Photos courtesy of TFJ Foundation.
A meeting of the Chicago Cancer Health Equity Collaborative (CCHEC) took place on June 1, 2019 at the University of Illinois at Chicago to mark National Cancer Survivors Day. Every first Sunday in June was designated National Cancer Survivors Day in 1987 to recognize those living with cancer and the people who support them. The event was spearheaded by Phyllis Rodgers of Peer Plus Education and Training Advocates and was attended by members of varied groups such as, the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), the Blue Hat Foundation, and Janssen Research and Development as well as the Timothy Francis Jones Foundation. All of these groups partner together with the CCHEC to bring community input into medical and cancer specific issues affecting underserved communities.
The gathering had a panel which consisted of Beverly Rogers, Angela Williams, Kennedy Parker, William Scott, Charlene Abrams and the director of U. of I.’s Cancer Survivorship Program, Dr. Susan Hong. All are cancer survivors and/or experts on cancer survival and research. The discussion was moderated by our friend, Dr. Karriem Watson of the University of Illinois Cancer Center. The discussion took on the feel of a family talking at their kitchen table as the panel, the audience and experts told their stories. Many of the lessons learned were exchanged and issues were identified in order to present them to authorities in medicine and politics. We’ll keep you posted on upcoming meetings and results. Please feel free to submit questions or suggestions on cancer issues that affect you. Send them to tfjfoundation@gmail.com and we’ll do our best to get an answer for you.
