Community Outreach and Engagement

The COE Coordinating Committee was established by the COE Office as a committee that optimizes alignment and engagement for all COE activities across SJCCC and the communities served – including childhood cancer patients, childhood cancer survivors, and all children in the catchment area.

The COE Coordinating Committee consists of the COE Office, COE Assistant Directors, SJCCC administration, SJCCC Research Program liaisons, and patient family advisor representatives.

The COE Coordinating Committee meets monthly and focuses on updates from COE programs and activities, including engagement activities with communities served, the catchment area, and Research Programs.

The SJCCC Catchment Area is a 180-mile radius around Memphis and a 100-mile radius around each of eight Affiliates. The SJCCC catchment area spans across a portion of 16 states in the United States comprising nearly 35 million people and with nearly 8 million children. St. Jude cancer reach extends beyond the catchment area. Globally, St. Jude partners with ~400 centers in more than 80 countries.

Patients come to St. Jude via one of three mechanisms: 1) Patients who reside within the 180-mile radius around St. Jude in Memphis 2) Patients who reside in the 100-mile radius around one of the eight Affiliates 3) Patients who live outside of the catchment area who are referred for an open interventional treatment trial or for a unique clinical service not otherwise available to them.

SJCCC’s Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) prioritizes the health and well-being of the communities within its catchment area, extending its impact across the United States and globally through initiatives in more than 80 countries. Within this expansive geographic area, SJCCC COE focuses on empowering three primary communities:

• Children with cancer – providing comprehensive and tailored education and resources to meet their unique needs during treatment and recovery.
• Children who have survived cancer – addressing long-term survivorship challenges and equipping them with education for sustained health and wellness.
• All children in the catchment area – promoting cancer prevention and education to foster healthier communities and reduce cancer risk.

Through these efforts, SJCCC remains committed to building equitable access to education, prevention strategies, and care, ensuring that the communities it serves are at the center of every initiative.

The COE has two primary Community Advisory Boards (CABs) aligned with communities served by St. Jude.

Patient Family CAB: The Patient Family CAB was formed in Fall 2023 to establish a direct link between patient family advisors with lived experiences related to childhood cancer and St. Jude. The Patient Family CAB consists of patient family advisors connected to the journey of childhood cancer from diagnosis through survivorship and including bereavement in roles of parents, caregivers, and adult survivors of childhood cancer.

Child Health CAB: The Child Health CAB in 2021 to meaningfully engage catchment area, United States, and global experts to provide advice and guidance on identifying, prioritizing, and effectively addressing the needs of all children within the catchment area and beyond. The Child Health CAB consists of members who are distinguished leaders in pediatrics, childhood wellness, patient education, HPV vaccination, and parenthood. Members meet quarterly to offer feedback and support on activities related to the HPV Cancer Prevention Program and STEMM Education and Outreach program and on the content of the Together by St. Jude online educational resources relevant to overall child health.

Collaboration between Research Program members and patient family advisors is essential to fostering a meaningful and impactful research environment. By creating spaces that enable open engagement between researchers and communities, the SJCCC COE establishes a culture of trust, mutual understanding, and shared idea generation. These collaborations not only enhance the relevance of research efforts but also ensure that the outcomes are aligned with the needs and priorities of the communities served.

The SJCCC COE has significantly expanded its facilitation of research collaborations. This approach has led to deeper, more productive interactions between researchers and patient family advisors, generating insights that inform and enrich the research process. By prioritizing these partnerships, SJCCC is laying the groundwork for sustained, meaningful engagement that drives innovative and community-centered solutions in cancer prevention, education, and care.