Who We Serve

The UVA Cancer Comprehensive Center’s Office of Community Outreach and Engagement addresses the burden of cancer across Virginia, West Virginia and beyond by working closely with communities to identify and address local needs and disseminate effective cancer control and prevention strategies. Mutually responsive partnerships within the community and the broad expertise of researchers at UVACCC make this work possible. In our catchment areas, we strive to improve health outcomes and enhance cancer prevention and treatment efforts.

We serve a large and diverse region throughout northern, central, southside, and southwestern Virginia, as well as eastern West Virginia. Many patients face challenges related to geography, access to care, and resources.

We partner with local leaders, healthcare providers, and community organizations to learn directly from the people most impacted by cancer. Together, informed by catchment area data, we develop programs tailored to the unique needs of each region.

Understanding local cancer data helps shape programs and research that truly meet the needs of our communities. It also builds stronger partnerships between researchers and the people they serve. Below is a link to a set of cancer profiles created by the Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) team. These profiles highlight key cancers and risk factors in our region—including the four priority cancers and two that are especially affected by health disparities. The information helps guide conversations, support collaboration, and ensure that community voices are part of the research process.

View the cancer profiles here: Cancer Profiles.

Our goal is to understand how cancer impacts the lives of the people in our communities. Through outreach programs, we work closely with local organization and community members to ensure our efforts are responsive to their unique needs.