141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

285350
Chw partners bridging the gap in cancer disparities: Lessons learned from the ACS bridges initiative

Monday, November 4, 2013

Marcie Fisher-Borne, PhD, MPH, MSW , Department of Social Work, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
Renee Malone, MPH , Health Equity Team, South Atlantic Region, American Cancer Society, Glen Allen, VA
Esther Familia-Cabrera , Northwest Georgia Healthcare Partnership, Dalton, GA
Morgan Daven, MA , Health Equity Team, South Atlantic Division, American Cancer Society, Asheville, NC
The Bridges Initiative is a collaboration between existing Community Health Worker (CHW) programs and the American Cancer Society to increase cancer screening in communities of color. Since 2009, Bridges has trained over 142 CHWs (within 59 organizations) in six South Atlantic states. The cancer screening initiative has provided cancer education to nearly 28,500 people and has led to over 9,960 breast, cervical, and colorectal screenings. Bridges provides CHWs with a skills-building, popular education-based training and ongoing technical assistance related to cancer screening and education. Bridges partners include local health departments, hospitals, FQHCs, and community-based organizations. Some of these agencies were already involved in cancer initiatives while others focus on health issues such as asthma, diabetes, HIV, prenatal care, etc. In 2013, evaluation efforts began to assess community partnership successes and challenges. Focus groups were conducted with CHWs in Georgia and South Carolina (n=25). Interviews with partners were conducted to understand their departure from Bridges (n=11). Finally, a survey was administered with existing Bridges partners (n=57) to clarify what aspects of the program were most helpful in reducing barriers to cancer screening. This session will examine the experience of partners in integrating cancer messages and outreach in the context of their broader CHW work, and major successes and challenges partners identified related to addressing cancer disparities. A long-time CHW and community partner will share experiences utilizing Bridges in Latino and migrant communities in Northwest Georgia.

Learning Areas:
Diversity and culture
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs

Learning Objectives:
Describe the community partner evaluation process within the Bridges Initiative Discuss the experience of partners in integrating cancer messages and outreach in the context of their broader CHW work, and major successes and challenges partners identified related to addressing cancer disparities

Keywords: Cancer Screening, Community-Based Partnership

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the lead evaluator for the Bridges Initiative for the last 1.5 years and am currently the PI for the Initiative's evaluation through North Carolina State University. I have been conducting/supporting community-based participatory research for the last 10 years.
Any relevant financial relationships? Yes

Name of Organization Clinical/Research Area Type of relationship
American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Research Employment (includes retainer)

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.