A community and academic partnership to improve breast cancer outcomes for African Americans on Long Island: A ministry of health dissemination

Communities on Long Island have a widespread interest and a pressing need for approaches to promote early detection and prompt treatment of breast cancer given the overall high rates of morbidity and mortality in the region. African American communities have a special concern given that population's disproportionately high mortality rates from this disease. This article presents a success story for the development of a collaborative network creating a community, government, and academic partnership to address this disparity in African American women on Long Island. The development process utilized focus group and case story methodologies to work with the community to assess needs. Formal educational programs, community events, and a navigational program were then provided to encourage and assist in breast cancer screening and follow-up when needed. Detailed here is a description of the authors' program development and the far-reaching community impact such a program can have once implemented.