Improving social support and fairness in care for minority cancer survivors in Washington, DC
Official title: DP21-003 Scaling Social Determinants of Health Screening, Social Support and Anti-Racism Training to Reduce Inequities in Minority Cancer Survivor Health and Wellbeing in Washington, DC
Funded at Medstar Health Research Institute · NIH-11142940 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project links breast and prostate cancer survivors in Washington, DC to social needs screening, community health worker support, and anti-racism training in clinics to improve quality of life and social connection.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Medstar Health Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Hyattsville, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2021 |
| Project end | September 29, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $999,967 |
| NIH project number | 5U01DP006639-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11142940 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Breast or prostate cancer survivors receiving care at one of the three participating cancer centers in Washington, DC, especially those from Black or other minority communities.
✕Less likely to help
People living outside the DC area, those not treated at participating centers, or survivors without unmet social needs may not directly benefit from this project.
What this research studies
You would be screened at your cancer center for social needs like housing, food, or transportation, and the team will map and link you to community resources across Washington, DC. Community Health Workers will provide one-on-one support to help you access services and follow up to ensure connections are made. Clinic staff will receive anti-racism training to improve how care teams address the effects of racism on survivor wellbeing. The project uses a closed-loop referral system and measures changes in quality of life and social connection among breast and prostate cancer survivors.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could improve quality of life, social support, and care equity for minority cancer survivors in Washington, DC.
How similar studies have gone: Previous programs using social needs screening and community health workers have shown improved connections to services and better patient-reported outcomes, but combining this with clinic-wide anti-racism training and city-wide resource mapping is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Medstar Health Research Institute
Hyattsville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Arem, Hannah — Medstar Health Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Arem, Hannah
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.