Lilly Blog Post – Disparities

This document introduces C-Change’s Geographic Intervention Project (GIP), a collaborative initiative designed to combat racial and ethnic cancer disparities, which impose a substantial burden on the US economy and public health. Driven by the belief that cancer disparities are preventable through community-level interventions, C-Change selected the Mississippi Gulf Coast as its pilot community due to high cancer mortality rates and existing healthcare infrastructure. The GIP’s approach involves a structured process of assessment, planning, intervention, and evaluation, focusing on key priorities identified by community stakeholders to alleviate disparities. These priorities include implementing smoke-free policies, improving health knowledge, utilizing care navigators, and enhancing access to screenings. C-Change aims to create a sustainable and transferable model to effectively address cancer disparities through collaborative efforts and community partnerships.