Health Equities
To achieve health equity requires holistically addressing its determinants — social, biological, cultural, economic, geographic, political and physical environmental conditions. The division is a home for researchers, community health educators and staff who facilitate the translation of scientific knowledge into community practice to reduce and eliminate inequities in cancer outcomes.
We provide special attention to the needs of those at greatest risk of poor health. Our goal is to ensure that all people have opportunities to attain their full health potential that enable them to lead optimal lives.
Mission
We are committed to building strong bidirectional relationships with our neighboring communities and recognizing the importance of education and trust through increasing participation of underrepresented communities in the development of research, workforce and policy.
Principles
Transparency: We aim to openly and clearly communicate to our colleagues and community partners our approach, plans for programs or research, lessons learned and results of our collective actions. We also aim to communicate in clear, easy to understand and jargon-free language in order to facilitate greater understanding by a diversity of stakeholders.
Innovation: We seek to innovate in all the work that we do to develop, implement and evaluate programs by using new and creative approaches. The work to promote health equity is multilevel and challenging, and therefore requires innovative frameworks and methods to solve the diversity of problems and create change.
Respect: We build strong relationships with our partners based on mutual respect. Our efforts are not solely focused on the deficits or problems in communities but on the deep respect and appreciation for the rich history, accomplishments, resources, and cultural diversity of our partners and communities.
Compassion: Our motivation to collaborate with our partners and communities is driven largely by a compassion for helping others and creating positive change, especially for those who are underserved or marginalized.
Trust: Our relationship with a diversity of stakeholders is only possible when there is mutual trust. We are fully aware that we have to work hard to earn and maintain the trust of our partners and communities.
Humility: We ground the work that we do with a deep sense of humility. We recognize the complexity and challenges of conducting health equity work, the larger historical and current forces influencing the context of our work, and the fundamental need to continuously learn from the experiences and perspective of our partners and communities.
Health Equities Collaborative Partnerships
- Establish new research collaborations with minority serving institutions, community clinics and hospitals.
- Increase accruals of underrepresented groups in clinical trials by enhancing relationships with community practices.
Health Equities Team
Kimlin Tam Ashing, Ph.D., is a professor and directs the Center of Community Alliance for Research & Education at City of Hope. She is a notable leader in examining cancer disparities and quality of life. Her life's work is to increase the voice and representation of underrepresented groups in
Loretta Erhunmwunsee, M.D., F.A.C.S., is the Vice President and Chief Health Access and Community Enrichment Officer at City of Hope Medical Center where she leads the development and implementation of strategy that addresses health disparities and that fosters inclusion across the City of Hope
Veronica Jones, M.D., is chief and associate professor in the Division of Breast Surgery at City of Hope. A breast cancer researcher, Dr. Jones focuses on understanding mechanisms of aggressive biology across different races and ethnicities in hormone-sensitive breast cancer.
Narissa Nonzee, Ph.D., is a health services researcher and Assistant Professor in the Division of Health Equities within the Department of Population Sciences at City of Hope.
Christopher Sistrunk, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Population Sciences at City of Hope
Lindsey S. Treviño, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the Division of Health Equities and Department of Population Sciences.
