June 30, 2022
Leadership in Cancer
This article is part two of a three-part series introducing Cheryl L. Willman, M.D., Stephen and Barbara Slaggie executive director of Mayo Clinic Cancer Programs and director of Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center. In this article, learn:
- Mayo Clinic's roots and commitment to diversity, inclusion and health equity
- The varying needs of Mayo Clinic's three destination medical centers
- The importance of community involvement and support in cancer care
For more information about Dr. Willman and Mayo Clinic's cancer programs, big data cancer care, and innovative cancer discoveries, read parts one and three of Leadership in Cancer series.
Part 2
Due to deep roots in Rochester, Minnesota, Mayo Clinic's cancer operations are rooted in the place and culture of the Upper Midwest. Programs and facilities in Arizona and Florida, however, have since been developed and greatly diversify the population served by Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center. As Mayo Clinic serves more patients across the globe, it is becoming clear that the needs of patients are diverse and individualized.
In recent years, Mayo Clinic has made a strong commitment to health equity and has a desire to ensure that all have access to healthcare tailored to individual needs. Supporting health equity for diverse communities is near to the heart of Dr. Willman. In Dr. Willman's new role as the executive director of Mayo Clinic Cancer Programs and director of Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, she aims to build on this momentum and ensure that Mayo Clinic's cancer resources are accessible for patients of all backgrounds.
"In addition to the wonderful opportunity to significantly expand and integrate Mayo Clinic's exceptional cancer research and cancer care delivery missions, one of the key considerations for me in accepting this exciting new role was Mayo Clinic's commitment to diversity and health equity," says Dr. Willman. "This is particularly important right now, when our nation's long history of social injustice and institutionalized racism has been laid bare and when the COVID-19 pandemic has had such a disproportionate and devastating impact on racial and ethnic minorities and vulnerable populations."
Cancer research for underserved populations
Dr. Willman leads one of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) cancer genome sequencing centers. Through partnership and collaboration with Tribal nations and Hispanic communities in the American Southwest, Dr. Willman's team is focused on discovering the genomic, environmental and behavioral mechanisms underlying cancers that disproportionately affect patients of American Indian ancestry and Hispanic descent.
This project improves patient lives through community involvement and real-time return of clinical genomic sequencing results to patients. While it is a project Dr. Willman began at University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center, she will continue to lead and expand this and similar initiatives in her role at Mayo Clinic.
Deep community engagement and understanding
Many of the NCI standards also address healthcare equity. Mayo Clinic and the NCI recognize disparities in cancer care specifically in treatment, mortality rates, access and incidence. As an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center, Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center must deeply engage the communities served by all three sites.
The three-site model will likely show varying needs based on geographic area. Dr. Willman plans to include new and revitalized programs for cancer population science and community outreach and engagement.
"There is a growing awareness in our culture and our society that we have to find ways to disseminate outstanding cancer care to everyone," says Dr. Willman. "That starts by deeply engaging our communities."
Across all three sites, Mayo Clinic is launching initiatives bolstering this deep community engagement, including formal community engagement teams focused on outreach throughout the Cancer Center. Each Mayo Clinic site also hosts virtual cancer conversations that focus on education and increasing cancer awareness.
Patient navigators facilitate bidirectional understanding
Dr. Willman sees one Mayo Clinic program as a key factor in creating this engagement. Patient navigators aim to facilitate bidirectional support of Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center's catchment areas. While this is a program that currently exists, she anticipates using these professionals in a new way.
Patient navigators are essentially a patient's point of contact for everyone on the integrated disease-group cancer team. As members of the communities that they serve, patient navigators help improve communication and trust with patients by developing personal relationships and providing individual assistance to navigate cancer care.
These navigators can also facilitate bidirectional support of the areas served by being involved with population assessment, data collection and an overall understanding of patient communities. In addition to being a point of contact for patients, navigators can serve as a point of contact for physicians and researchers in understanding the unique needs of each community.
"I think these are the glue, if you will, of the disease teams and really central point people," Dr. Willman says of patient navigators.
Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center's patient navigators are critical to supporting patients by addressing their social determinants of health concerns. They assist patients in these areas:
- Emotional support
- Employment concerns
- Financial assistance options
- Insurance concerns
- Local community resources
- Lodging options
- Navigating locations
- Transportation options
Culturally specific patient navigators also are available to support patients with specific cultural or linguistic concerns throughout their journey with cancer care.
Dr. Willman aims to decrease barriers to cancer care and treatment and improve the overall patient experience at Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center by fostering deep, bidirectional engagement with the communities and patients served by Mayo Clinic. Learn more about Dr. Willman's background and the data and innovations that will guide this work in parts one and three of the Leadership in Cancer series.
For more information
Refer a patient to Mayo Clinic.