Community Outreach & Engagement
Cedars-Sinai's population health and health disparities team aggressively fights cancer at the community level in Southern California—one of the most diverse regions in the world.
Advancing Population Health
Through acquisition and aggregation of data from multiple sources, along with sophisticated mapping technology, we have identified the neighborhoods in our catchment area where the most vulnerable populations live. Latinos, Asian-Americans (including Koreans and Filipinos), African Americans, and LGBTQ+ communities are among the high-risk groups that are currently underserved. As a result, we have launched a cancer outreach network and formed valuable partnerships with community leaders, organizations, legislators, healthcare providers, health educators, and cancer survivorship and advocacy groups to reach these populations.
Our researchers investigate issues such as:
- High rates of advanced breast cancer among women of Filipino and Korean descent
- Increasing incidence of liver cancer in the Latino community
- High risks of prostate, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer—and low rates of screening—among African American men
- Improving biomarkers for the early diagnosis of colorectal and esophageal cancers
- Increased incidence of HPV-related cancers and tobacco use in the LGBTQ+ community
- Elevated smoking rates among female Korean immigrants
- Increased melanoma risk among low-income Latinos and Non-Hispanic Whites
- Low rates of colorectal cancer screening among Korean-Americans
- Lack of HPV-associated cancer education and vaccination updates for teens and young adults from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds
- Ways to increase physical activity in high-risk underserved populations
- Methods to engage underserved populations in clinical trials to increase access to potentially lifesaving cancer treatments
Partnership Strategy
A crucial part of our strategy is partnering with community organizations, such as churches, health clinics and youth groups, to provide cancer education and screenings. Through these partnerships, we are building relationships that create pathways for researchers to conduct community-based studies on the root causes of cancer disparities. The findings may enable us to identify the most effective interventions to reduce cancer risk, increase survival and improve quality of life in these communities.
In an effort to disseminate cancer-related best practices regionally and state-wide, we have developed partnerships with universities such as Stanford and UCLA, and community organizations such as Susan G. Komen, Tower Foundation, and the California Dialogue on Cancer.
Cancer Outreach Network
In order to strengthen Cedars Sinai Cancer’s ability to develop and disseminate culturally appropriate, evidence-based cancer information that is tailored to the needs of underserved communities, we have launched our Cancer Outreach Network in diverse and underserved communities.
Trained, bilingual community health educators and promotoras assess community needs and implement tailored cancer education workshops to disseminate information on cancer prevention and treatment, including precision medicine and genetics to address cancer disparities in local communities. Local data have helped guide the development of specific cancer screening events in neighborhoods around Los Angeles.
Cancer Education Programs
Diverse Communities in Faith Settings
Our community health educators and promotoras lead educational seminars focused on specific cancer risks, screenings, treatments and clinical trial enrollment. This faith-based approach is a proven effective channel for delivery of health promotion programs, especially among racial/ethnic groups with high church attendance (i.e. Korean, Latino, Filipino, African American).
The LGBTQ+ Communities of Los Angeles
A network of culturally sensitive and trained, nurses and community health educators disseminate tailored cancer information at local LGBTQ+ Pride volunteer and provider events in Los Angeles (Long Beach, West Hollywood, Compton, Valley, Downtown LA, Whittier and San Gabriel Valley). LGBTQ+ people have a unique “cluster of risk factors” that lead to both greater cancer incidence and later-stage diagnosis. Our interventions are developed using a community-participatory approach in partnership with our LGBTQ+ Community Advisory Board.
Upcoming Events
For information regarding our Cancer Community Engagement & Outreach events, please send a message to Zul Surani, Director, Community Outreach and Engagement and Operations.
Annual Report
Learn more about how Cedars-Sinai continues to advance cancer research and transform the way we diagnose the disease to improve the lives of our patients and community.
Have Questions or Need Help?
If you have any questions or wish to learn about Cedars-Sinai Cancer, please send us a message.
Cedars-Sinai Cancer
8700 Beverly Blvd.
North Tower Mezzanine, C2004
Los Angeles, CA 90048