Outreach Core

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The overall goal of this Outreach Core is to provide the framework for cancer prevention and control activities to address the cancer health disparities found throughout New Mexico. New Mexico is a minority-dominated state, with a population that is 59% minority (46.3% Hispanic, 9.4% Native American, and 3% African American). New Mexico is home to a number of Native American tribes (e.g., Navajo, Mescalero Apache, Zuni, Jemez Pueblo) throughout the state and Hispanic border communities in its southwestern region. Several colonies, or rural areas lacking infrastructures and commodities such as city water, waste disposal, and paved roads, surround the state's border region. Health literacy levels are low, poverty and noninsurance rates are high, access to care is limited, and cancer morbidity and mortality is excessive among these underrepresented populations. Overall, minority populations in the state are underserved in terms of cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. A task of our Outreach Core is to increase community capacity to participate in cancer awareness, prevention, and control activities in NM. We will do this through community-based participatory research (CBPR) directed at translational interventions. Both Drs. Thompson and Palacios have extensive experience in working with communities. To build community capacity, it is important to have community partners empowered to collaborate with us. To ensure community participation in our activities, we will recruit individuals in the region to serve on a Community Advisory Board (CAB) to provide input and assistance in identifying community needs, capacities, and prospective collaborators. The CAB will consist of 12-18 members representing local Hispanic and Native American organizations or organizations that serve those populations. Dr. Beti Thompson, Core Leader from FHCRC, will lead this effort along with Dr. Rebecca Palacios, Core Leader from NMSU.