Redes En AcciónThe National Hispanic/Latino Cancer NetworkRedes En AcciónThe National Hispanic/Latino Cancer Network

www.redesenaccion.org

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Report onThe 4th AnnualRedes En Acción National Steering Committee MeetingAugust 13-15, 2003 • San Antonio, Texas

Table of Contents

Redes En Acción: The National Hispanic/Latino Cancer Networkis a Special Populations Network initiative of the National Cancer Institute.

NCI Grant No. UO 1 CA 86117-01

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY3 Moving the Latino cancer agenda forward3 Meeting AgendaLATINO CANCER REPORT4 Latino Cancer Report discussion continues4 Response panel stresses collaborationGUEST SPEAKERS5 Rep. Rodriguez: ‘We need your leadership’5 Dr. Howe: ‘We’ve come a long way’5 Dr. Rios: ‘Need to educate policy makers’PILOT PROJECTS6 Researchers describe pilot project progressSPECIAL DISCUSSIONS

7 Efforts to aid cancer patients detailed7 Open Discussion: What is Redes En Accíon?

8 National Steering Committee

Redes En Acción wishes to thank theSusan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation,a major sponsor of the 4th Annual National

Steering Committee Meeting.

R edes En Acción: The National Hispanic/Latino CancerNetwork is a major Special Populations Networksinitiative supported by the National Cancer Institute’s

Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities. The primarypurpose is to create a national and regional infrastructure forcollaboration among grassroots leaders, local communities,researchers and public health professionals to stimulate cancercontrol research, training and awareness. Through networkactivities, Redes En Acción is establishing training and researchopportunities for Latino students and researchers, generatingresearch projects on key cancer issues impacting Latinos andsupporting cancer awareness activities.

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Wednesday, August 135:30 - 7:00 p.m. Reception & RegistrationThursday, August 148:00 - 8:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast8:30 - 9:00 a.m. Welcome/Meeting Overview

Amelie G. Ramirez, DrPHRoland Garcia, PhD

9:00 - 9:30 a.m. Update on Hispanic HealthInitiatives Before CongressSpeaker: U.S. CongressmanCiro D. RodriguezHonorary Chair, Redes En Acción

9:30 - 10:00 a.m. Redes En Acción Year 3 ReportCardAmelie G. Ramirez, DrPHResponse to the Report CardModerator: Armin Weinberg, PhD

10:15 - 11:45 a.m. Panel: Redes En Acción PilotProjectsModerator: Edward Trapido, ScDPanel Participants:Recently awarded (Projects with noresults to date):

Thomas Denberg, MD, PhDAna Maria Lopez, MD, MPHMonica Yepes-Rios, MD

Awarded earlier (Projects withresults):

Deborah Parra-Medina, PhDAna Natale Pereira, MD(Marielos Vega, RN,presenting)Isabel Scarinci, PhD, MPHGregory Talavera, MD, MPH

12:00 - 1:30 p.m. LunchHispanic Health: The Perspectivefrom WashingtonSpeaker: Elena Rios, MD, PresidentNational Hispanic MedicalAssociation

1:30 - 3:15 p.m. Breakout Sessions1:30 - 2:15 p.m. Session 1: Redes En Acción Latino

Cancer Report: FinalizingRecommendations

2:15 - 3:15 p.m. Session 2: Dissemination of theRedes En Acción Latino CancerReportFacilitators:Group 1: Chair: Eliseo Pérez-Stable,MD & Co-Chair: Aida Giachello,PhDGroup 2: Chair: Gregory Talavera,MD, MPH & Co-Chair: MarthaMedrano, MD, MPH

3:30 - 4:30 p.m. Panel: Cancer Patients & theHealthcare SystemModerator: Jose Marti, MDPanel Participants:L. Michelle Bennett, PhD, NCICenter for Cancer ResearchNancy Davenport-Ennis, PatientAdvocate Foundation

4:30 - 4:45 p.m. Group Summary of BreakoutSessions: Recommendations for theRedes En Acción Latino CancerReport and DisseminationCo-Facilitators: Frank Penedo, PhD& Amelie Ramirez, DrPH

Friday, August 157:45 - 8:30 a.m. Continental Breakfast8:30 - 9:00 a.m. Update on Hispanic/Latino Data

Collection & DisseminationModerator: Lucina Suarez, PhDSpeaker: Holly L. Howe, PhD,Executive DirectorNorth American Association ofCentral Cancer Registries

9:00 - 9:15 a.m. Presentation of the Redes EnAcción Latino Cancer Report

9:15 - 10:30 a.m. Panel Response to the Redes EnAcción Latino Cancer ReportModerator: Armin Weinberg, PhDPanel Participants: Ralph Caraballo,PhD, MPH, CDC Office on Smokingand HealthJennie Cook, Intercultural CancerCouncilRebecca Garcia, PhD, Susan G.Komen Breast Cancer FoundationElena Rios, MD, National HispanicMedical AssociationNadarajen Vydelingum, PhD, NCICenter to Reduce Cancer HealthDisparities

10:30 - 11:30 a.m. Open Discussion: The Future ofRedes En AcciónCo-Facilitators: Carlos Jaen, MD,PhDRobert Valdez, PhD, MHSA

11:30 - noon Meeting SummaryMeeting Evaluation

Noon Adjournment

4th Annual National Steering Committee Meeting Agenda 2003

EXECUTIVE SUMMARYMoving the Latino cancer agenda forward

As a major element of our next step in theRedes En Acción journey, the centerpiece ofthe 4th annual Redes En Acción National

Steering Committee (NSC) meeting was apreliminary draft of the Latino Cancer Report:Summary Recommendations for a NationalHispanic/Latino Cancer Control Agenda. With inputfrom leaders in cancer research, training,health care, public education and programimplementation nationwide, the report offersrecommendations for a national agenda oncancer prevention and control to help guidethe work of Redes En Acción, the National CancerInstitute and policy makers in the public andprivate sectors.

Breakout sessions focusing on the reportallowed NSC members to add further input tothe priority issues and recommendations andbrainstorm ideas for the report’s ultimatedissemination. Distinguished panel membersrepresenting the National Cancer Institute,Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,Intercultural Cancer Council, Susan G. KomenBreast Cancer Foundation and NationalHispanic Medical Association offered

invaluableadditionalevaluation.

Over the years,much of Redes EnAcción’s work hasbeen devoted toassisting juniorfaculty in theirefforts to obtain

funding that will help them become strongerresearchers. The NSC meeting saw seven of thenine pilot project researchers funded by theNCI through Redes En Acción present preliminarydata and findings from studies involvingprostate cancer, colorectal cancer screening,cervical cancer screening, smoking cessation inLatinos, and more.

This year’s meeting agenda of speaker andpanel sessions offered excellent information ona variety of issues relevant to Latino cancerand health issues. In a luncheon address titled“Hispanic Health: The Perspective fromWashington,” Dr. Elena Rios, president andCEO of the National Hispanic Medical

Association, described that group’s growingadvocacy role. NSC members heard importantdevelopments in improving health care accessfrom Dr. Michelle Bennett, Associate Directorof the NCI Center for Cancer Research, andNancy Davenport-Ennis, President and CEO ofthe National Patient Advocate Foundation, in apanel entitled “Cancer Patients and theHealthcare System.” Dr. Holly Howe, ExecutiveDirector of the North American Association ofCentral Cancer Registries, discussed enormousstrides in gathering essential statistics in herpresentation, “Update on Hispanic/Latino DataCollection and Dissemination.”

As one of the few cancer groups dedicatedsolely to Latinos, Redes En Acción is leaving itsfootprints on the Hispanic health landscape.As we conclude Year 3, we look forward tofuture challenges with a continuedcommitment to reducing the burden of cancerin the Latino community. With your help, wewill keep the spirit alive.

Amelie G. Ramirez, DrPHPrincipal InvestigatorRedes En Acción

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Three years after initiating the researchand prioritization of cancer issuessignificant to the Hispanic/Latino

population, a preliminary draft of theRedes En Acción Latino Cancer Report waspresented to the National SteeringCommittee. In breakout sessions, NSCmembers were given the opportunity toreview and discuss the proposals outlinedin the document and brainstorm ideas forthe report’s ultimate dissemination.

The Latino Cancer Report draftreflected the input of hundreds ofscientists, health care professionals,leaders of government agencies andprofessional and community-basedorganizations, and other stakeholders inHispanic/Latino health. The process includedparticipation by the NSC and Redes En Acción’ssix Regional Community Advisory Committees,and a survey of 624 key opinion leaders inHispanic/Latino communities throughout thecountry.

The key opinion leaders survey sought toobtain feedback on nine cancer-related topics:

• Access to cancer screening and care• Tobacco use• Patient/clinician communication

• Risk communication• Occupational and environmental risk• Participation in clinical trials• Infectious agents• Cancer survivorship and health-

related quality of life• Genetic testing and education

The report presented to the NSC proposeda series of research, training and outreachrecommendations for the priority issues. Inaddition, the report listed the most importantcancer sites, in order of their significance toLatinos, as: 1) breast, 2) cervical, 3) lung, 4)colorectal, 5) prostate, 6) liver, and 7) stomach.

“The consensus recommendationsthat we include in the Latino CancerReport are intended to help shape anational agenda on Hispanic/Latinocancer prevention and control issues,”said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, DrPH, RedesEn Acción Principal Investigator. “Morespecifically, the aim of the report is toassist Redes En Acción in its goals ofpromoting Hispanic/Latino cancerresearch, training and public education,as well as provide advisory guidelines fornational, regional and local policymakers.”

Dissemination ideas suggested by the NSC for the finalized report includedtargeting state agencies, academicians,community-based organizations andfoundations. Participants recommendedworking with other Special PopulationsNetworks focused on Latino populations, as well as with health care institutions andprofessional societies of clinicians, familyphysicians, nurses and other health careprofessionals. Suggestions also includedholding press conferences, publishing inacademic journals, and aggressively using theInternet and the media to publicize the report.

LATINO CANCER REPORTLatino Cancer Report discussion continues

Panel Participants:* Ralph Caraballo, PhD, MPH,

Epidemiologist and Research TeamLeader, Office on Smoking and Health,Centers for Disease Control andPrevention

* Jennie Cook, President, ICC Caucus,Intercultural Cancer Council

* Rebecca Garcia, PhD, Vice President ofHealth Sciences, Susan G. Komen BreastCancer Foundation

* Elena Rios, MD, Executive Director,National Hispanic Medical Association

* Nadarajen Vydelingum, PhD, DeputyDirector, Center to Reduce Cancer HealthDisparities, National Cancer Institute

‘Collaboration” was a common thread as adistinguished panel offered opinions onthe evolving Redes En Acción Latino Cancer

Report, recommending that Redes keepHispanic health organizations and future policyin mind when producing the final version.

“This should be viewed as a beginning, anentrée into many communities where thisinformation can be shared,” said Panel

Moderator ArminWeinberg, PhD,Director, ChronicDisease Preventionand Control ResearchCenter, Baylor Collegeof Medicine. “I thinkwe’re just starting tosee the power of thatkind of infrastructure.”

“With Hispanics/Latinos making up 13percent of the population, you have a lot ofclout,” said Jennie Cook. “And you need to useit. Certain types of research must be done forour communities.”

Dr. Rebecca Garcia noted that she was “veryimpressed with how comprehensive andstrategic” the report’s recommendations were,and how closely they aligned with theobjectives of the Komen Foundation. “You havethe broad brushstrokes here. We can take thisand look at each one of our key areas to seehow we can turn them into action.”

Dr. Ralph Caraballo stressed the importanceof collaborating with the Office of Smoking andHealth at CDC, noting that “the number of

Latino smokers is projected to grow from 3million to approximately 15 million in the next25 years.”

“The advisory committee of the NationalHispanic Medical Assocation is very interestedin providing input,” said Dr. Elena Rios. “Wehave physicians from across the country thatwould be interested in helping to shapeeducation, training or research issues.”

“A tremendous amount of work went intothis very timely report,” observed Dr. NadarajenVydelingum. “As we at the NCI start to puttogether the re-issuance of SPN 2 for the nextfive years, this report is going to betremendously helpful to us in formulatingsome of the ideas in the concept statement.”

(L-R) Sylvia Garcia-Rickard, Dr. Amparo Castillo, MariaCastillo-Couch

(L-R) Moderator Dr.Armin Weinberg and panelists Jennie Cook, Drs.Nadarajen Vydelingum, Ralph Caraballo, Elena Rios, Rebecca Garcia

Response panel stresses collaboration

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GUEST SPEAKERSRep. Rodriguez: ‘We need your leadership’

A long-time champion of Hispanic/Latino healthissues, U.S Congressman Ciro D. Rodriguez is

chairman of the Hispanic Congressional Caucus andco-sponsor of the Hispanic Health Improvement Act.For the past four years, he has served as HonoraryChair of the Redes En Acción National SteeringCommittee.

“We need you, we need your help, andwe need your leadership,” U.S Rep. CiroRodriguez told members of the Redes EnAcción National Steering Committee as headdressed the group for the fourthconsecutive year. “No one knows better than you that not enoughinroads have been made to respond to the healthcare issues thatconfront the Latino community.”

Rep. Rodriguez admitted that an unprecedented atmosphere ofpartisanship in the U.S. Congress makes change difficult, specificallywith regard to the bill he co-sponsored aimed at improvingHispanic/Latino health in this country. He offered, however, a ray ofhope: “Some House and Senate members on both sides of the aislehave looked at it and added parts of it to their own legislation.”

Still, he said, much remains to be done, adding that “the country isat a turning point” with regard to health care not only for Latinos, butfor all Americans. He encouraged NSC members to continue to serve asa voice for the Latino community, particularly in improving andstrengthening the medical workforce.

“With the fact that we are the largest minority in this country comes acertain degree of responsibility,” he said, urging Redes En Acción tocontinue its dialogue with elected officials and other organizations. “Weneed to take leadership roles, to take steps now, and to speak out aboutwhat should happen next. As Americans, we have to be judged by howwe treat our most vulnerable.”

Dr. Howe: ‘We’ve come a long way’

H olly L. Howe, PhD, is the Executive Director of the North American Association ofCentral Cancer Registries (www.naaccr.org).Although the lack of reliable cancer control data among the

Hispanic/Latino population remains a constant concern, “we’ve come along way since 1987,” said Dr. Holly Howe, describing how “theconsensus of standards was our focus when the NAACCR started —everybody was doing their own thing.”

Since its inception, the NAACCR has succeeded in mobilizingnumerous registries to recognize “that this is an important population inthe United States,” she noted.

Acknowledging that classification can be challenging and complicatedin a diverse population — with misclassification an ever-presentproblem due to how census forms are constructed and people definethemselves — Dr. Howe pointed out that NAACCR began to “earnestlyaddress this issue in 1999, expanding it beyond Hispanics to include

Asian Pacific Islanders, American Indiansand other other groups.”

The result was the formation of an expertpanel, with representatives from California,Colorado, Texas, Illinois, New York and NewJersey. “In 2003, we released a best practicesguideline to all cancer registries onenhancing Hispanic identification called theNAACCR Hispanic Identification Algorithm(NHIA).” Dr. Howe explained that althoughthe original goal was participation from the10 registries with the largest Hispanic/Latinopopulations, “we ended up with 22, with the report covering more than88 percent of U.S. Hispanics.”

In addition to setting standards for cancer incidence data collection,NAACCR educates and trains professionals in cancer surveillance,recognizes qualifying registries through a certification program, andevaluates and publishes registry data.

Dr. Rios: ‘Need to educate policy makers’

E lena Rios, MD, is President and CEO of the National Hispanic Medical Association

(www.nhmamd.org).Dr. Elena Rios described the power of

networking as a path to real progress inHispanic/Latino health issues in herluncheon talk, “Hispanic Health: ThePerspective from Washington.”

“To have an impact on policy, you needto educate policy makers and have anetwork behind you,” she said. “In its role asan advocacy group, the National HispanicMedical Association (NHMA) networks with other minority groups, withCongress and with the Hispanic leaders in our communities.”

The NHMA recently began Capitol Hill briefings on Hispanic/Latino

health, with the first one focusing on cultural competence and languageservices. These briefings, said Dr. Rios, are a significant step: “We’veopened up this platform, this venue, that wasn’t there before. There hadnever really been Hispanic health briefings in Washington.

“The Office of Minority Health issued standards for CLAS - Culturallyand Linguistically Appropriate Services. It calls for hospitals and othermedical groups to improve the health care delivery to target the cultureof their patients, not just Hispanics as a whole, but the subgroups suchas Mexican American, Puerto Rican and others.”

The NHMA focuses on bills such as the Hispanic HealthImprovement Act. The organization’s first congressional earmark forinformation dissemination resulted in a new Web site, a newsletter andan action alert network set up through the site that allows visitors tosend e-mail directly to their representatives in Congress.

She explained the need to be “plugged in at the highest levels in thehealth system, both public and private. Our organizations tend to beyoung, and because of that we need to work smarter. Redes En Acción isdoing tremendous things and we can do more if we all work together.”

Ciro D. Rodriguez

Holly L. Howe, PhD

Elena Rios, MD

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PILOT PROJECTSResearchers describe pilot project progress

Panel Participants:• Thomas Denberg, MD, PhD, Assistant

Professor of Medicine, University ofColorado Health Sciences Center

• Ana Maria Lopez, MD, MPH, AssociateProfessor, Medical Director, Women’sHealth Initiative and ArizonaTelemedicine Program, Arizona CancerCenter

• Deborah Parra-Medina, PhD, MPH,Assistant Professor, University of SouthCarolina

• Isabel Scarinci, PhD, MPH, MA,Assistant Professor of PreventiveMedicine, University of Alabama atBirmingham

• Gregory Talavera, MD, MPH, AssistantProfessor, Graduate School of PublicHealth, San Diego State University

• Marielos Vega, RN, Research Nurse,Department of Family Medicine, UMD-New Jersey Medical School

• Monica Yepes-Rios, MD, FACP, Chair,Department of Medicine, San YsidroHealth Center

NSC members heard presentations on sevenof the nine Redes En Acción pilot projectsawarded through August 2003 by the

National Cancer Institute.Dr. Thomas Denberg, Prostate Cancer

Diagnosis Treatment among Latino Men. “Ourgoal is to identify particulars for treatment for

early-stage prostate cancer. The next stepsinclude initial predictors of treatment for early-stage prostate cancer, and then performingsurvival analysis.”

Dr. Monica Yepes-Rios, Colorectal CancerScreening: Identifying Barriers to Screening inthe Latino Population. “Many participants haveno knowledge of what colorectal cancer is, letalone screening. Our long-term goal is to useour data to implement appropriateintervention.”

Dr. Deborah Parra-Medina, SouthCarolina Partnership for Cancer Prevention.“We have a multidisciplinary team ofresearchers in public health, publicadministration, nursing, social work andwomen’s studies. Lessons learned: Start where

the community is, build on existing networksand sectors, and facilitate the direct practicaluse of data to drive community change.”

Marielos Vega (presenting for Ana NatalePereira, MD), Improving Cancer Screeningamong Hispanics/Latinos. “With community-based organizations, we have conducted sixfocus groups out of 10. We hope with this datato design a culturally and linguisticallyappropriate colorectal cancer educationalmodel.”

Dr. Isabel Scarinci, Cervical CancerPrimary Prevention in Latina Immigrants.“Most of these women have not been in theU.S. for very long; only 20 percent have healthinsurance coverage. They have very limitedknowledge regarding STDs (sexuallytransmitted diseases), and 100 percent ofthem had never heard of HPV (humanpapilloma virus). We are considering acollaboration among researchers in the eightemerging Latino states.”

Dr. Gregory Talavera, Smoking Cessationfor Spanish-Speaking Latinos. “Project Sol II isbuilt on Project Sol, which was designedwithout pharmacotherapy, which the patientsin the first study told us they wanted to use.We are looking at whether self-help materialsand nicotine replacement therapy aresufficient, or do they need a more intensivebehavioral intervention provided by thepromotora model?”

Dr. Ana Maria Lopez, The Feasibility ofTelecolposcopy in a Gynecology Clinic. “InLatinas there is a 40 percent increase in deathfrom cervical cancer - a completely preventabledisease. Telecolposcopy allows forinterpretation of the cervix at a distance.Should this modality prove to be clinicallyeffective, it would increase access to care forwomen in rural areas.”Pilot project researchers with Redes En Acción national/regional leaders

(L-R) Drs. Deborah Parra-Medina, panel moderator Ed Trapido,Thomas Denberg and MonicaYepes-Rios, and Marielos Vega

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SPECIAL DISCUSSIONSEfforts to aid cancer patients detailed

Panel Participants:• L. Michelle Bennett, PhD,

Associate Director, Centerfor Cancer Research (CCR),National Cancer Institute(www.ccr.nci.nih.gov)

• Nancy Davenport-Ennis,President and CEO,National Patient AdvocateFoundation(www.patientadvocate.org)

From clinical trials to hands-onpatient navigation, NSCmembers heard important

aspects of exploration, discoveryand delivery in a panel focusedon cancer patients and the healthcare system.

Dr. L. Michelle Bennettoutlined the clinical trial processat the CCR, which conductsprimarily Phase I and II trials thatexplore early interventions andnew drug investigations in casesin which other treatments havefailed or when no therapies areavailable to the patient. Shedescribed the CCR’s mission as“technology development,enhancing training ininterdisciplinary and translationalresearch, and buildingpartnerships.”

Training opportunities includeworkshops, grant writing courses,summer internships, graduate

program partnerships andpostdoctoral retreats that provideopportunities for principalinvestigators to mentor students,she said.

Nancy Davenport-Ennispresented disturbing statistics onuninsured Latinos: 39.6 percentof adults aged 18-64 and morethan 25 percent of children. ThePatient Advocate Foundationhelps primarily cancer patientswith benefits coordination,resolution of coding and billingerrors, lack of access to medicaldevices, surgical procedures, debtcrisis, legal advice and socialservice needs such astransportation, child care andhousing.

“Although only 3 percent ofthe Patient AdvocateFoundation’s cases were forHispanic/Latinos in 2001-02, wehave added bilingual Hispanicand Latino case managers inMiami, East Los Angeles Countyand New York City,” said Ms.Davenport-Ennis. Bilingualmaterials include a managed careanswer guide and the PocketDirectory of Resources.

“We operate from the positionthat patients need an advocatewho will not only hold their handbut embrace their hearts andunderstand their fear,” she said.

Co-Facilitators:• Carlos R. Jaen, MD, PhD,

Professor and Chair,Department of Family andCommunity Medicine,University of Texas HealthScience Center at SanAntonio

• Robert O. Valdez, PhD,MHSA, Senior HealthScientist, Rand HealthScience Program

“What does Redes En Acciónmean to you?”

With that question Dr. RobertValdez opened up the floor to theNational Steering Committee in aspirited open discussion at theend of the two-day conference.Participants replied witheverything from personalexperiences to the future of RedesEn Acción as an independentpresence in a global health carenetwork for Hispanic/Latinos.Observations included:

“Redes En Acción is anincubator to grow the nextgeneration of cancer researchers.”

“I think we are obviously thefulcrum; it’s the networking that’sthe mechanism, the tool, to

achieve common goals.”“Do we want Redes En Acción to

keep focusing on the areas wehave been, or expand theresearch network by reaching outto a larger group of mentorcancer researchers?”

“To me, this group has meantmentoring. It’s given me a link topeople I didn’t even knowexisted.”

“We need to think aboutwhere we want to be in 10, 15, 20years. Maybe not to the level ofthe NIH, but a place whereHispanics/Latinos can go forfunding, advice, training andmentoring.”

“I want us to be sitting onsteering committees wheredecisions are made, whether theybe molecular, epidemiology,genomics or behaviorial.”

“Redes En Acción must take onthe whole issue of policy thatdeals with telling governmentwhat it has to do for ourcommunity.”

“I envision an independentRedes En Acción Foundation. Withthe huge gap between researchand the community, we need tobe that bridge.”

Open discussion co-facilitator Dr. Robert Valdez

(L-R) Dr. L. Michelle Bennett, panel moderator Dr. José Marti, NancyDavenport-Ennis

Open Discussion:What is Redes En Acción?

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John F. Alderete PhDUniversity of Texas HealthScience Center at SanAntonio

Linda Civallero, MPHCancer Information Service

Valerie Copeland, MPHThe Susan G. Komen BreastCancer Foundation

Estevan Flores, PhDUniversity of Colorado atDenver

Roland Garcia, PhDNational Cancer Institute

Carlos R. Jaen, MD, PhDUniversity of Texas HealthScience Center at SanAntonio

Rea Pañares, MHSGrantmakers in Health

Ciro V. Sumaya, MD, MPH,TM

Texas A&M University SystemHealth Science Center

Robert O. Valdez, PhD,MHSA

Rand Health ScienceProgram

Louise Villejo, MPHUniversity of Texas MDAnderson Cancer Center

Armin Weinberg, PhDBaylor College of Medicine

Katherine M. Wilson, MPHCenters for Disease Controland Prevention

PANELISTS/GUESTSPEAKERSL. Michelle Bennett, PhD

National Institutes ofHealth/Center for CancerResearch

Ralph Caraballo, PhD,MPH

Centers for Disease Controland Prevention

Jennie R. CookIntercultural Cancer Council

Nancy Davenport-EnnisPatient AdvocateFoundation

Rebecca Garcia, PhDThe Susan G. Komen BreastCancer Foundation

Holly Howe, PhDNorth American Associationof Central Cancer Registries

Jon F. Kerner, PhDNational Cancer Institute

Edward Trapido, ScD,MSPH

National Cancer Institute

Nadarajen A. Vydelingum,PhD

National Cancer Institute

REGIONALPARTICIPANTSMaria Castillo-Couch

Las Vegas, Nevada

Rita E. Corona, MDUniversity of Texas HealthScience Center at SanAntonio

Oliver Fein, MDWeill Medical College ofCornell University

Sylvia Garcia-RickardNational Breast CancerCoalition

Kevin L. Hall, MDUniversity of Texas HealthScience Center at SanAntonio

Carlos A. Mazas, PhDUniversity of Texas MDAnderson Cancer Center

Suzanne Nicoletti-Krase,RN, EdD

Brooklyn Hospital Center

Sylvia Ramos, MD, MS,FACS

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Debbie Salas-Lopez, MDUMD-New Jersey MedicalSchool

Jesse Soriano, MA, MSHealth Services Center,University of Utah

Steven R. Tobias, MSSan Antonio MetroAmerican Cancer Society

EXECUTIVECOMMITTEEAida L. Giachello, PhD

University of Illinois atChicago

Jose R. Marti, MD, FACSBrooklyn Hospital Center

Martha A. Medrano, MD,MPH

University of Texas HealthScience Center at SanAntonio

Frank J. Penedo, PhDUniversity of Miami

Eliseo J. Perez-Stable, MDUniversity of California, SanFrancisco

Elena Rios, MDNational Hispanic MedicalAssociation

Lucina Suarez, PhDTexas Department of Health

Gregory A. Talavera, MD,MPH

San Diego State University

PILOT PROJECTRESEARCHERSThomas Denberg, MD, PhD

University of Colorado

Ana Maria Lopez, MD,MPH

Arizona Cancer Center

Debra Parra-Medina,MPH, PhD

University of South Carolina

Isabel Scarinci, PhD, MPHUniversity of Alabama atBirmingham

Marielos L. Vega, RNUMD-New Jersey MedicalSchool

Monica Yepes-Rios, MD,FACP

San Ysidro Health Center

PROJECTCOORDINATORSNereida Borrero, MSN,GNP

Brooklyn Hospital Center

Amparo Castillo, MDUniversity of Illinois atChicago

Sylvia Z.CastilloUniversity of Texas HealthScience Center at SanAntonio

Haydee Encarnacion-Garcia, PhD, MPH

Indiana University

Angel A. Loor, MAUniversity of Miami

Kathleen McManusBrooklyn Hospital Center

Catalina Ramos, MDUniversity of Chicago

Martha Rangel-Lugo, PhDUniversity of California, SanFrancisco

Ana Talavera, MPHSan Diego State University

CISStephanie A. Puente

University of Texas MDAnderson Cancer Center

Evelyn Rojas, MSSWCancer Information Serviceof New York

NATIONAL NETWORKCENTER/BAYLORCOLLEGE OF MEDICINEAmelie G. Ramirez, DrPH

Principal InvestigatorPatricia Chalela, MPHKip Gallion, MAKay HaverlahRebecca MasonDani PresswoodSandra San Miguel deMajors, MSCelia ThompsonLuis Velez, MDSylvie Whitehead

Redes En Accíon 2003 NSC Meeting Participants

MARK YOURCALENDAR:

5th AnnualRedes En AcciónNational Steering

Committee MeetingMarch 2-4, 2005

San Antonio, Texas