ONS Connect - June 2008 - (Page 14)

Erwin and Kelly’s institution’s programs focus on breast cancer awareness education, breast and cervical cancer screening, and prostate cancer awareness. Reaching Out to the Community “An important role our oncology nurses play in addressing disparities within the community is participating in Camp Sunshine for children in the metro Atlanta area and Dia de la Mujeur and Familia, an annual Latina health fair in metro Atlanta,” Gullatte says. “These activities help bring awareness to what Emory Healthcare has to offer and provide education about cancer screening, treatment, and available resources.” “RPCI has established a Community Advisory Steering Committee made up of community leaders to guide us in positively addressing disparities in western New York,” Erwin says. “Additionally, a new community relations position has been established to increase RPCI’s collaboration with community organizations and improve our ability to respond to needs, particularly of our low-income and medically disenfranchised citizens. 14 ONS CONNECT “Our ultimate goal, and what should be the goal of any program aimed at addressing cancer care disparities,” Erwin says, “is to show treatment parity for patients by race, ethnicity, income, and payer as are reflected in the cancer burden in our catchment area. In other words, that we are treating an equal proportion of persons with cancer as there are total number of persons with cancer in that ethnic or income group. We will also be measuring the proportion of patients offered and treated in clinical trials, as well as examining survival differences.” With the examples that oncology nurses and others like Gullatte, Kelly, and Erwin provide, disparities in cancer among minority and underserved groups may begin to be reduced. We may not always be able to control who develops cancer, but it is our social responsibility to ensure that all people with cancer have access to quality care. It should not be a dream but rather a reality. ✱ American Cancer Society. (2008a). Cancer disparities: Key stats [Fact sheet]. Retrieved April 1, 2008, from http://www.cancer.org/ docroot/SPC/content/SPC_1_Minority_ Cancer_Unequal_Burden_Sidebar1.asp American Cancer Society. (2008b). Racial disparities persist in cancer care. Retrieved April 1, 2008, from http://cancer.org/docroot/MED/ content/MED_2_1x_Racial_Disparities_ Persist_in_Cancer_Care.asp American Cancer Society. (2008c). Unequal cancer burden [Fact sheet]. Retrieved April 1, 2008, from http://www.cancer.org/ docroot/SPC/content/SPC_1_Minority_ Cancer_Unequal_Burden.asp?sitearea Contributing Editor Robin M. Lally, PhD, RN, BA, AOCN®, CNS, is a research assistant professor in the School of Nursing at the State University of New York at Buffalo. June 2008 http://www.cancer.org/docroot/SPC/content/SPC_1_Minority_Cancer_Unequal_Burden_Sidebar1.asp http://www.cancer.org/docroot/SPC/content/SPC_1_Minority_Cancer_Unequal_Burden_Sidebar1.asp http://www.cancer.org/docroot/SPC/content/SPC_1_Minority_Cancer_Unequal_Burden_Sidebar1.asp http://cancer.org/docroot/MED/content/MED_2_1x_Racial_Disparities_Persist_in_Cancer_Care.asp http://cancer.org/docroot/MED/content/MED_2_1x_Racial_Disparities_Persist_in_Cancer_Care.asp http://cancer.org/docroot/MED/content/MED_2_1x_Racial_Disparities_Persist_in_Cancer_Care.asp http://www.cancer.org/docroot/SPC/content/SPC_1_Minority_Cancer_Unequal_Burden.asp?sitearea http://www.cancer.org/docroot/SPC/content/SPC_1_Minority_Cancer_Unequal_Burden.asp?sitearea http://www.cancer.org/docroot/SPC/content/SPC_1_Minority_Cancer_Unequal_Burden.asp?sitearea

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ONS Connect - June 2008 Contents Editor's Note Just In They Have a Dream A Year in the Life—Month Six Web Connect Capitol Connection Notice Nursing Now Caregiver Care Manage Skin Toxicities Associated With EGFR Inhibitors Blood Test for Ovarian Cancer May Be 99 Percent Accurate Calendar of Events Working For You Staying On Top

ONS Connect - June 2008

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