Project Community
Empowering Patients Living with Cancer, Survivors, Advocates and Consumers
Project Community is a public health outreach initiative established by the FDA Oncology Center of Excellence for patients living with cancer, survivors, advocates, families, and people living in underserved urban and rural communities who are at greater cancer risk.
Our goal is to increase communication between people who are medically underserved and medical professionals in communities nationwide, to foster understanding, and awareness to reduce cancer risk and increase survival.
Learn about our most recent initiative, National Hispanic Family Cancer Awareness Week, held Sept. 20-26, 2024
-
Concientización Nacional sobre el Cáncer en las Familias Hispanas/Latinas
- Programa Nacional de Conscientização sobre o Câncer em Famílias Hispânicas/Latinas
Featured Community Engagement
The Oncology Center of Excellence recognized the opportunity to conduct unique external outreach soon after the coronavirus pandemic began. OCE reached out to oncology stakeholders to better understand COVID-related experiences and the pandemic’s impact on cancer patients, advocacy groups and oncology product development. OCE COVID-19 Listening Sessions occurred with 11 patient, advocacy, and community groups.
-
LUNGevity: April 17, 2020
-
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network: April 20, 2020
-
Fight Colorectal Cancer: April 21, 2020
-
Project Community Stakeholders: April 24, 2020
-
National Brain Tumor Society: May 1, 2020
-
Cancer and Aging Research Group: May 5, 2020
-
AACR Scientist Survivor Program: May 27, 2020
-
Melanoma Research Alliance: June 4, 2020
-
National Organization of Rare Diseases: June 6, 2020
-
National Breast Cancer Coalition: June 9, 2020
-
Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance: September 14, 2020
Project Community Chicago, IL
More than 100 Chicago-area residents attended the Project Community meeting “Community Engagement with the Community in Mind: A Conversation about the Facts, Figures, and Diversity in Oncology” during Black History Month, organized in conjunction with PeerPlus Education and Training Associates and the University of Illinois Patient Brigade.
Project Community Orangeburg, SC
Project Community participated in a community meeting collaboration with the Medical University of South Carolina during a “MOVENUP Train the Trainer” cancer education session at the Williams Chapel AME Church in Orangeburg, SC.
Meet the Team
Project Lead: Rea Blakey, OCE Associate Director for External Outreach and Engagement
Ms. Blakey joined the FDA OCE in July 2018. Before coming to FDA, her career centered on TV dissemination of public health information. She reported on air as a CNN Medical Correspondent, hosted medical programs at Discovery Channel, and worked 13+ years as a News Anchor and Health Reporter at Washington, DC’s WJLA-TV, winning two Emmy Awards.
Ginneh Stowe, Senior Regulatory Project Manager, OCE Oncology Program Project Management Team
Ms. Stowe earned her undergraduate degree from Hampton University and a Master of Science degree from Georgetown University. She is also alumni of a W.K. Kellogg Fellowship at the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School and earned a Master’s Certificate in Project Management from The George Washington University.
OCE's Project Community is the winner of the
2021 FDA Excellence in Diversity, Inclusion and Excellence Award
2021 FDA Excellence in Diversity, Inclusion and Excellence Award
Publications, News Mentions, and Presentations
- FDA must be protected from politics, say Califf, ex-agency leaders. Usdin S. BioCentury, Oct. 24, 2024.
- Conversations on Cancer: Exploring Religious Literacy and Spirituality in Cancer Care. Cunningham SC, Ison G. The ASCO Post, Oct. 3, 2024.
- Eye On ODAC: Former Members, FDA’s Pazdur Talk Pre-Meeting Mindsets, Impact of Sponsor’s Experts. Sutter S. The Pink Sheet, March 20, 2024.
- US FDA’s Pazdur Wants Clinicians to Help Set Oncology Research Agenda. Gingery D. The Pink Sheet, Feb. 15, 2024.
- FDA Enhances Global Patient and Regulatory Collaborations in Oncology. Kumar V, Blakey R. FDA Voices, Feb. 1, 2024.
- Addressing Disparities and Raising Awareness During National Black Family Cancer Awareness Week: An Expert Q&A. Collins BG. Cancer.Net. June 15, 2023.
- What is National Black Family Cancer Awareness Week, with Luckson Mathieu, MD, and Rea Blakey (podcast). Cancer.Net, June 15, 2023.
- Starting the Conversation: Panel Discusses National Black Family Cancer Awareness Week. Loftus EG. AACR Blog, June 17, 2022.
- FDA Oncology Center of Excellence Patient Engagement Initiatives: An Interactive Roundtable Discussion. AACR Annual Meeting, April 12, 2022.
- #BlackFamCan: Howard University Cancer Center Marks National Black Family Cancer Awareness Week. Freeman SZ. The Dig, Howard.edu. June 28, 2021.
- FDA’s Oncology Center of Excellence Launches National Black Family Cancer Awareness Week. Pazdur R, Blakey R. FDA Voices, June 1, 2021.
Connect With Us
Twitter: #OCEProjectCommunity
Email: OCE-Engagement@fda.hhs.gov
Additional Information:
Upcoming OCE Meetings and Workshops