Overview

The Community Outreach and Engagement team's goals are: 

  • Assess the cancer burden and define the catchment area in Vermont and northern New York, and identify key cancer issues in the area.
  • Engage in evidence-based education and outreach efforts in collaboration with community stakeholders to reduce the cancer burden within the catchment area.
  • Promote research across the UVM Cancer Center that addresses key cancer issues within the catchment area, including collaboration with community stakeholders.

Our Programs

Catchment Area Data

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The Associate Director for Community Outreach and Engagement monitors the cancer burden in the catchment area. 

Based on the data, the community outreach and engagement team has initiated the following outreach campaigns: 

  • Sun Safety campaign: Vermont has one of the highest melanoma rates in the country. This campaign brings cancer prevention materials, sun safety education, and two annual skin checks in rural communities
  • Lung Screening campaign: With higher than national rates of tobacco use in our catchment area, the community outreach team has been working with health systems and cancer coalitions across the catchment area to educate both the community and primary care providers about lung screening guidelines and increase rates of early detection.
  • Breast Cancer campaign: 1 in 8 women will get breast cancer. The UVM Cancer Center has a robust breast cancer research portfolio and community partners working to increase mammography screening for populations with lower-than-average screening rates and support breast cancer survivors in our catchment area. 

Learn more about cancer in our community.

Public Health and Cancer Awareness

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The Community Outreach and Engagement team is responsible for broadly sharing information about cancer screening and cancer prevention as well as providing resources to support patients, caregivers and community members at large. 

Learn more about our public health campaigns

Women's Health and Cancer Conference

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The annual Women's Health and Cancer Conference is a free, educational event aimed at empowering and supporting individuals and communities with knowledge about cancer prevention, detection, treatment and survivorship.

Learn more about the Women's Health and Cancer Conference

Rally Against Cancer

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Presented with support by Mascoma Bank and in partnership with UVM Athletics, Rally Against Cancer games are an annual campaign to raise awareness for cancer research and honor patients with cancer, their caregivers, and providers at the UVM Cancer Center. 

Learn more about our Rally Against Cancer games

Community Outreach and Education Van

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The UVM Cancer Center's Community Outreach and Education van delivers cancer education and screening information, facilitates cancer research, and inspires the next generation of cancer doctors and scientists across the cancer center’s catchment area, including all of Vermont and six counties in northern New York.

Contact us if you would like to collaborate on a program: coe@med.uvm.edu

Learn more about the BioMobile Discovery Lab

Rachel Zwynenburg

Rachel Zwynenburg

Senior Cancer Outreach Program Director
Emma Vanacore Headshot

Emma Vanacore, MPH

Community Outreach Specialist
Grace Ahmed Headshot

Grace Ahmed

Cancer Data and Informatics Specialist

Contact Us

Email: COE@med.uvm.edu 
We are available to talk about our research, engagement and outreach efforts and how we can support your work. 

Mailing Address:
The Office of Community Outreach and Engagement
At the University of Vermont Cancer Center
89 Beaumont Ave.
Burlington, VT 05405