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Celebrating health champions
Speakers also discussed other ways to break down health disparities, including supporting workforce development initiatives, creating elders-in-residence programs where older people are invited to be part of medical training of younger students, and creating a “pathways program” for young students to go on to medical school (particularly young men of color).
Dr. Allison Kelliher, an Alaska Native and researcher at University of North Dakota, brought up the importance of recognizing and celebrating local champions and achievements.
“We need to acknowledge our local resources and our local champions who are often overburdened, but identifying and supporting those folks,” she said.
Toward that end, the symposium took time to recognize two health equity champions for their work over the years.
The Cancer Health Equity Research Award, given to an outstanding Consortium scientist who has made significant contributions to health equity work, was presented to Dr. Barbara Baquero. An associate professor in Health Systems and Population Health within the UW School of Public Health, Baquero was honored for her willingness to “move the science forward in a way that always reflects the community voice,” said Fred Hutch professor emeritus Dr. Beti Thompson in her award presentation.
Thompson, the former head of the Hutch health disparities research center, also presented the Beti Thompson Community Health Champion Award, given to a community advocate, or “someone who works night and day and often goes unrecognized for their work in the community,” as she put it.
This year’s award went to Ben Young, a prostate cancer survivor and advocate with C3, Communities of Color Coalition, who partners with Consortium researchers to provide better cancer screening, care and outcomes for the African American community.
“Ben’s work is grounded in the social determinants of health,” Thompson said. “Social factors like racism, stigma, historical trauma; housing, income and food insecurity. He is well aware that it is difficult to focus on cancer prevention when such disadvantages exist.”
Thompson said she appreciated attending the symposium, even though she is now retired.
“I learned a great deal more than I knew before,” she said. “It just reaffirms for me the importance of the work we do in dealing with different populations who experience health disparities.”
On April 1, 2022, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance became Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, a single, independent, nonprofit organization that is also a clinically integrated part of UW Medicine and UW Medicine’s cancer program. Read more about the restructure.
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