Community Partnership Program funds 10 new cancer research projects around the state

Community Partnership Program

Zenger Farm intern Ari Mwachofi prepares to distribute the CSA boxes at the Mid-County Health Center in Portland, October 5, 2016. Zenger Farm received grant funding from the Knight Cancer Institute's Community Partnership Program to help families battling diet-related disease. The Tier 3 grant extended the farm's prescription CSA program to 100 families at four clinics throughout Portland. (OHSU/Kristyna Wentz-Graff)

The OHSU Knight Cancer Institute has announced grant funding to 10 community-led projects around the state in the latest funding cycle for its Community Partnership Program. Organizations receiving funding include:

• Bay Area Hospital, Coos Bay
• Northwest Sarcoma Foundation, Portland
• Oregon State University, Corvallis
• *American Lung Association of the Mountain Pacific, Tigard
• South River Community Health Center, Winston
• Cascade Health Alliance, Klamath Falls
• **Eastern Oregon University, La Grande
• Family YMCA of Marion and Polk Counties, Salem
• ***Hood River County Prevention Department, Hood River
• YMCA of Douglas County, Roseburg

To date, Community Partnership Program grants have funded 53 projects in 34 of Oregon’s 36 counties, with 89 percent of projects targeting rural communities. The program has funded a variety of projects, including expanding cancer screenings, prevention through healthy behaviors and survivorship support.

“It is incredibly heartening to see the tremendous reach and impact this program is having throughout the state,” said Jackilen Shannon, Ph.D., R.D., co-director of the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute Community Partnership Program.

Launched in October 2014, the program helps communities conduct cancer-related projects targeting a diverse range of cancer types and audiences, including:

• An education and testing initiative expanding outreach to Oregonians most at risk for developing lung cancer following exposure to radon in the home.
• The reestablishment of a colorectal cancer screening program in Klamath Falls.
• An after-school physical activity and cancer prevention program for middle-school youth.

“After two years, it’s both encouraging and inspiring to see so much work being done in communities across the state to address local cancer-related needs,” said Kerri Winters-Stone, Ph.D., F.A.C.S.M., co-director of the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute Community Partnership Program.

The Community Partnership Program offers multiple tiers of funding in an effort to help organizations to begin at the idea phase of a project, and then build and test an effective solution for a cancer-related problem within their community.

Organizations with funded projects connect with a variety of other nationally based trainings designed to increase their capacity and knowledge for developing evidence-based programs, provide them with networking opportunities, and collaborate with OHSU faculty.

Learn more about the projects funded.

* Previously funded Tier 1 project, refunded as a Tier 2.
** Previously funded Tier 3 project, refunded again as a Tier 3.
*** Previously funded Tier 2 project, refunded as a Tier 3.