COE Overview

The Office of Community Outreach & Engagement (COE) works to establish and strengthen community partnerships throughout the region by connecting community members and organizations directly to researchers and clinicians at the Cancer Center. By working together, we hope to better address the cancer-related challenges in our region, and over time, reduce the overall burden of cancer. Importantly, because cancer is more easily cured if detected early, our education efforts will primarily focus on prevention, screening, early detection, and survivorship.

We will accomplish these goals, in part, by

1. Sharing meaningful insights and data between the community and Cancer Center members to better understand the cancer burden in our ten-county region
2. Disseminating evidence-based research findings back to the community
3. Supporting opportunities for education and advocacy within the Cancer Center and the community
4. Utilizing programming that equips Cancer Center members with the skills to effectively engage with and listen to the community. More importantly, researchers should understand the value of community engagement in research and ensure that research is informed by the people it impacts
5. Establishing partnerships with key community organizations to facilitate the sharing of ideas between the community and Cancer Center members

Program Aims

• Monitor the cancer burden (incidence and mortality) over time across the 10-county region to ensure our research is relevant and impactful to the community
• Lead strategic development, implementation and evaluation of 1) education programs, 2) advocacy programs and 3) research initiatives
• Foster health equity and eliminate cancer health disparities by conducting community-engaged research and increasing diversity in clinical trials
• Establish and enhance mutually beneficial partnerships with key community stakeholders to promote education, advocacy and research opportunities

Catchment Area

The University of Cincinnati Cancer Center serves a 10-county area in Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky. Community Outreach & Engagement efforts extend throughout the region.

• Hamilton, Butler, Clermont, Adams, Brown, Warren, and Montgomery Counties in Ohio
• Boone, Campbell, and Kenton Counties in Kentucky

Resources

Check back soon to download educational cancer one-pagers.

Would you like COE to host an educational community event? Fill out the COE Event Interest Form.

Programs & Events

Healthy Together: Cancer Community Stakeholder Retreat

• Download the Healthy Together Digital Catalog.
• Download the Healthy Together presentation.

Spring Cancer Event

In partnership with Cancer Justice Network and The Center for Closing the Health Gap
Date TBD

Cancer Awareness Day 2025

October, Date TBD

COE Leadership
	Melinda Butsch Kovacic, MPH, PhD Associate Director for Community Outreach & Engagement

Contact us by emailing canceroutreach@uc.edu.

COE Action Group Tasks

• Help Cancer Center members to better understand the toll of cancer, particularly on underserved populations
• See the value of community engagement in research and ensure that research is informed by ALL the people that it impacts
• Create programming to teach Cancer Center members skills to effectively engage with and listen to the community
• Establish partnerships with community organizations and research advisory board(s) of community representatives to make the sharing of ideas between community and Cancer Center members easier
• Identify processes to disseminate evidence-based research findings more broadly