Community Outreach & Engagement
What We Do
The Office of Community Outreach and Engagement collaborates with community partners, cancer patients, cancer advocates, clinicians, researchers, and students, among others, to address the unique cancer-related challenges in the Mountain West—a region that includes Utah, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming. Here’s how our work is making a difference:
Building partnerships
We create and foster mutually beneficial partnerships with community-based organizations to ensure we serve and meet the needs of individuals and populations affected by cancer.
Enhancing community awareness and education
We increase understanding of cancer risks, prevention strategies, screening modalities, treatment options, and awareness of clinical trials, tailored to communities in the Mountain West. We provide education at community health events and offer group presentations. We also utilize social media and traditional media to reach audiences in a variety of languages.
Improving access to care
We increase access to essential cancer services through mobile cancer screening, telemedicine, and robust partnerships with health systems and primary care networks, eliminating barriers such as geographic distance and socioeconomic challenges.
Driving long-term solutions
We use a data-driven approach to study population health and collaborate with community organizations to implement sustainable strategies that prevent cancer and improve overall health outcomes.
These programs are organized as part of a federally funded grant (NIH/NCI P30CA042014) in alignment with the requirements of our National Cancer Institute Cancer Center Support Grant accreditation.
Who We Are
Our team is made up of leadership, health educators, program managers, research staff, and administrative support staff.
- Leadership: Provides strategic direction and ensures that all programs and initiatives align with organizational goals
- Health educators: Provide vital education and outreach in English and Spanish to improve health of communities
- Program managers: Oversee development and execution of cancer prevention and early detection programs
- Research staff: Conduct community-based research studies to improve cancer outcomes
- Administrative support staff: Ensure smooth operation of all programs and manage logistics, data, and community outreach
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Garrett Harding
Associate Director
Phyllis Pettit Nassi, MSW
Associate Director
Kristina Kraenbuhl
Administrative Manager
Allison Foust, MHA, MCHES
Programs Manager
Jill Christian, MPH
Programs Manager
Catherine M. Gavile, PhD
Research Scientist
Nathan Begaye
Program Coordinator
Belem Holguin-Macias
Community Health Educator
Gabriela Silva, CHES
Community Health Educator
“We view the area we serve with a deep sense of responsibility. We are committed to designing, implementing, and delivering strategies to reduce the burden of cancer across the Mountain West.”
Who We Serve
Huntsman Cancer Institute serves the Mountain West, a vast, 524,000-square-mile region covering 17% of the continental U.S. land mass. This area includes all of Utah, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming. With a population of nearly 10 million people, Huntsman Cancer Institute serves the largest land area by any National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center.
The Mountain West includes unique characteristics:
- An expansive landscape: It is made up of a total of 169 counties, 158 of which are rural (<100 people per square mile) or frontier (<7 people per square mile).
- Rapid population growth: Utah, Idaho, and Nevada all ranked among the top five fastest growing states.
- Culture and demographics: It is home to some of the nation’s largest American Indian/Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander communities and a growing Hispanic/Latino population.
- Cancer burden: In 2024, more than 52,290 new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed, with approximately 15,900 individuals expected to die of cancer.
To address these unique characteristics, we partner with state and local cancer coalitions to develop and implement comprehensive cancer control plans.
“Our teams are devoted to community, near and far, and are passionate about collaborating to improve the health of all Mountain West residents.”
Our Programs, Services, and Activities
We actively cultivate partnerships with a wide range of local, state, and regional organizations to advance cancer education, prevention, screening, policy, clinical care, and research initiatives. These strategic collaborations help ensure that our programs reach all communities, including those who live in rural and frontier areas, and populations facing socioeconomic and geographic barriers to education, cancer screening, treatment, and research participation. We continuously seek to strengthen relationships with various types of organizations to expand our reach and impact across the Mountain West:
American Indian Program
We work with American Indian Tribes and Nations across the Mountain West to bring education, services, and resources to individuals, families, and communities. We engage Tribes in research projects and help navigate patients who have been diagnosed with cancer.
Community Advisory Board
We work with a board of partners from the Mountain West to engage the community in cancer research, clinical care, screening and prevention, and education efforts. The board also helps identify opportunities to improve community health and inform priorities.
Community Health Events
We attend events to educate, provide materials, and connect participants to resources. All services are free and available in English and Spanish. To request our participation, please fill out the health event request form.
Community Presentations
We present to groups on cancer risk, prevention, screening, clinical trials, and many other topics. All presentations are free, available in English and Spanish, and can be tailored to meet your needs. To request a presentation, please fill out the presentation request form.
Clinical Trials and Research Studies
We educate individuals and communities on clinical trials and research studies, working in collaboration with the Clinical Trials and Population Sciences Trial Offices. We also help build trust in communities and work to offer trials that reflect the different communities of the Mountain West.
Internship and Training Opportunities
We provide training opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students interested in Community Outreach and Engagement. Interns are selected three times a year and work with mentors across activities that aim to improve the health of individuals and communities.
Mobile Breast Cancer Screening
We bring the latest breast cancer screening technology to Utah residents, in distant and rural communities, as well as underserved urban areas. Community clinics, employers, community organizations, and others can schedule visits to increase access to mammography screening.
Mountain West Cancer Collaborative
The Mountain West Cancer Collaborative is a network convened by Huntsman Cancer Institute’s Office of Community Outreach and Engagement and consists of cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and community, public health, and system professionals working and/or living in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming.
Patient Navigation
We identify and engage with cancer patients and families to help navigate the complex health system, connect to internal and community resources, and access life-saving treatment, among other services.
Our Collaborations
Center for HOPE
We serve as a bridge to bring together researchers and community organizations from the Mountain West to create long-term solution to prevent cancer and chronic disease and improve community health through implementation sciences.
Clinical Affiliates Hospitals
We extend comprehensive cancer care through the Mountain West, partnering with affiliate hospitals in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Wyoming to provide world-class cancer care to patients near their homes.
Mountain West HPV Vaccination Coalition
We bring together immunization program representatives, cancer researchers, public health experts, pediatricians, primary care specialists, and community members, to improve human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates across the Mountain West.
