Serving New Jersey's
Diverse Population
The Cancer Health Equity Center of Excellence (CHECoE), a formal partnership between the Rutgers Cancer Institute and Rutgers School of Public Health, is yielding transformative results that will expand our presence in communities and advance outcomes in cancer prevention and care for years to come.
The CHECoE serves the entire state of New Jersey, striving to advance equitable access, enhance health care quality, reduce cancer health disparities, and improve outcomes across the cancer continuum from prevention, screening, and early detection through timely diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. Through robust initiatives in research, education, training, community engagement, outreach, and public policy advocacy, we’re committed to creating lasting impact, fostering partnerships, and addressing the cancer burden within our communities.
In collaboration with our community partners and stakeholders, we have engaged, educated, screened, and helped navigate thousands of residents and families across New Jersey to health care. We’re also celebrating the launch of our mobile health unit LifeSaver. This state-of-the-art mobile unit houses two private screening rooms and a dedicated team of health professionals and care coordination staff. By bringing essential cancer prevention, screening, education, and care directly to communities, particularly those facing disparities and high cancer burdens, LifeSaver plays a crucial role in improving awareness and access to health care.
We are excited to share additional highlights including the continued development and enhancements of the Surveillance, Tracking and Reporting through Informed Data Collection and Engagement (STRIDE) dashboard. This interactive data and visualization dashboard was created by the CHECoE and brings together several publicly available sources into one central hub for community and researcher use. You’ll also learn about the expansion of the Community Science Cafés that promote meaningful dialogue between researchers and the community.
I extend my heartfelt thanks to our Community Cancer Action Board members whose invaluable insights and leadership contribute immensely to our mission. I am deeply grateful to our dedicated community partners, staff, and faculty. It is an honor and privilege to collaborate with you as we engage meaningfully with every corner of the state, working together to reduce New Jersey’s cancer burden and build a healthier and more equitable future.
Anita Y. Kinney, PhD, RN, FAAN, FABMR
Director, Cancer Health Equity Center of Excellence,
Rutgers Cancer Institute;
Director, ScreenNJ
