Community Outreach

The Cancer Population Sciences Program, in concert with the UNM Cancer Center, works to develop community relationships, understand community needs and concerns, and reach out to our multi-ethnic and rural populations. While the challenges are clear, the opportunity to overcome these challenges is exciting.

Led by the Cancer Population Sciences Program, the UNM Cancer Center is building extensive community networks with outreach activities focused on cancer screening and clinical trials education, patient navigation to assist in obtaining appropriate care, and patient and community service to prevent care plan drop-out. The goals of these efforts are to:

1. Reduce cancer health disparities
2. Deliver culturally-appropriate cancer education and screening programs for New Mexico’s communities
3. Build capacity to engage in community-participatory research
4. Deliver comprehensive cancer care services and patient navigation programs
5. Provide education on, awareness of and access to cancer prevention and treatment clinical trials.

Major efforts focus on:

• Hispanic Outreach efforts led by Maria Otero, who has developed multiple partnerships throughout New Mexico communities, as well as with the Mexican Consulate.
• American Indians, with our partner the Center for Native American Health led by Gayle DineChacon, Tassie Parker, Michele Suina and Joyce Naseyowma-Chalan.
• Community Advisory Groups in Farmington, Albuquerque and Las Cruces led by Robyn Viera, who is also the President-elect of the New Mexico Cancer Council.
• Barbara Damron leads efforts to bring mammography screening to communities throughout New Mexico.

We have numerous additional efforts and they are growing.

To reach any of these individuals, you can contact the Associate Director for Population Sciences, Dr. Marianne Berwick.