Alaska Cancer Partnership

The Alaska Cancer Partnership is a group of organizations and individuals working to bring resources and expertise together to address the continuum of cancer prevention and control in Alaska. In a recent Partnership survey, participants represented a diversity of organizations and roles:

Structure & Funding

The organizational structure of the Alaska Cancer Partnership includes a Leadership Team, Priority Groups, Committees, and over 100 partners from every corner of Alaska. The CDC funds and supports the Partnership through Alaska’s Comprehensive Cancer Control Program. We are one of 65 state, tribal, and territorial programs participating in the national CDC program, the National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program.

History

In 2003, the Alaska Division of Public Health was awarded a Planning Grant from the CDC to develop Alaska’s first Cancer Plan. In 2007, an Implementation Grant was awarded to form a Cancer Control Program and Coalition (what is now the Alaska Cancer Partnership). In 2022, the Program was funded for another five-year cycle through 2027.

Communication & Participation

The Partnership communicates through quarterly virtual Priority Group meetings, an annual in-person full partnership meeting, and an active email listserv (list.state.ak.us/mailman/listinfo/cancerpartnership). Partner activities are amplified through our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/cancerpartnershipak.

Activities

The Partnership is a forum for like-minded organizations to take collective action. Through group consensus, the Partnership determines common priorities, prevents overlap, maximizes resources, and evaluates impact. The Alaska Cancer Plan provides a framework for the coalition and is updated every five years by the Partnership. Recent activities include community-based interventions to increase uptake of HPV vaccination, co-creating cancer education materials with Community Health Workers, organizing a network of lung cancer screening facilities to identify common challenges and potential solutions, and coordinating efforts for survivor support across the state.

Contact

For more information, contact cancer@alaska.gov