News & Events

A crowd of more than 70 people, including Illinois lawmakers, community leaders, cancer survivors, physicians, nurses, clinical staff, researchers and student trainees, packed a conference room at Loretto Hospital to talk about how to invest in hospitals and clinics in communities so everyone has access to the best care and tomorrow’s medicines.

The University of Illinois Cancer Center hosted its latest ASSETS Series Structural Solutions to Clinical Research Excellence event on August 11 at the hospital in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. The ASSETS series explores the most effective ways to collaborate with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and safety net hospitals to boost clinical trial participation among underrepresented populations.

A series of panel discussions at the event included Illinois State Senator Kimberly Lightfoot, MPA, State Representatives La Shawn K. Ford and Camille Lily, MHA, UI Health Mile Square Health Center Director of Clinical Innovations and Research Judes Fleurimont, MPH,  Cancer Center leaders, Loretto and Sinai Chicago representatives, as well as the Director of Health Equity and Clinical Research at Genentech, which sponsored the event.  

ASSETS, which began in 2023, is led by Yamilé Molina, PhD, the Cancer Center Associate Director for Community Outreach and Engagement. When healthcare workers at FQHCs and safety net facilities are well integrated and trusted within their communities, patients are more inclined to heed their advice. By leveraging these trusted relationships, the goal is to determine if this approach can enhance enrollment and completion rates in clinical trials.

Pictured are some of the ASSETS panelists and participants.