Office of Community Outreach, Engagement, and Equity | |
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This month, we’re supporting the Food and Drug Administration’s second annual National Black Family Cancer Awareness Week, June 16-22. This initiative is designed to "increase cancer awareness in one of the most vulnerable segments of the U.S. population." Read on to find out how you can participate. And on June 18, join us at the North Texas Juneteenth Celebration for conversation, giveaways, and cancer resources.
June is also Pride Month. As part of the celebration, the Office of Community Outreach, Engagement, and Equity hosted a booth at Dallas Pride 2022, held June 4-5 at Dallas' historic Fair Park, to share information about cancer outreach programs. At the Cancer Center, we’re sponsoring internal education on health equity and cancer care for the LGBTQ+ community.
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National Black Family Cancer Awareness Week, June 16-22
Raising cancer awareness helps lower cancer death rates and increases life expectancy for all racial and ethnic groups, including Black Americans.
During National Black Family Cancer Awareness Week, June 16-22, we and the FDA encourage you to conduct a potentially lifesaving cancer awareness activity in your community. Then post and tag photos of your activity on social media using the FDA’s designated social media hashtag, #BlackFamCan.
Here are some activities you can initiate to build cancer awareness and promote community health:
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Form a small group dedicated to cooking healthier meals.
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Schedule a 5K walk to encourage exercise.
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Get youth and seniors working together on a project about family history, including family cancer history.
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Drive a loved one to a mammogram, colonoscopy, or other recommended cancer screening exam.
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Invite a cancer expert to speak at your next event about the benefits of participating in clinical trials or donating specimens to a national genomic database.
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Ask a friend or family member how you can support their effort to quit smoking.
To learn more and register for the FDA’s free #BlackFamCan public panel discussion, visit National Black Family Cancer Awareness Week #BlackFamCan | FDA.
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Community Advisory Board Member Shelia Patterson Shares Her Cancer Journey and a Message for National Black Family Cancer Awareness Week
Mrs. Shelia Patterson’s family tree is marked by cancer. Her mother had multiple bouts with breast cancer that ultimately spread to her bones and her brain, leading to her death at age 68. Shelia’s father, brother, and uncles on both sides of her family were diagnosed with prostate cancer. Her mother’s brother had colon cancer. Some family members, including her grandmothers and great-grandmother, didn’t talk about their health, but Shelia wonders if they had cancer too, especially those who smoked.
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Mike McKay Gives Voice to LGBTQ+ Cancer Concerns as a Member of Simmons’ Community Advisory Board
Having grown up in the church as a child, Mike McKay developed a strong, faith-based belief that “we are all called to service, perhaps as a formal minister or, more likely, in our own places in the world as a human being.” So, in 1993, when a good friend, who was Director of Pastoral Care at Methodist Hospital, suggested that Mike become a chaplain, he enrolled for one term in Methodist’s Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program to explore his “theology of service.”
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Executive Director of the National LGBT Cancer Network Will Train UT Southwestern Clinicians and Staff During Pride Month
Sexual minorities have a unique set of cancer concerns. And they experience unique challenges in communicating with health care providers. Simmons Community Advisory Board member Mike McKay recently paved the way for LGBTQ+ community members to voice their concerns and challenges during a series of “Community Conversations About Cancer,” hosted by the Office of Community Outreach, Engagement, and Equity.
In response to LGBTQ+ input shared during Simmons’ Community Conversations, UT Southwestern has invited Scout, Ph.D., Executive Director of the National LGBT Cancer Network, to present “LGBTQ+ Cancer: Equity Moves for 2022” at its June 21 Community Engagement Grand Rounds. In his lecture to UTSW providers, students, and staff, Dr. Scout will address ways to improve cancer screening and care for LGBTQ+ patients, while also creating a welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ individuals who study and work at UT Southwestern.
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You're Invited: Community Events | | |
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FREE Mammograms – Moncrief Mobile Screening Clinic
Simmons' Moncrief Cancer Institute is offering free mammograms to women ages 40 and older without insurance. Call 817-288-9970 for more information on qualifications and to schedule your appointment for one of the following Saturdays. Appointments are offered 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
June 18 – LVT Rise
8201 Calmont Avenue
Fort Worth, TX 76116
June 25 – Mercy Clinic
800 W. Berry Street
Fort Worth, TX 76110
June 28 – Fort Worth Hope Center
3625 E. Loop 820 South
Fort Worth, TX 76119
FDA National Panel Discussion: Black Family Cancer Awareness Week
Thursday, June 16, noon to 1:30 p.m., CDT
Register for this virtual event here.
UTSW Science Café – Skin Savvy: Understanding Skin Cancer
Thursday, June 16, 7 p.m.
Register here: Meeting Registration - Zoom
North Texas Juneteenth Celebration
Saturday, June 18, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Visit our booth 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.)
Fair Park, Dallas
For more information, visit North Texas Juneteenth Celebration | Fair Park (fairparkdallas.com).
FREE Skin Cancer Screenings – Destination Healthy Skin
Saturday, June 18, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Location: Dallas Farmers Market, 2101 Taylor Street, Dallas 75201
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Visit the Office of Community Outreach, Engagement, and Equity to learn more about our mission to reduce the cancer burden in North Texas and promote equity in cancer prevention, care, and outcomes through research, education, and engagement, particularly for racially and ethnically diverse, rural, and other underserved communities.
See how you can join us!
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For newsletter questions, comments, or suggestions, email Renee.Barber@UTSouthwestern.edu. | | | | |
