O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center Magazine Spring 2020 | Page 6

QUICK TAKES
WILLIAMS AWARDED NATIONAL CANCER
INSTITUTE FELLOWSHIP
By Holly Gainer
The Black Belt Community Foundation presents Edward
Partridge, M.D. (center), with a quilt made by the Gee’s Bend
Quilters Collective at the 2019 Black Belt Legacy Dinner. (Photo
submitted by the Black Belt Community Foundation)
PARTRIDGE RECEIVES BBCF BLACK BELT
LEGACY AWARD
By Curran Umphrey
The Black Belt Community Foundation recently
honored Edward Partridge, M.D., former director of
the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB,
with its Black Belt Legacy Award, which recognizes
Partridge for his efforts to address cancer disparities
among the Deep South’s underserved populations.
Partridge’s clinical and research interests have
traditionally focused on cancer control and
prevention, community-based participatory
research, gynecologic oncology and minority
health disparities. His efforts helped gain Alabama’s
participation in the Breast and Cervical Cancer Early
Detection Program, which allows women diagnosed
with an abnormal mammogram to receive treatment,
regardless of financial means.
He has launched many outreach programs in
the Black Belt to promote cancer screening and
to connect low-income patients to proper care.
Under his leadership, the Cancer Center trained
and supported more than 1,700 community
health advisors — nonmedical helpers from within
the community — to provide evidence-based
interventions to promote healthy behaviors among
underserved groups.
Partridge has also spent much of his career working
to improve African American participation rates
in clinical trials by developing strategies to help
patients overcome barriers in their communities and
implementing ways to help them navigate the health
care system.
UAB cancer researcher Courtney P. Williams,
MPH, was recently selected to join the National
Cancer Institute’s Cancer Prevention Fellowship
program. Williams is an outcomes research doctoral
candidate in the Department of Health Care
Organization & Policy at the School of Public Health
at UAB. She is also a statistician in the UAB Division
of Hematology & Oncology.
Williams’ research focuses on measuring and
understanding cancer-related financial hardship
with a focus on insurance literacy. Recently, Williams
led a study that was published in the Journal of the
National Comprehensive Cancer Network. This study
found that direct costs for metastatic breast cancer
patients increase dramatically when their treatment
differs from recommendations in the NCCN Clinical
Practice Guidelines in Oncology.
“I am incredibly honored to have been chosen as a
National Cancer Institute Cancer Prevention fellow,”
Williams said. “This program provides world-class
mentored research, multidisciplinary collaboration
opportunities and professional development
training crucial for my success as a scientist. Building
off the fantastic training I received at UAB, I believe
this fellowship will help me achieve my long-term
career goal of improving the patient experience of
care, improving health and reducing costs of health
care as an independent health services researcher.”
The four-year postdoctoral fellowship is for early
scientists training in cancer prevention and control.
During her four years in the program, Williams will
develop and lead her own original scientific research
agenda under the guidance of NCI mentors.
Courtney P. Williams, MPH
4 O’NEAL COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER AT UAB