Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #113968

Jasmine T. Greenamyer, MPH¹, Carolyn Aldige, BS², Judith S. Blanchard, MS³, Andrea Dwyer, BS⁴, Karen J. Peterson, PhD², Pam Purdom, MSW⁵, June Ryan, MPA⁶, Tania Torres², and Robert Villanueva, MPA⁷. (1) Programs, Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation, 1600 Duke Street, Suite 500, Alexandria, VA 22303, 703-837-3695, jasmine@preventcancer.org, (2) Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation, 1600 Duke Street, Suite 500, Alexandria, VA 22314, (3) Consultant, Programs, Cancer Research and Prevention Foundation, 1600 Duke Street, Suite 500, Alexandria, VA 22303, (4) School of Medicine, Department of Prevention and Control, University of Colorado, 13001 East 17th Ave, Aurora, CO 80100, (5) Comprehensive Cancer Program, Ohio Department of Health, 246 North High Street, 8th Floor, P.O. Box 118, Columbus, OH 43216, (6) Nebraska Comprehensive Cancer Control, Nebraska Department of Health, 301 Centennial Mall South, P.O. Box 95044, Lincoln, NE 68509-5044, (7) Maryland State Council on Cancer Control, Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 201 West Preston Street, Suite 400, Baltimore, MD 21201

Dialogue for Action is a yearlong collaboration-building process that focuses key stakeholders on implementing and achieving their state's cancer screening goals and objectives detailed in their comprehensive cancer control plan. The Dialogue culminates in an innovative conference that provides a creative forum for mobilizing state-level efforts to increase colorectal cancer screening rates. Key partners include: primary care providers; medical specialists; nonprofits, coordinators of state comprehensive cancer control programs; representatives of selected government agencies; third-party payers; and advocacy organizations.

To date, nine states have utilized this implementation device, of which four have been funded through a CRPF/CDC cooperative agreement. Evaluation for the CDC-project states is conducted over two years and includes structured interviews and quantitative and qualitative paper-based and Web-based surveys with the state's steering committee, the conference planning committee and the conference attendees. The two main assessment factors are the perceived impact of the Dialogue process 1) on the accomplishment of state-level colorectal cancer objectives and 2) on statewide collaboration. Current data shows strong support for the positive impact of the Dialogue process on both factors.

Lessons learned include the importance of bridging the cultures of public health and medicine and stimulating avenues for collaboration; keeping underserved communities a planning and implementation priority; providing for informal and formal evaluation; being flexible to a state's needs, and adjusting to unexpected personnel management concerns.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to

• Describe an innovative strategy that can help implement cancer prevention and early detection objectives delineated in a state comprehensive cancer control plan.
• Describe ways of expanding private-public partnerships to increase cancer-screening rates in underserved communities.
• Summarize findings from several states on perceived impact of this comprehensive strategy on state-level collaborations and colorectal cancer screening objectives.
• Apply lessons learned from a multi-year multi-state implementation program.

Keywords: Cancer Prevention, Collaboration

Related Web page: www.preventcancer.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation