Next Steps
References
That kind of collaboration with local communities is , in fact , part of the “ charge ” for National Cancer Institute – designated cancer centers , noted Dr . Smith , who is associate director of Community Outreach and Engagement ( COE ) at Tisch . “ I think this is a great example of that partnership that can occur between a cancer center and community ,” she said .
Dr . LoConte noted that the radon mitigation program was “ championed ” by the COE team at Carbone .
“ Step one in doing this work ,” she said , “ is creating lasting and trusted relationships , which centers on well‐trained and funded staff who are knowledgeable about the history of the communities we work with and have longevity with the institution .”
Next Steps
Dr . LoConte said she and her colleagues are exploring expanding the project to other Tribal communities in Wisconsin , and they hope to roll it out to other underserved populations in the state , such as rural communities . And that will take additional funding , she said .
To that point , Dr . Smith said that in general , COE work is the “ unfunded mandate .”
“ It ’ s the work that everybody thinks is important , but gets funded the least , because we focus on the science of community engagement to improve cancer outcomes ,” Dr . Smith said . “ We need to be able to resource them just as much as we should be able to resource the science in the lab .”
– Amy Norton
References
1 . Health effects of radon . Environmental Protection Agency . Accessed September 11 , 2024 . 2 . Radon in homes , schools and buildings . Environmental Protection Agency . Accessed
September 11 , 2024 . 3 . What is EPA ' s action level for radon and what does it mean ? Environmental Protection
Agency . Accessed September 11 , 2024 .