BRIDGE (Blood cancer Research Initiative Developing Greater Engagement) with community patients
John Leonard
MDWeill Cornell Medicine
Project Term: April 1, 2021 - March 31, 2026
The Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM) Meyer Cancer Center (MCC) has an internationally recognized, clinical/translational blood cancer research program focused at its Manhattan campus. Elsewhere in New York City, the borough of Queens has 2.3 million and the borough of Brooklyn has 2.5 million residents. Both are among the most ethnically diverse urban areas in the world, and each separately ranks just behind Los Angeles and Chicago in population. Over 50% of patients diagnosed with blood cancers in New York City live in Brooklyn or Queens, and half of those are non-white. Involvement of academic cancer centers with a hematologic malignancy clinical trials program physically located in Brooklyn or Queens has previously been limited. New York Presbyterian Hospital and WCM have now integrated with New York Presbyterian-Queens (NYP-Q) and New York Presbyterian-Brooklyn Methodist Hospital (NYP-BMH) to provide access to outstanding cancer care and research for these populations. The community outreach and engagement core of the MCC (led by Dr. Erica Phillips) partners with a robust network of affiliated ambulatory care practices in Brooklyn and Queens. The core has hosted roundtables with over 120 stakeholders (cancer advocacy groups, community physicians, social service organizations) around barriers to diagnosis and treatment in solid tumors, and we will capitalize on this program to expand to blood cancer trials. Other workshops will be targeted directly to diverse groups of patients. Additionally, WCM-MCC cross-campus Hematologic Malignancy Disease Management teams are led locally by Dr. Perry Cook (NYP-BMH) and Dr. Gina Villani (NYP-Q). Clinical trials infrastructure and staffing, a joint IRB, training and oversight are being implemented. This foundation is ideal to synergize with this proposal (BRIDGE) to accelerate access and support for clinical trial participation of blood cancer patients in Brooklyn and Queens who have been previously underserved.
The Weill Cornell Medicine (WCM) Meyer Cancer Center (MCC) has an internationally recognized, clinical/translational blood cancer research program focused at its Manhattan campus. Elsewhere in New York City, the borough of Queens has 2.3 million and the borough of Brooklyn has 2.5 million residents. Both are among the most ethnically diverse urban areas in the world, and each separately ranks just behind Los Angeles and Chicago in population. Over 50% of patients diagnosed with blood cancers in New York City live in Brooklyn or Queens, and half of those are non-white. Involvement of academic cancer centers with a hematologic malignancy clinical trials program physically located in Brooklyn or Queens has previously been limited. New York Presbyterian Hospital and WCM have now integrated with New York Presbyterian-Queens (NYP-Q) and New York Presbyterian-Brooklyn Methodist Hospital (NYP-BMH) to provide access to outstanding cancer care and research for these populations. The community outreach and engagement core of the MCC (led by Dr. Erica Phillips) partners with a robust network of affiliated ambulatory care practices in Brooklyn and Queens. The core has hosted roundtables with over 120 stakeholders (cancer advocacy groups, community physicians, social service organizations) around barriers to diagnosis and treatment in solid tumors, and we will capitalize on this program to expand to blood cancer trials. Other workshops will be targeted directly to diverse groups of patients. Additionally, WCM-MCC cross-campus Hematologic Malignancy Disease Management teams are led locally by Dr. Perry Cook (NYP-BMH) and Dr. Gina Villani (NYP-Q). Clinical trials infrastructure and staffing, a joint IRB, training and oversight are being implemented. This foundation is ideal to synergize with this proposal (BRIDGE) to accelerate access and support for clinical trial participation of blood cancer patients in Brooklyn and Queens who have been previously underserved.