Outreach & Engagement News
Charles Latham can never forget the 16 men he has spoken to, one-on-one, over the years, about the need to be screened for prostate cancer.
They included friends and even two of his own brothers. Fifteen of the men heeded his advice and were tested, diagnosed and successfully treated for prostate cancer. Still, the one man who waited too long to get his screening will forever remain at the forefront of Latham’s mind.
Groups of young men socializing outside without facemasks often get a visit from O'Neal Cancer Center Community Health Advisor Edward Oates as she drives by, pulls over and offers a motherly word of medical wisdom. Oates is a Community Health Advisor in the Office of Community Outreach & Engagement at the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB.
The recent coronavirus pandemic has prevented patients from undergoing much needed screenings and hindered access to these procedures that could result in late-stage presentations and cancer death.
Tara Bowman knows the statistics by heart. She can also recite health manuals nearly from memory when it comes to cancer awareness, health disparities and the need for early screening and treatment.
Stitching for a cause: Community health advisors lend skills to aid communities during health crisis
Dens, kitchens and living rooms in communities across Alabama and Mississippi have turned into home bases for a cottage industry as health advocates dust off their sewing machines to help fight the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.
