CONNECTICUT CANCER PARTNERSHIP HISTORY

 

Since its establishment in 2002, the Connecticut Cancer Partnership has grown from a core group of five organizations to a broad and diverse coalition more than 300 strong, representing elements of the cancer community from across Connecticut. Highlights of the Partnership's history are given below. Click here.

1998

  • The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) created a model framework for Comprehensive Cancer Control, aimed at delivering public health messages and services related to cancer more efficiently. The program was piloted in six states through 2000.

2002 

  • A Leadership Institute for New England state leaders in cancer control was held in Quincy, MA, sponsored by the CDC, American Cancer Society (ACS), and National Cancer Institute (NCI). Connecticut cancer control leaders that had collaborated in the past on cancer control-ACS, CT Department of Public Health (DPH), University of Connecticut Health Center, Yale Cancer Center, and Connecticut State Medical Society-- attended the 2-day Institute. The leadership group agreed to support DPH's application to the CDC for funding to begin the state's comprehensive cancer planning initiative.
  • In October, DPH was awarded a cooperative agreement from the CDC to begin cancer planning.
  • The leadership group became founding members and formed a Core Committee, responsible for directing the planning process, defining and creating subcommittees and work groups, guiding assessment and evaluation processes, and expanding membership, using CDC's building blocks.

2003

  • Potential partners were invited by the Core Committee to a statewide conference on comprehensive cancer planning. More than 125 people attended, representing a racially, ethnically, and geographically diverse cross-section of stakeholders in cancer prevention and control from throughout state.
  • Five subcommittees were formed - Prevention, Early Detection, Treatment, Survivorship, and Palliative & Hospice Care. Committees refined goals and formulated objectives. Issues that cut across all priority areas were discussed (health disparities, advocacy, communications, research, and data, surveillance, and evaluation).
  • Two new committees were added: Governance, and Data, Surveillance and Evaluation.
  • First Partnership Annual Meeting was held in Hartford in June. Members reviewed committee plans, discussed goals and objectives, and chose those most ready for implementation.

2004

  • Committees revised goals and objectives, added strategies, and finalized a five-year plan.
  • Core Committee members attended a Leadership Institute (Chicago) to plan implementation steps.
  • The Partnership submitted the 5-year Plan to CDC for implementation funding.
  • An Advocacy Committee was established and set a legislative agenda. 
  • A Communications Committee was created to develop and implement a communications plan. 

2005 

  • Five regional meetings were held to expand membership to key target audiences and areas of Connecticut not yet represented.
  • CDC announced the award of implementation funding to Connecticut.
  • The Second Partnership Annual Meeting was held in New Haven where Year One and long-term outcomes were discussed.
  • A Partnership Board of Directors was elected to replace the Core Committee in the governance structure.
  • Year One Implementation plans were announced and committees met and reorganized to begin implementation.
  • A Health Disparities Committee was formed.

2006

  • The Connecticut Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan was published. 
  • The Plan and the Partnership were announced formally at a press conference held on February 22, where Governor Rell joined Board Chair Dr. Andy Salner and endorsed the Plan. 
  • Two partners, Hartford Hospital and Yale Cancer Center, received grants from CDC to begin programs in prostate and skin cancer prevention. 
  • Connecticut Legislature appropriated $6.7 million to DPH for implementing priority projects of Plan. 
  • Eighty persons attended Partnership's Community Comment Meeting to offer input on recommended programs for funding. Final recommendations were made by the Partnership Committees, approved by the Board and submitted to DPH.
  • Communications tools were put in place, including a Partnership logo, eNewsletter, PowerPoint presentations and website (www.ctcancerpartnership.org).
  • "You’ve Got the Power", a guide to cancer prevention, was developed with and for ethnically and racially underserved groups.
  • Third Annual Partnership Meeting held in September with keynote speaker Dr. Elmer Huerta, Director of the Cancer Preventorium in Washington, D.C. discussing barriers that face underserved persons when seeking medical care. A panel of Partnership members discussed Partnership programs for underserved groups.
  • Partnership members attended Leadership Institute (Quincy, Massachusetts) to plan implementation steps in specific cancer areas.
  • Partnership presented 10 leadership awards to legislators and the Governor for work in supporting the cancer fight and the Partnership.
  • Partnership's logo won Bronze award from Advertising Club of Connecticut and "You've Got the Power" brochure received a gold 2006 MarCom Creative Award in the category of Brochure/Public Awareness.
  • The Partnership published Planning for Comprehensive Cancer Control in Connecticut. 

2007

  • Partnership and partners presented to the 600 registered attendees at 5th Annual New England Regional Minority Conference held at the Foxwoods Conference Center in April, co-hosted by the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health and the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation. 
  • Funds appropriated by the Legislature in 2006 to implement the Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan were awarded to expand the Connecticut QuitLine Program: nine organizations received community smoking cessation awards, through a request for proposals (RFP) process, to conduct individual or group counseling, and $2 million was allocated to expand counseling on the Connecticut QuitLine and to provide free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). Overwhelming response with 8,000 calls essentially exhausted supply of NRT.
  • Also awarded from the 2006 Legislative funding was $1.645 million for the Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. The funds were added to 17 existing contracts statewide for enhanced screening and diagnostic services for uninsured and under-insured women.
  • In addition, $250,000 was granted to the State Department of Social Services to educate Medicaid providers on cessation interventions and to market cessation to Medicaid and Medicaid-eligible participants and $500,000 to the State Department of Education to evaluate two nutrition curricula in Connecticut Schools.
  • Partnership's Fourth Annual Meeting held in September in Meriden, highlighted the "Power of Collaboration" with keynote by Tom Kean, C-Change Director and comprehensive cancer control visionary and a panel session featuring successful collaborative initiatives being carried out in Connecticut.
  • Partnership funding request for Fiscal Years 2008-2009 formulated by Partnership Committees and approved by Board presented to Legislature. However, the Legislature and Governor did not approve funding for Partnership programming in the 2007 session.
  • Connecticut State Senator Donald Williams, President Pro-Tempore of the Connecticut Senate, presented with one of three C-Change Exemplary Comprehensive Cancer Control Leadership awards in Washington D.C. in October by former President George H.W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush, for his efforts to reduce the number of cancers in Connecticut. 

2008

  • Twelve contracts, totaling nearly $2.2 million from funds appropriated by the Legislature in 2006 were awarded to implement the Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan. Included was $775,000 to fund colorectal screening for 600 underserved adults in community health centers, 745,000 to fund a statewide clinical trials network, $245,000 to fund needs assessments of survivors and create a centralized clearinghouse of survivor resources and services on the Partnership web site and $250,000 to enhance undergraduate and post-graduate training for end of life issues and care.
  • Partnership funding request totaling $15.7 million for Fiscal Years 2009-2010 formulated by Partnership Committees and approved by Board were presented to Legislature. Members of the Partnership testified at the State Capitol in support of this legislation, sponsored by the co-chairs of the Public Health Committee, to expand implementation of the Connecticut Comprehensive Cancer Plan. At the end of the Session, gloomy economic projections of a large deficit for the State resulted in the Legislature not passing a revised Budget for 2009 and no funding was available for the Partnership programs.
  • A workgroup, composed of the co-chairs of the Partnership's five continuum and four crosscutting committees, began work began work on the creation of a newComprehensive Cancer Control Plan 2009-2013. Included in the new Plan is progress made in each area since the publication of the first plan in 2005, along with new priorities, objectives and programs to be carried out.
  • Lucinda Hogarty was appointed as the Partnership''s first director, after a year-long search for a leader. Among the duties for the new director: oversee the development of the Partnership, create a strategic plan, provide direction and oversight for the plan, pursue funding opportunities, secure and coordinate partners' commitments and facilitate legislative activities.
  • The State Department of Public Health named Shiu-Yu Kettering as its Coordinator for the Connecticut Cancer Control Program. Among her duties: collaborate with the Partnership to implement the Connecticut Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan .
  • Partnership's Fifth Annual Meeting held in September in Cromwell, highlighting "Cancer Health Disparities and Improving Access to Care" with keynote by Otis Brawley, M.D. Chief Medical Officer of the American Cancer Society.

2009

  • An intensive yearlong planning effort resulted in the publication of the Connecticut Cancer Plan, 2009-2013.
  • Partnership's Sixth Annual Meeting was held in Orange at the Yale West Campus, with keynote by Dr. Thomas Lynch speaking on "The War on Cancer, 2010."
  • Linda Mowad became the second Chair of the Partnership Board of Directors, succeeding founding Chair, Dr. Andrew Salner.
  • Budget was developed for use of funds acquired through Attorney General pharmaceutical court settlement s and required by state statute to be used for cancer control.
  • The partnership's electronic newsletter was revamped and renamed CaCONNections.

2010

  • Implementation plans to address objectives of the Connecticut Cancer Plan, 2009-2013 plans were developed.
  • Partnership's Seventh Annual Meeting was held in Orange at the Yale West Campus, with keynotes by Dr. Vivek Murthy and David Woodmansee speaking on health care reform and cancer control.
  • The process of releasing settlement funds to implement Cancer Plan strategies resulted in development of requests for proposals.
  • Program coordinator, Amanda Sanborn became full-time staff.
  • Disparities Coordinator, Betty Murray, was hired through grant to Hartford Hospital to maintain focus on disparities reduction in Cancer Plan.
  • Student internship program was launched with four interns from the Yale School of Public Health providing assistance with the annual meeting.
  • New communications tool, CaCONNecting was developed to supplement website and electronic newsletter.

 
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