About Us
Who We Are
Karmanos Cancer Institute (KCI) implements its community outreach and engagement (COE) efforts through the Office of Cancer Health Equity and Community Engagement (OCHECE). Established in 2017, OCHECE monitors the cancer burden in Karmanos' 46 county catchment area and engages our diverse communities and scientists in strategies to reduce that burden and improve cancer outcomes across all populations.
OCHECE supports the intersection of community engagement and research across the cancer care continuum from cancer prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship. OCHECE builds research capacity in communities by educating community members and organizations about cancer research and providing opportunities for community stakeholders to dialogue with basic, clinical and population scientists, thereby enabling communities to have a voice in driving research and change.
What We Do
In 2016, OCHECE worked with range of community partners to establish Michigan Cancer HealthLink (formerly Detroit HealthLink for Equity in Cancer Care), an academic-community partnership created to build community capacity to collaborate in cancer-related research. HealthLink convenes Cancer Action Councils (CACs), neighborhood-based and population-driven groups of cancer survivors, caregivers and advocates who have been historically excluded from meaningful research collaborations. Groups of cancer survivors, caregivers, and advocates who use their local knowledge and expertise to reduce the burden of cancer. There are currently ten CACs across six cities in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Genesee counties with racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse membership.
OCHECE has also established a Research and Advocacy Consortium (RAC), a growing network that currently includes faith-based, social service, and public health organizations throughout the KCI 46-county catchment area as formal members and partners.
Core Values
Everything we do is guided by our core values
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