Where a person lives in the United States significantly influences both the quality of the cancer care they receive and their treatment outcomes. With a growing mortality gap between patients living in urban and rural areas and a distinct struggle for patients in rural communities to afford their care, implementing thoughtful, targeted outreach in rural areas hasnever been more important.
In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with 2026 ACCC Innovator Award winner Theresa W. Gillespie, PhD, MA, FAAN, Professor and Associate Director for Community Outreach and Engagement at Winship Cancer Institute, about her program’s Embedded Community Staff model, which provides funding to community partners that hire local individuals who are deeply familiar with their communities, their needs, and their resources.
“It’s a beautiful partnership. The people in the communities have the knowledge and superb expertise of their own community, and then we can provide the funding and oversight.” –
Theresa W. Gillespie, PhD, MA, FAAN
Guest:
Theresa W. Gillespie, PhD, MA, FAAN
Professor and Associate Director for Community Outreach and Engagement
Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia
Resources:
The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author(s)/faculty member(s) and do not reflect the official policy or position of their employer(s) or the Association of Cancer Care Centers.
