GW Cancer Institute Receives $97K Grant to Address Barriers to Cancer Care

WASHINGTON (Jan. 28, 2015) — The George Washington University (GW) Cancer Institute received a $97K grant from Genentech to address health disparities in cancer care.

“We are honored to be selected by Genentech to carry out this important research,” said Mandi Pratt-Chapman, MA, director of the GW Cancer Institute. “Our research will provide critical information for the sustainability of patient navigation, an intervention that has rapidly gained traction to reduce cancer health disparities.”

With this grant, the GW Cancer Institute will launch a yearlong study to:

  • Gather key information about barriers encountered, program impact and program value;
  • Create evaluation tools to support sustainability of patient navigation at the community level;
  • And translate research findings for a practice-based audience.

Patient navigation has emerged as an effective intervention to reduce barriers to cancer care, particularly for underserved populations. With extensive research on the standardization and growth of this field, as well as implementation of training for patient navigators, the GW Cancer Institute is especially suited to conduct this study.

While barriers to care exist across the health care system, they are particularly pronounced in oncology. Treatments are expensive, significantly impact quality of life, and require coordination across multiple providers. This leads to challenges related to accessing screening, early detection, treatment and post-treatment care.

In addition to Pratt-Chapman, Anne Willis, MA, director of patient-centered programs, and Adrienne Thomas, LGCSW, project manager for community outreach and patient navigation, both at the GW Cancer Institute, will contribute to this research.

Latest News

Basil Considine, a third-year medical student at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (GW SMHS), addressed U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) leadership, pharmaceutical representatives, and association stakeholders during a public meeting regarding the…
The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS) recently honored a pair of accomplished faculty members, Sharad Goyal, MD, and Christina M. Puchalski, MD ’94, RESD ’97, for their academic excellence and leadership in patient care by formally bestowing them with…
The GW Department of Dermatology has been awarded a prestigious Competitive Clinical Research Grant by Eli Lilly and Company to evaluate the effectiveness of Atopic Triad (atopic dermatitis, asthma, and seasonal allergies) screening and education to reduce the burden of Atopic Dermatitis and its…