Decatur Community Partnership and Decatur Memorial Hospital collaborative awarded $450,000 Grant from the Lance Armstrong Foundation

Decatur, IL – February 9, 2006

In an effort to raise public awareness and improve access to cancer clinical trials, the Education Network to Advance Cancer Clinical Trials (ENACCT) and its founding partner the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) are pleased to announce the recipients of its Pilot Education Program grants. Over the next three years, ENACCT will provide financial support, training and technical assistance to three community organizations: Decatur Community Partnership and Decatur Memorial Hospital Collaborative, Decatur, Illinois; The Cross Cultural Collaborative of Pierce County, Tacoma, Washington; Cherishing Our Hearts and Souls Coalition (COHS), Boston, Massachusetts.

From a national competitive process with more than 60 applicants, only these 3 groups were awarded funding to work collaboratively with community leaders to increase awareness about cancer clinical trials.

The Decatur Community Partnership is made up of community organizations and health care professionals. Its mission is to promote collaborative programs to improve the quality of life and the health of Macon County, Illinois residents. Through its work with ENACCT, DCP will enhance its partnership’s capacity and scope and institutionalize the outreach and education programs developed through ENACCT by harnessing DMH’s expertise with respect to all aspects of cancer clinical trials. The partnership will work to engage the community to break down barriers to clinical trials, addressing specific barriers for patients, physicians, and the medically underserved.

Through the $450,000 grant awarded to the Decatur, Illinois collaborative, ENACCT seeks to address the issue of community literacy around clinical trials – changing knowledge, attitudes and beliefs and intention among both health care providers and community leaders – to ultimately enhance access and increase participation in clinical trials. DMH has employed a full-time outreach coordinator.

James L. Wade, III, M.D., Medical Director of Decatur Memorial Hospital Cancer Care Institute stated "We will be raising public awareness through printed materials, group sessions and town hall meetings. We will be contacting corporations, universities and other organizations – hoping to train approximately 200 community leaders and 150 healthcare providers."

"Decatur’s unique partnership will help provide better informed and more effective practices for clinical trial education that are replicable and grounded in ‘real-world’ experience," said Margo Michaels, executive director of ENACCT. "Innovative approaches such as these can help reduce the gaps in clinical trial access and accrual." Several national studies have shown that most people with cancer are unaware that participation in clinical trials is a treatment option.

"Despite a number of national and local initiatives attempting to address barriers to clinical trials, none have adequately addressed perhaps the most critical need – helping local communities learn about trials and addressing local barriers to access," said Mitch Stoller, president and chief executive officer of the LAF. "The Lance Armstrong Foundation is pleased to be working with ENACCT on this unique effort."

The grant will be administered by the Decatur Memorial Foundation and the funds will be used to hire staff, to disseminate information and materials, and for training.

ABOUT ENACCT
The Education Network to Advance Cancer Clinical Trials’ (ENACCT) is the only national organization devoted solely to implementing and evaluating clinical trial educational efforts. Its mission is to identify, implement and validate innovative approaches to cancer clinical trials education, outreach, and recruitment to improve outcomes for all. ENACCT:

provides services that enhance the capacity of organizations conducting clinical trials outreach, education and recruitment;
supports organizations in their efforts to reduce specific structural barriers to clinical trial recruitment;
supports the development of programs that enhance community literacy about clinical trials;
serves as a national clearinghouse for effective clinical trials education practices

For more information, please visit www.enacct.org.

ABOUT THE LANCE ARMSTRONG FOUNDATION
The Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) inspires and empowers people affected by cancer. We help people with cancer focus on living; we believe that unity is strength, knowledge is power and attitude is everything. From the moment of diagnosis, the LAF provides the practical information and tools people with cancer need to live life on their own terms. The LAF serves its mission through advocacy, public health and research. Founded in 1997 by cancer survivor and champion cyclist Lance Armstrong, the LAF is located in Austin, Texas. For more information, visit www.livestrong.org

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