Community-engaged patient navigation safety net programs are established as an evidence-based approach to address cancer prevention and early detection efforts, but barriers to expand and sustain such programs persist. In addition, few studies describe how these programs impact buy-in among communities and policy change within health care systems…

This viewpoint describes the case of a 4-year-old boy's journey in art therapy after his cancer had returned, which despite surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, ultimately claimed his life. The patient and his family participated in art therapy over the course of 18 months. As an integrated, palliative component of treatment, art therapy helped…

Many hospitals and academic medical settings lag behind in promoting key initiatives focused on advancing maternal, infant, and early childhood mental health. Yet, systems are dynamic and change is possible. This article highlights Fellows' efforts to infuse maternal, infant, and early childhood mental health understanding and approaches into…

Infants and toddlers account for a disproportionate percentage of children diagnosed with cancer. These young children and their families benefit when infant and early childhood mental health is recognized as vital and integrated with medical treatment. Such interventions are beneficial for supporting families in coping when cancer is the only…

The concerted, strategic efforts of government leaders can create rapid accelerations in knowledge and the application of that knowledge for the public good. Government service can represent part or all of one's career. Working at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) early in my career helped me develop a macro-level understanding of how the…

The increase of chronic disease in the United States has created a strong demand for health education specialists (HESs) who are trained to facilitate behavioral, environmental and policy changes through program implementation and evaluation. However, it is difficult for colleges and universities to prepare future health educators to be competent…

Hampton University President William Harvey's initial readings of proton therapy for cancer sparked his interest. Within a few months, Dr. Harvey was assigning widely respected Hampton nuclear physicist Dr. Cynthia Keppel to do more exploration. Today, the new $225 million Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute, one of eight therapy sites in…

We developed an interactive laboratory that allows students to identify and grade tissue samples from human breast biopsies, using techniques similar to those used by actual pathologists. This unique lab develops a practical and intellectual understanding of basic tissue structures that make up living systems, utilizing technology to bring…

Moving knowledge into practice and the implementation of innovations in health care remain significant challenges. Few researchers adequately address the influence of organizations on the implementation of innovations in health care. The aims of this article are to (1) present 2 conceptual frameworks for understanding the organizational factors…

This article presents an annotated bibliography of 19 titles that focus on cancer and health-care reform. These include: (1) Anderson, John W. "Stand by Her: A Breast Cancer Guide for Men." AMACOM: American Management Assn.; (2) Carstensen, Laura L. "A Long Bright Future: An Action Plan for a Lifetime of Happiness, Health, and Financial Security."…

It is rare to find the emotional component of self-directed learning discussed explicitly in the literature. This lack is particularly glaring given the interest sparked by recent brain research concerning the importance of emotion in all types of learning as well as by the dramatic increase in self-directed learning in the emotionally charged…

"Other Health Impairment" is one of the 14 categories of disability listed in the nation's special education law, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Under IDEA, a child who has an "other health impairment" is likely to be eligible for special services to help the child address his or her educational,…

The Northern Appalachia Cancer Network (NACN) is a community-academic partnership to develop, implement, and evaluate evidence-based interventions intended to reduce the burden of cancer in Appalachian Pennsylvania and New York. The NACN began in 1992 as a loose network of community coalitions intended to implement local programs for cancer…

Dr. Pete Anderson, a clinician and professor at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, entered the life of Anna and her family two years ago. Anna was referred to him because of his clinical research and expertise in pediatric oncology and multimodality therapies. Anna had been diagnosed with metastatic Ewing's Sarcoma, a form of bone…

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV), the virus responsible for cervical cancer, is the most common viral sexually transmitted infection in the United States. A vaccine was approved in 2006 that is effective in preventing the types of HPV responsible for 70% of cervical cancers and 90% of genital warts. Proposals for routine and mandatory HPV…