Assessing needs and assets for building a regional network infrastructure to reduce cancer related health disparities.
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.
University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Avenue, Tampa, FL 33620, USA.
Kristen J
KJ
Wells
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL 33612, USA. Electronic address: Diana.Lima@Moffitt.org.
Diana S
DS
Lima
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL 33612, USA.
Cathy D
CD
Meade
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL 33612, USA.
Teresita
T
Muñoz-Antonia
University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1824 6th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35210, USA.
Isabel
I
Scarinci
University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1824 6th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35210, USA.
Allison
A
McGuire
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL 33612, USA.
Clement K
CK
Gwede
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL 33612, USA.
W Jack
WJ
Pledger
University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1824 6th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35210, USA.
Edward
E
Partridge
Emory University, 615 Michael Street, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
Joseph
J
Lipscomb
Morehouse School of Medicine, 720 Westview Drive Southwest, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA.
Roland
R
Matthews
Ponce School of Medicine, 388 Zona Ind Reparada 2, Ponce, PR 00716-2347, USA.
Jaime
J
Matta
Ponce School of Medicine, 388 Zona Ind Reparada 2, Ponce, PR 00716-2347, USA.
Idhaliz
I
Flores
Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
Roy
R
Weiner
Tuskegee University, 1200 West Montgomery Road, Tuskegee Institute, AL 36088, USA.
Timothy
T
Turner
University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39216, USA.
Lucio
L
Miele
Xavier University of Louisiana College of Pharmacy, 1 Drexel Drive, New Orleans, LA 70125, USA.
Thomas E
TE
Wiese
University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center, 1824 6th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35210, USA.
Mona
M
Fouad
Emory University, 615 Michael Street, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
Carlos S
CS
Moreno
Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
Michelle
M
Lacey
University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39216, USA.
Debra W
DW
Christie
Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
Eboni G
EG
Price-Haywood
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL 33612, USA.
Gwendolyn P
GP
Quinn
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL 33612, USA.
Domenico
D
Coppola
Tuskegee University, 1200 West Montgomery Road, Tuskegee Institute, AL 36088, USA.
Stephen O
SO
Sodeke
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, 12902 Magnolia Drive, Tampa, FL 33612, USA.
B Lee
BL
Green
Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
Maureen Y
MY
Lichtveld
D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019058:Community Networks / Q000458:organization & administration; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D054525:Minority Health / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000453:epidemiology; D012040:Regional Health Planning / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D015144:Southeastern United States / Q000453:epidemiology
Biobank; Biospecimen; Cancer health disparities; Evaluation; Implementation plan; Multi-institutional; Needs assessment; Team science