Meade and Tampa Bay Community Cancer Network Receive Community Health Partnership Award

Cathy D. Meade, PhD, RN, FAAN

The Tampa Bay Community Cancer Network (TBCCN) received the Florida Association of Community Health Center’s (FACHC) Community Health Partnership Award for their project, Tampa Bay Community Cancer Network: A Model for Reducing Health Disparities (TBCCN). The award was presented at the FACHC annual convention on July 13, 2010 in Marco Island, FL.

The Community Health Partnership Award recognizes private individuals, civic or religious groups who have advanced health services to the health underserved by financial, material or voluntary services to a community or migrant health organization and to create public awareness and support for private participation in community health care.

USF Nursing clinical research partner and Director of the Education Program at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Cathy D. Meade, PhD, RN, FAAN serves as PI of the project.

The Tampa Bay Community Cancer Network (TBCCN) formed in response to an urgent need to create solutions for the development of efficacious cancer interventions for the effective penetration within the community and is a collaborative the of H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute at the University of South Florida, local community-based heath centers, social service agencies, faith-based groups, adult education and literacy groups, and local media.

(Left to Right) Kim Schuknecht, CEO Premier Healthcare Group and Shalewa Noel-Thomas, PhD, Center Coordinator, Tampa Bay Community Cancer Network (TBCCN).

TBCCN was nominated for the award by Premiere Community Healthcare Group in Dade City. TBCCN and Moffitt have supported many of Premiere Community Healthcare Group’s programs including their annual health fair, a patient navigator program, mammography and cancer treatment for the uninsured. Premiere appreciates all the time and support that has been shown to them by Dr. Shalewa Noel-Thomas, Program Manager for the TBCCN, who has been instrumental in helping their community.