The role of Dana-Farber's Community Benefits office is to support the Institute's goal to reduce cancer risk among medically underserved populations.
We work with city and state health departments, community partners, and Boston-based coalitions to assess and monitor the needs of local residents with respect to cancer control.
In collaboration with staff throughout Dana-Farber, we serve as a bridge with community organizations and establish evidence-based and sustainable outreach programs.
We are on the front lines of supporting and collaborating on programs designed to eliminate disparities in breast, colon, and skin cancer; educate diverse populations about tobacco cessation, human papillomavirus (HPV) prevention and screening; and strengthen
the support system for medically underserved populations. In short, we are committed to making Dana-Farber's care and research findings more accessible to everyone within and outside its walls.
The Bright Pink organization’s information-rich suite of online tools and resources for breast and ovarian health will have a new home at Dana-Farber. In partnership with Dana-Farber’s Young & Strong Program for Young Adults with Breast Cancer, the Community Benefits office has acquired Bright Pink’s digital tools to help connect young women to breast and ovarian
online risk assessments, breast and ovarian health education, early screening, and other preventive care interventions. Bright Pink’s portfolio of cancer-risk tools and educational programming provides an innovative approach to educating those at
high- or increased-risk for breast and ovarian cancers. In 2023, Dana-Farber will optimize these tools to serve our diverse community – in particular, young women of color, who can benefit from early detection tools to help them reduce their overall cancer
risk.
Dana-Farber has released the first round of funding for its Request for Proposals (RFP) funding opportunity aimed at ensuring all residents, particularly those impacted by cancer and other chronic conditions, have access to coordinated and equitable health
and support services. Through this funding opportunity, up to $4 million will be awarded to community organizations in Greater Boston over the next four years to support initiatives that address root causes of health inequities and support needs across
the cancer spectrum.
The only mobile digital mammography program in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Dana-Farber's Mammography Van provides screening mammograms and breast health education to women 40 years of age and older.
A Dana-Farber cancer care team at the Mammography Suite at Whittier Street Health Center — including board-certified mammography technologists, program coordinators, and breast health educators — connects low-income, elderly, and medically underserved
women to high-quality care screening for breast cancer.
Led by Christopher Lathan, MD, MS, MPH, Faculty Director for Cancer Care Equity, the Cancer Care Equity Program (CCEP) at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute bridges research and outreach efforts to address cancer disparities. Through a variety of efforts, including
a clinical outreach program at Whittier Street Health Center in Roxbury, health equity reporting, and support for cancer disparities research, among others, CCEP aims to broaden access to vulnerable patient populations and join our community partners
in the quest for equitable care across the spectrum of cancer-related disease.
Dana-Farber's Community Benefits Office also engages in a number of comprehensive reporting processes in collaboration with local, state, and federal health agencies and other community-based partners to satisfy applicable regulatory requirements and
demonstrate measurable outcomes in reducing the cancer burden in our priority neighborhoods.
Dana-Farber's Sun Safety/Skin Cancer Prevention Program works to reduce the incidence of skin cancer in Massachusetts through free education and free skin screenings for the public.
Dana-Farber's HPV and Related Cancers Outreach Program uses a multi-pronged approach to prevent six types of cancer caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV-related cancers can be prevented with vaccination, screening, and early detection.
Tobacco use is the number one risk factor for lung cancer. In the United States, tobacco use is linked to about 90 percent of lung cancer deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As part of our comprehensive approach to reduce
smoking and tobacco-related cancers, Dana-Farber provides several clinical programs to patients and community members, including smoking cessation counseling, lung cancer screening, and treatment.