Community Relations
Who better to identify health issues and concerns among various ethnic groups than leaders in their respective communities?
They speak the same language, understand the culture and are trusted members of their neighborhoods.
That is why the CRMH staff has created a Community Advisory Board (CAB) and a Houston-Area Leadership Network of organizations and individuals. These partners are a critical link between the CRMH and the community and are a vital part of the effort to eliminate health disparities among ethnic minorities and underserved populations.
The Community Advisory Board assists the CRMH in many ways, including:
- Assessing community needs, which provides valuable information for research
- Developing and implementing a variety of community-based cancer control and prevention activities
- Facilitating collaborative efforts among academic institutions, cancer research centers, clinical cooperative groups and the community by fostering partnerships
Since its inception in 2000, the CRMH has depended on the guidance and input of the members of its Community Advisory Board. With the CRMH developing a new strategic plan for the next five years starting in 2006, the CAB is being reconstituted as we take on new projects in response to the changing needs of our community.
Racial and ethnic minorities are the fastest-growing segment of the U. S. population. That distinction brings continued challenges to bridge the gaps that exist in patient care, research, education and prevention among those who are at higher risk of contracting cancer.
The need for an aggressive strategy to improve the health and outlook for these populations, therefore, cannot be understated. Through applied research and the development of effective education and prevention programs, the CRMH team - along with its partners in the community - is leading this effort in Houston. Their resolve to make a difference is strong. Their goal is straightforward - to reduce the burden of cancer not only for Houstonians, but for all Americans.
In June 2004, CRMH researchers launched the Asian-American Health Assessment (AsANA), the first-ever comprehensive health assessment of the Chinese and Vietnamese Americans in the state of Texas, and probably one of the few health surveys of these populations attempted in the nation.
The CRMH has been awarded a P60 Center Grant to establish a Center of Excellence in Partnerships for Community Outreach Research on Health Disparities and Training (Project EXPORT). This Center grant provides support for long-term, multidisciplinary programs of research, education and community outreach in critical health problems areas in Houston.
Project FAROS (Facilitated Assistance Research & Outreach Services), a project in collaboration with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), works to improve the use of cancer prevention services, early detection and treatment among Hispanics in Harris County. To participate in Project FAROS, you must be Hispanic, have Medicare Parts A & B, be 40 years or older and live in Harris County. For more information, call 713-563-6288, or e-mail faros@mdanderson.org.
The Native American Health Summit. Recognizing the need for health care discussion in and about the Native American community, the Native American Health Coalition collaborated with the Center for Research on Minority Health in the Department of Health Disparities Research at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center to organize a health summit in Houston, Texas.
The CRMH joined forces with The Sister Study of the National Institute of Environmental Health Science, which is a breast cancer research project set to recruit minority women ages 35 - 74. The Sister Study recruited all women, ages 35 to 74, who have had a sister or sisters that have been diagnosed with breast cancer. The purpose of the study is to determine the role of gene environmental interaction in breast cancer. The role of the CRMH was to aid in increasing the number of minorities in the Sister Study. Approximately 800 women were recruited from the Houston area.