S3 Ep.7: "New Faces, New Perspectives"

It's Cervical Cancer Awareness Month! In Season 4, Episode 4, hosts Daniel Padron and Cithlali Chavez Mendoza speak with guests from the Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Washington State Department of Health (DOH), and Yakima Health District Breast, Cervical, and Colon Health Program (BCCHP). This episode focuses on raising awareness about cervical cancer, including the role of HPV in cervical cancer, overcoming barriers to screening, and the importance of resources like the Breast, Cervical, and Colon Health Program (BCCHP).

If you are interested in learning more about the BCCHP program, please visit: https://doh.wa.gov/you-and-your-family/illness-and-disease-z/cancer/breast-cervical-and-colon-health-program

In this episode of Cancer Health Equity NOW, we talk with Dante’ Morehead and Ben Young, members of the BACPAC team. BACPAC is a community of patients, partners, advocates, and researchers brought together with the mission of improving prostate cancer care for Black and African-descent men through community-based research and advocacy. In this episode we talk about some of the amazing projects they are working on, their recent symposium, and ways to be involved in the Early Detection Advisory Board.

This episode is a discussion of workforce development and the importance of representation when it comes to health equity for American Indian/Alaska Native communities. OCOE's Snowy Johnson is joined with Tee Benally, Senior Research Coordinator at Seven Directions, for a storytelling session on their pathways and experiences in public health as Native women from different reservation communities.

Welcome Back! We are excited to kick-off Season 4 with a conversation with two community partners doing powerful, caring, and life altering work in Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho.

In this episode, we talk with Anne Johnson, Director of Community Care with Spectrum Center Spokane and Caryn Bothman, Founder of Tough As Nails.

How is their work impacting individuals and communities across Eastern Washington? What does a day in the life look like? And what books do we want everyone in the country to read? 
Listen in and find out!

"Things that make you feel affirmed and happy in your identity; to us that is a moment of Joy. Joy is an act of resilience, an act of resistance." - Anne Johnson, Spectrum Center

Join us for our last episode of Season 3 and welcome some new faces to the OCOE team! For episode 7, we welcome Jamie, Jean, Liz, and Sara to the team as we delve deeper into the unique perspectives that shape and support health equity work at the Hutch. Much to discuss!

Let’s celebrate National Nurses Week! In this episode we sit down with Arlyce Coumar, MN, RN, OCN and Jennifer Lynch, RN, BSN, BMTCN to talk more about what oncology nurses do and address misconceptions about the role of nurses in healthcare. You will learn more about the hats nurses wear within their roles as educators, patient advocates, and policy advocates. Arlyce and Jennifer provide a perspective that is unique to their experience as nurses and nurse educators.

We sit down with Cecile Greenway CMS Regional office to discuss the fears and misconceptions we hear from communities that we work with who are historically marginalized and are medically disadvantaged. Join us as we take the opportunity to highlight the important role that Medicaid plays in the lives of millions of people when it comes to accessing healthcare here in the United States.

Welcome to colorectal cancer awareness month! For Episode 4 of Season 3 we highlight the importance of colorectal cancer screening and have a candid conversation about the disparities in cancer care access and the work being done to combat inequities. We are so excited and inspired by our conversation with Dr. Rachel Issaka, gastroenterologist and clinical researcher at Fred Hutch Cancer Center focused on decreasing colorectal cancer mortality; and Anita Mitchell, founder of Colon Stars and nationally recognized advocate for patient rights. With their expertise in clinical settings, research, and community-based perspectives, Dr. Issaka and Anita provide key insights on ways to support those impacted by colorectal cancer. 

Q: What’s the best colorectal cancer screening test - FIT (Fecal Immunochemical Test) or Colonoscopy?

A: Dr. Issaka says: “I want to lead with it doesn’t matter ultimately which one you choose per se; what does matter is that you pick a test, and you get screened.”

"The decisions being made in Olympia have a bigger impact on your life than those being made in Washington D.C.". For episode 3, we welcome Jeff Ketchel, executive director of Washington State Public Health Association (WSPHA), to our discussion on how rural health policy impact our public health landscape and why it is important to include diverse voices in our policy asks. Join the conversation and get involved!

For more information on WSPHA's Legislative Education Day, please follow this link: https://www.wspha.org/legislative-education-day 

Episode 2 of Season 3 invites representatives from Latino/a/x Community Based Organizations; Iris Navarro Diaz de Leon of ‘El Centro De La Raza’ in Seattle and Jennyfer Mesa of ‘Latinos En Spokane’. Our conversation begins with discussing the development/creation of each organization and programs; the discussion then moves through topics such as what Latinx population(s) each organization are serving, the different health barriers being experienced, and how they are navigating these barriers.