Michelle B. Shin, Ph.D., MPH, MSN, RN

研究概况

Cervical cancer is highly preventable, yet far too many people—particularly women living in underserved communities, racial and ethnic minorities, and rural populations—are still being diagnosed and dying from the disease. Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) serve as a health care safety-net for over 30 million patients annually. They are often the only source of cervical cancer screening in communities disproportionately impacted by cancer.

Despite this, cervical cancer screening rates in safety-net settings have remained alarmingly low for decades—around 50% compared to 76% nationwide. Existing evidence-based strategies for increasing screening, such as trainings, often fail in FQHCs because they primarily target overburdened primary care providers and overlook the vital roles of medical assistants and nurses who hold the clinics and the communities together.

Our project will partner with the full interprofessional team, including primary care providers, medical assistants, and nurses, to adapt existing evidence-based strategies into a team-based care model. Through surveys and in-depth interviews with care teams, this model aims to identify what helps and what hinders collaboration in delivering cervical cancer screening. By tailoring care models to the realities of safety-net settings, this project will help meet the needs of clinics and communities while increasing cervical cancer screening uptake.

Successful completion will provide a blueprint for leveraging the community and frontline experience of interprofessional teams to improve prevention and early detection of cervical cancer in safety-net settings where disparities persist, advancing cancer equity.

My “Why”

As a public health nurse researcher, I am committed to reducing the cancer burden, especially in medically underserved communities. My determination to pursue cancer research stems from losing family and friends to screenable, preventable cancers in my community and witnessing similar outcomes among patients as a nurse care manager in safety-net settings. I am motivated to apply my lived experiences as an immigrant and my clinical expertise to expand access to high-quality screening in safety-net settings, making a tangible difference in addressing cancer disparities.

为什么资金如此重要

Funding from the Prevent Cancer Foundation will help reduce the disproportionate burden of cervical cancer in medically underserved communities, particularly among racial and ethnic minorities and rural populations, by increasing screening rates in clinics that serve these communities. FQHCs function as a critical health care safety-net for millions of patients, yet they often operate with limited resources and remain underrepresented in research. Support from the Foundation will enable meaningful partnerships with FQHC providers and clinical staff, amplify their perspectives and support the implementation of actionable, evidence-based strategies to increase cervical cancer screening and reduce disparities in these essential settings.