More than shopping: How a visit to the mall can provide education on colorectal cancer

To build relationships with the community you serve, you need to be a part of the community. After March 4th Community Outreach & Engagement Office (COE) and Wilmot Cancer Institute Start a new initiative in a unique place to establish a connection: kiosk Greek Ridge Mall..

last summer, Dr. Paula Cupertino, The Associate Director of the Wilmot Cancer Institute’s COE, and some members of her team, have staffed the mall’s cancer information table. They brought backpacks and gave them as gifts to the children who returned to school and provided information about their work, including research. They talked about working with Latino-American and black families and teens to study anti-vaping messages.

The reaction they received from the people they met was rewarding.

“It was a great time to talk to the many people who visited us. They came to learn about the material we had to share,” says Cupertino. “It was very exciting to be able to share important information about our research and Wilmot in this way.”

They found that having a more consistent presence in a mall where they could meet members of the community on a regular basis could be a great opportunity. Patrick Cunningham, Deputy Mayor of the City of Rochester and a member of Wilmot’s Advisory Board since 2016, happened to connect with Mall and help Cupertino and her team contact to explore opportunities. I did.

“We are very excited about this unique experience and we are grateful to Patrick and Mole’s team for working with us to make this happen,” she says.

The kiosk is the first of its kind for Wilmot. From now on, the Wilmot COE kiosk in the mall will be regularly staffed with Wilmot and COE experts to answer questions related to cancer screening and research. Community members may also have representatives from outside Wilmot, as community partners are also invited to use the space.

The COE team will officially open an information kiosk in the mall. Friday, March 4, 11:00 am.. At a short ceremony to celebrate. As March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, so far the information on the kiosk focuses on colorectal cancer resources available in the community. The team even plans to install a huge colon (large enough to pass through) that can be inflated on the center court.

The March 4th event is one of many colorectal cancer awareness events organized by the following groups: URMC And throughout the month in that area:

• Friday, March 4: Blue Day Dress
  • Wilmot will begin the opening of a new kiosk in the Mall of Greece Ridge from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm with a press event and a tour of the giant inflatable colon at the Mall’s Central Court.
  • A walk for the colon A dress-in blue day event will be held at the Strong Memorial Hospital Lobby from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm. People in the hospital can stop by to greet and receive information about colorectal cancer. Post your photo in blue on Facebook or Twitter using #StrollinfortheColon to show support and get a chance to win prizes.
  • Buildings on the Strong Memorial Hospital and downtown Rochester skyline will be lit blue for Dress in Blue Day.

• Friday, March 11:
  • Visitors to The Mall at Greece Ridge can take a tour of the giant inflatable colon and receive information about colorectal cancer from Wilmot experts between 11am and 7pm.
  • Wilmot Community conversations about cancer Lecture focusing on colorectal cancer from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm via Zoom. Participants are Quarnisha White, NP, RN, MS, FNP-C. Talk to the nurse practitioner of colorectal surgery, and the diversity, impartiality, and inclusion managers of advanced practice providers.When Willy LightfootNew Creations Unisex Shop Owner / Operator; as well as a panel of colorectal cancer specialists.

• Friday, March 18: Visitors to The Mall at Greece Ridge can take a tour of the giant inflatable colon and receive information about colorectal cancer from Wilmot experts between 11am and 7pm.

• March 28 (Monday): Local barbers and hairdressers get together to talk about colorectal cancer and how it can help educate clients about the importance of screening for colorectal cancer.

Several teams have come together to make these programs possible. In addition to COE Wilmot’s Cancer Community Action Council (CCAC) Cancer Prevention and Risk Reduction Working Group; Wilmot’s Hereditary Cancer Screening and Risk Reduction Program; UR Medical Department of Gastroenterology and Liver Internal Medicine Even if Colon and rectal surgery; Finger Lakes Cancer Service Program; When A walk for the colon..

“Colorectal cancer affects many people in our region. This is a great opportunity to educate our community about the importance of screening and prevention,” said Wilmot’s COE Chief Community Impact Officer. Candice Lucas, Ed.D. Says. “By taking the first step in education, we can stop the flow of health inequalities across the region and prevent unnecessary deaths from preventable diseases. At URMC, all these groups work together and are at risk of cancer. It’s very exciting to see people working together to make a difference. “