title: An assessment of the Pacific Regional Cancer Coalition: outcomes and implications of a regional coalition internal and external assessment.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  The Pacific Regional Cancer Coalition (PRCC) provides regional leadership in the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI) to implement the Regional Comprehensive Control Plan: 2007-2012, and to evaluate its coalition and partnerships. The Pacific Center of Excellence in the Elimination of Disparities (CEED), aims to reduce cancer disparities and conducts evaluation activities relevant to cancer prevention and control in the USAPI.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The PRCC Self (internal) and Partner (external) Assessments were conducted to assess coalition functioning, regional and national partnerships, sustainability, and the role of regionalism for integrating all chronic disease prevention and control in the Pacific.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-administered questionnaires and key informant telephone interviews with PRCC members (N=20), and representatives from regional and national partner organizations were administered (N=26). Validated multi item measures using 5-point scales on coalition and partnership characteristics were used. Chronbach's alphas and averages for the measures were computed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Internal coalition measures: satisfaction (4.2, SD=0.48) communication (4.0, SD=0.56), respect (4.0, SD=0.60) were rated more highly than external partnership measures: resource sharing (3.5, SD=0.74), regionalism (3.9, SD=0.47), use of findings (3.9, SD=0.50). The PRCC specifically identified its level of "collaboration" with external partners including Pacific CEED. External partners identified its partnership with the PRCC in the "coalition" stage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PRCC members and external partners are satisfied with their partnerships. All groups should continue to focus on building collaboration with partners to reflect a truly regional approach to sustain the commitment, the coalitions and the programming to reduce cancer in the USAPI. PRCC and partners should also work together to integrate all chronic disease prevention and control efforts in the Pacific.
authors.affiliation: Office of Public Health Studies, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, 1960 East-West Road, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA. sya@hawaii.edu
authors.forename: Angela U
authors.initials: AU
authors.lastname: Sy
authors.forename: Karen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Heckert
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Buenconsejo-Lum
authors.forename: Johnny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hedson
authors.forename: Suresh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tamang
authors.forename: Neal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Palafox
mesh_terms: D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005843:Geography; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D010139:Pacific Islands; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011594:Psychometrics; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D057566:Self Report; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology