Community Outreach and Engagement

The mission of OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center is to improve patient outcomes and reduce the burden of cancer in Oklahoma and the nation. As Oklahoma’s only National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Center, Stephenson is uniquely positioned to provide statewide leadership in research, treatment, education and outreach to advance this mission.

A central resource in this effort is Community Outreach and Engagement, the aims of which are to:

• Monitor and evaluate the Oklahoma cancer burden and related health disparities through ongoing surveillance of cancer incidence, mortality, survival and risk factors.
• Engage communities and tribes throughout Oklahoma to stimulate planning of cancer research and control efforts of relevance to the statewide.
• Communicate community needs to cancer center leadership, research program members and the clinical trials office to catalyze research addressing Oklahoma cancer burden, with a focus on high-priority cancers and issues specifically relevant to Oklahoma.
• Implement and disseminate cancer control activities and policies to reduce cancer burden in collaboration with community stakeholders throughout the Oklahoma and beyond.

The team coordinates and supports numerous community-based outreach and engagement activities to help accomplish these aims. More information about these activities can be found here:

• Prevention and Screening Programs
• Health and Wellness Events

Community Outreach and Engagement also fosters relationships with mission-aligned organizations across the state to extend the reach and impact. In addition, leadership and staff serve as a resource for members interested in initiating research collaborations with community partners. More information can be found below:

• Community Engagement
• Tribal Engagement
• Advocacy and Health Policy
• Statewide Clinical Trials Network

Major partners in helping advance the mission of improving patient outcomes and reducing the burden of cancer in Oklahoma include:

• Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust (TSET)
• Oklahoma Shared Clinical Translational Resources (OSCTR)
• Oklahoma Physicians Resource / Research Network (OKPRN)

Contacts

Mark Doescher, MD, MSPH
Associate Director for Cancer Prevention and Control, SCC
Director, Community Outreach and Engagement Core
Professor, Department of Family and Preventive Medicine
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences
[email protected]

Dorothy Rhoades, MD, MPH
Director, American Indian Cancer Research Initiatives, SCC
Co-Director, Community Outreach and Engagement Core
Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Medicine
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences
[email protected]

Community Outreach and Engagement Core
[email protected]

Core Staff
Lindsey Diel BS, CPHQ, Community Outreach Liaison
Lauri Hunsucker, MA, Program Coordinator
Valerie Moise, MS, Community Outreach Liaison
Stephanie Pharr, MS, CHES, Senior Outreach Liaison
Carla Ponce, MM, Community Outreach Liaison
Ayesha Sambo, MPH, CPH, Research Epidemiologist