Community & Health Equity

Community partnerships are an essential part of cancer research and outcomes. At the University of Illinois Cancer Center, we work with community and national organizations to increase awareness of cancer prevention, screening, treatment survivorship care, and research through meaningful community involvement and engagement in the areas we serve.

At the Community Engagement & Health Equity (CEHE) office, our goal is to be a resource to the community and community-based organizations.

How We Can Help Your Organization and Community

Every partnership is unique. We work with each of our partners to understand their needs and how we can collaborate to ultimately improve health outcomes for the communities we serve. Our resources and areas of expertise include:

• Partnership assessment and identifying areas of intersection
• Bi-directional collaboration
• Connecting partners with researchers
• Sharing the needs of the community based on partners' feedback
• Participating in community engagement activities to share cancer prevention education
• Developing multi-media health education materials that are culturally and geographically tailored 
• Dissemination of research outcomes

Become a Partner

We always welcome the opportunity to form new partnerships. 

Partnerships must meet at least one of the four priorities outlined in our mission:

1. Develop strategic community-academic partnerships to facilitate community engagement and project development, implementation, and dissemination of research conducted by cancer center members. 
2. Conduct best practices for patient navigation across the cancer continuum of care relevant to the catchment area and beyond to reduce cancer burden.
3. Inform research priorities and development through community outreach and engagement collaborations and dissemination of findings to community stakeholders and cancer center programs (Cancer Biology, Translational Oncology, and Cancer Prevention and Control).
4. Identify, develop, and influence policy recommendations and advocacy efforts that are relevant to the catchment population, federally qualified health centers, community organizations, and other cancer care stakeholders.

Levels of Collaboration

Whether it’s partnering for a single event or having an ongoing collaboration, there are many ways in which the University of Illinois Cancer Center and other organizations can work together. The CEHE team determines a level of collaboration with each partner:

The five levels of community partnerships include:

1. Communicate: Inter-agency information sharing, such as networking
2. Cooperate: Informal interaction on specific discrete activities or projects
3. Coordinate: Systematically adjusting and aligning work among both organizations to achieve greater outcomes
4. Collaborate: Long-term interaction based on shared mission and goals, involving shared decision-making and resources
5. Integrate: Fully integrate programs, planning, and funding

Community Partnerships Requests

Discrete or Event Requests (Communicate or Cooperate Level Partnerships)

Community organizations or programs interested in requesting CEHE engagement or participation for specific events can use our online request form.

Formal Partnerships (Coordinate, Collaborate, or Integrate Level Partnerships)

For community partnerships that involve on-going or more extensive engagement, a partnership agreement will be co-developed and signed by both parties that details partnership goals, scope of work, expectations, timeline for deliverables, responsible persons, terms of mutual benefit (e.g., acknowledgment of support, co-branding, authorship), and collaboration evaluation methods.

Contact Us

Office of Community Engagement and Health Equity

312-355-5660

cancerengagement@uic.edu

CEHE Request Form

Please complete this request form if you would like the CEHE Office to be part of supporting your activities.

Click here for the form