Abundant Life Health Ministries Network, Cancer Resource Center of Mendocino, Regional Pacific Islander Taskforce, the Cancer Center's Black Men's Health Committee, Visión y Compromiso, Women's Cancer Resource Center, as well as the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital Cancer Navigation Program. In addition to centering the community partners, the following discussion considered the Center's Community Advisory Board's definition of navigation and steps to build a diverse navigation network.

"We want our community partners to guide the way we do our work here at UCSF. We really are committed to being responsive to the concerns and needs of the folks in our catchment area which extends from Monterey County, the southern border all the way up to Mendocino County and across to Lake and everything in between."

Kim Rhoads, MD, MS, MPH
Associate Director of the Office of Community Engagement

 

Highlights of the presentations and community discussion are listed below, along with a link to the full video.

Services and Resources in the Bay Area and Beyond

  • Patient advocate Amparo Martinez and her team at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG), led by Barbara Cicerelli, MPA, provide cancer navigation services to low-income, underserved patients who have limited access to care.
  • Amy Alanes and Jill Longcrier work with the Cancer Resource Center of Mendocino County to provide free services to cancer patients and their families.
  • Maria Lemus and her team at Visión y Compromiso provide cancer education and navigation in the Central Valley and beyond. Visión y Compromiso is a full-service agency for individuals, offering training for caregivers, while working to identify and raise resources for those in need.
  • Dolores Moorehead, MS, APCC, works with the Women's Cancer Resource Center (WCRC) to provide equitable access to cancer screening and treatment for low-income and underserved individuals. Moorehead accompanies clients to medical appointments, provides emotional support, and connects them with social workers and care teams.
  • Wilma R. Batiste, CRC, NCPT, chairs the OCE's Faith Communities Committee and UCSF Abundant Life Health Ministries, which provides healthcare services to cancer patients as well as other support like virtual cooking classes.

Patients Weigh In

Skye Ward and Steven Thompson shared first-hand experiences with patient navigation. "The navigation services I received from Women's Cancer Research Center included office visits being accompanied by Dolores (Moorehead). A tremendous resource to me who accompanied me to my medical office visits she helped with note taking while I was in shock, and in a days, especially those early days, it was just such a relief, to have someone there to help me take notes. She helped with conferring and discussing treatment options. One of the things I appreciated about Doloresʻ presence was the breast cancer health center staff were already familiar with Dolores because she had been there with many other clients. And the impact that had on our meetings or my appointments was we got down to business there wasn't any this dismissing me or dismissing my concern through their own cancer treatment."

Through patient navigators, Steven Thompson found a support group for prostate cancer diagnosis, which helped him survive and thrive, and he now advocates for other men to seek out help. "The Support Group’s help saved my life - the support group, part of the Men's Health Committee of Alameda County, Friends of Frank, and Dr. Rhoads whenever she tells me, 'Steven, I'd like for you to show up' I always show up, and  I don't hesitate to talk to men of any nationality but my primary focus that I work with right now, because of the disparity of health are African American, Latino/X, Pacific Islander."

Navigators Are Key, Particularly for Underserved Communities

In addition to discussing the services they offer and resources specific to the geographic or demographic community they serve, a variety of community partners, patients, and patient advocates emphasized the importance of collaboration and support for cancer patients, highlighting the role of navigators in ensuring timely and appropriate care. They discussed the need for comprehensive services, culturally sensitive care, and training specific to their roles and organizations. The conversation also touched on navigating healthcare for underserved communities and addressing social determinants of health. All the speakers underscored the significance of navigating patient and client care in the healthcare industry.

After a lively Q&A, the participants were polled on future topics and the clear winner was a session on AI and cancer care. Visit the Office of Community Engagement for the next ChatNChew date.