Town hall to address cancer disparities in Chicago’s south suburbs

WHAT:

A town hall meeting to discuss a new partnership between the University of Illinois Cancer Center and Governors State University to reduce the cancer disparities in Chicago’s south-side neighborhoods and south suburbs, including Roseland, South Holland and Markham.

Updates on neighborhood cancer incidence and mortality rates will be provided.

WHEN:

Dec. 18
10 a.m. to noon

WHERE:

Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center
1250 W. 119th St.

DETAILS:

Speakers include:

• Jerry Bauman, dean of the UIC College of Pharmacy and interim vice president for health affairs at UI Health
• Deborah E. Bordelon, provost of Governors State University
• U.S. Rep. Danny Davis
• Tim Egan, president of Roseland Community Hospital
• State Rep. Marcus Evans Jr.
• Dr. Rupert Evans, chair and program director of health administration at Governors State University
• Regina Greer-Smith, president of Healthcare Research Associates, LLC
• Illinois State Senator Michael Hastingst
• Kent Hoskins, associate professor of hematology/oncolology in the UIC College of Medicine
• Dr. Robert Winn, director of the University of Illinois Cancer Center and associate vice president for community-based practice at UI Health

The Governors State University-University of Illinois Cancer Center Disparities Education Project (GUIDE), will enable both institutions to conduct community-based research of local cancer disparities and address the social determinants that drive them. The program, funded by a four-year, $1.5 million grant from the National Cancer Institute, also supports the development of an integrated program for GSU junior faculty and minority undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in health disparities research.

The first collaborative research project for GUIDE will be a breast cancer screening pilot program to connect women at high risk for breast cancer to genetic counseling services to begin in early 2016.