Seeing community care in action in Western New York
All eyes in New York City might have been on the Knicks in early June, but Buffalo, New York, had its own celebration on June 15 when the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s Congressional Families® Program visited Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.
リサ・マクガバン, Executive Director of the Congressional Families Program; エリカ・チャイルズ・ワーナー, MPH, Managing Director of Research, Education and Outreach at the Prevent Cancer Foundation; and キャシー・スミス, Senior Manager of Congressional Families and Education Campaigns at the Prevent Cancer Foundation, were joined in Buffalo by Rep. Tim Kennedy, who represents Roswell Park’s district—his wife, Katie, and Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts. Their visit followed Roswell Park’s recognition with the Carolyn “Bo” Aldigé Visionary Award at an April reception hosted by the Congressional Families Program on Capitol Hill.
Inflating awareness to deflate risk
The visitors received a memorable welcome at the Roswell Park Broadview Community Outreach and Engagement Center, complete with an inflatable colon and lungs that everyone could walk through—an eye-catching reminder of the importance of screening. Candace Johnson, Ph.D., President and CEO of Roswell Park, and Elizabeth Bouchard, MA, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Community Outreach & Engagement, were among the leaders who greeted the group.
Mobile screenings meet people where they are
The day’s tour highlighted Roswell Park’s innovative approach to community health. The team explored the Outreach and Engagement Center, a hub designed to bring health resources directly to residents. They also toured the EDDY (Early Detection Driven to You) mobile screening units—state-of-the-art trucks that provide lung, breast and prostate cancer screenings. These units travel throughout Western New York, stopping at churches, community events, primary care offices, and other neighborhood locations to ensure screenings are accessible, efficient, and comfortable for medically underserved and racially diverse populations.
Uniting experts for equity
The visit continued with discussions featuring experts from the Department of Indigenous Cancer Health, the HPV Vaccine Interventions and Prevention Research Lab and experts in tobacco policy and health behavior. These conversations offered a deeper look into Roswell Park’s wide ranging efforts to reduce cancer disparities and advance prevention research as a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated Cancer Center.
Meet the press
The event wrapped with a press conference to highlight the importance of screenings and resources to local communities featuring Dr. Johnson, Reps. McGovern and Kennedy, the Prevent Cancer Foundation team, as well as Todd Gates, a former president of the Seneca Nation and a prostate cancer survivor.
Stopping cancer. Saving lives.
Roswell Park has previously received a Prevent Cancer Foundation community grant and research fellowship. The Congressional Families Program is proud to help support the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s community grants program.