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Community Outreach

The Community Outreach team manages COE programs that interface directly with community members, cancer survivors, caregivers, and local organizations across the state. Through the statewide Kentucky Cancer Program (KCP), Markey Cancer Center and the University of Louisville Brown Cancer Center have worked together on delivering evidence-based cancer control programs across the Commonwealth for 40 years. This unique program of regionally-located staff maintains a deep network of 280+ local/regional partners, including District Cancer Councils that advise on adapting KCP programs to local needs.

Community outreach staff work to reduce cancer incidence and mortality through implementing programming with two audiences:

  • Individual community members: 
    • Delivering direct health education to encourage cancer risk reduction and early detection behaviors and to promote wellness and quality of life among cancer survivors and caregivers.
    • Facilitating direct access to cancer prevention services, cancer screening services and community navigation assistance.
  • Healthcare, public health and community organizations: 
    • Using a train-the-trainer approach to further amplify indirect reach to community members across the state.
    • Training and technical assistance to enhance the uptake and implementation of evidence-based interventions for cancer risk reduction and early detection.

The Community Outreach team also relays local community concerns to COE leadership, identifies community partners’ research interests and opportunities, and leverages robust regional partnership networks to facilitate collaborations with Markey researchers.

In 2022, COE added a new Research Advocacy Program to facilitate the direct involvement of cancer survivors and caregivers as research team partners on studies from all Markey Research Programs, with an emphasis on providing new community engagement opportunities for basic research and cancer clinical trials.  

For more information, visit the Kentucky Cancer Program website.

Community Outreach Team

mindy rogersMindy Rogers, MA
Team Leader, Program Director
mindy.rogers@uky.edu  

Mindy supervises the Community Outreach Team, directs the Kentucky Cancer Program at Markey in collaboration with the University of Louisville, and oversees the Research Advocacy Program. She leads partnerships with local, regional and statewide organizations, as well as program planning, evaluation, and resource management to address state and local cancer needs among diverse populations. Mindy provides consultations with Markey researchers regarding community engagement strategies and facilitates new collaborations between researchers and community partners. Mindy has lived and worked in eastern Kentucky for more than 30 years, serving in communication, education, and public health roles to impact the burden of cancer in our state and reduce health disparities. She contributes expertise in cultivating and sustaining community partnerships, culturally-appropriate community engagement strategies, and multi-level strategies for implementing evidence-based practices.
 

angela combsAngela Combs, MSW, LSW
Regional Cancer Control Specialist II
Buffalo Trace and Gateway Districts
admitch@uky.edu

Angela came to work with Kentucky Cancer Program in 2019.  Prior to that, she worked with Public Health as a coordinator for the KY HANDS Program and Hospice of Hope as a medical social worker.  She also worked with UK Cooperative Extension for 18 years at the county level.
 

lunsfordJeff Russell
Regional Cancer Control Specialist
Cumberland Valley District
jeff.lunsford@uky.edu

Jeff has 29 years of Public Health experience with the Cumberland Valley District Health Department and the Kentucky Department of Public Health. He has been with the Kentucky Cancer Program since 2016. Jeff works to reduce cancer incidence and mortality by promoting cancer education, research, and service programs, as well as providing local leadership for cancer prevention and control planning, implementation, and evaluation.
 

amyAmy Oliver-Steinkuhl
Cancer Control Specialist II
Bluegrass West District
amy@uky.edu

Amy has served the counties of her district for more than 20 years. Amy also serves as the Cancer Survivorship Program Coordinator for KCP East. She has been fortunate to work with a wide variety of survivors, community programs, and health care providers to create, direct and implement programs. She has developed and directed weekend retreats for young adults and female survivors, known as New Normal Workshops. She also developed and maintains the Kentucky Cancer Survivor Connection- an informational clearinghouse for all survivors in Kentucky, providing them with monthly updates of new guidelines, research findings, research participation opportunities as well as networking opportunities, resources specific to their journey, opportunities to participate in local, state and national events. It will fill the void that is being created by the dwindling number of support groups across the state.
 

wynonaWynona Padgett
Regional Cancer Control Specialist
Lake Cumberland District
wynona.padgett@uky.edu

Before joining the Kentucky Cancer Program in September 2017, Wynona spent 31 years in local radio. With training in broadcasting/journalism, she uses her media experience and communications skills to help tell KCP’s story across eastern Kentucky. She is very involved in her community where she serves as president of the Somerset Junior Woman’s Club, Ambassador for the Somerset-Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce, and director of Watershed Arts Alliance.
 

tonya pauleyTonya Pauley
Regional Cancer Control Specialist II
Bluegrass East District
tonya_pauley@uky.edu

Tonya is a native Eastern Kentuckian who strives to serve the diverse communities throughout her district. She earned her undergraduate degree from Berea College and her graduate degree from Eastern KY University. Tonya has worked with the Kentucky Cancer Program since 2004. Previously, she worked as a counselor for Carl D. Perkins Job Corps Center, a Head Start Teacher for Kentucky River Foothills, and as a psychiatric assessment and admissions counselor in a hospital setting. Throughout her career, she has been passionate about issues related to addiction, including tobacco addiction and treatment.
 

mary schneiderMary Jo Schneider, MA, LPAT
Regional Cancer Control Specialist II
Northern Kentucky District
mary.schneider@uky.edu

Mary joined Kentucky Cancer Program August 2019. Prior to this position, Mary has served Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati as a clinical therapist addressing co-occurring issues with a specialty in medical and grief complexity. She has served clients and families addressing and adjusting to chronic medical issues and loss for over 25 years in outpatient, inpatient, hospitals, grief, and acute treatment centers. Her professional career path continues in advocacy of improving ongoing wellness and holistic health.
 

teagueAshley Teague, MBA
Regional Cancer Control Specialist II
Kentucky River District
ateague@uky.edu

Ashley is a native to Eastern Kentucky and joined the Kentucky Cancer Program in 2013. Prior to this position, she worked as a Patient Navigator at the ARH Cancer Center, working with cancer patients and the community to reduce barriers to screening and treatment. Ashley’s work as a Regional Cancer Control Specialist includes a focus on colon cancer education and outreach to communities, as well as healthcare partners to increase colon cancer screening rates.
 

Terry KeysTerry Keys
Research Advocacy Manager
Terry.Keys@uky.edu

Terry brings a career filled with marketing, public relations, special events and graphic design to another level as he works to integrate the personal experiences of Markey patients, their families and their caregivers into the world of researchers. In 2009, Terry began promoting the latest advances in cancer research through seminars and conferences and facilitating Markey’s Patient Advisory Group, comprised of former Markey patients, family members and caregivers. As of July 2022, as Markey’s new Research Advocacy Manager, Terry works to integrate the worlds of science and community, making science more understandable and bringing the life experiences into the sciences.
 

Joetta ChoateJoetta Choate
Administrative Support Associate
Joetta.Choate@uky.edu

Joetta joined the Kentucky Cancer Program in 2021 and is based at KCP’s Somerset office, providing administrative program support for all staff and regional offices. She has more than 20 years of experience in several key functions of office managerial and administrative duties, ranging from human resources, accounting, inventory management, and event planning. Her unique skillset supplies KCP with expert tools for its outreach and engagement activities.
 

tammy gorhamTammy Gorham
Administrative Support Associate
tammy.gorham@uky.edu

Tammy works from KCP-East’s Lexington office, providing administrative program support for all staff and regional offices. She attended the University of Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky University, where she received her BBA in Healthcare Administration. Before coming to UK, she worked in a variety of healthcare environments over the past 25 years and brings a strong background in customer service, patient care (both administrative and clinical), event planning, sales, and management. Her unique skillset supplies KCP-East with expert tools for its outreach and engagement activities.
 
Kaitlyne HackworthKaitlyne Hackworth
Regional Cancer Control Specialist II
FIVCO, Big Sandy District
Kaitlyne.Hackworth@uky.edu
 
Kaitlyne is an Eastern Kentucky native who joined the Kentucky Cancer Program in 2023. Prior to that, she worked as a Youth Substance Abuse Coordinator at Mountain Comprehensive Care Center for 5 years. She earned her bachelor's degree from Morehead State University and her master's degree from the University of Pikeville. Kaitlyne works to increase awareness of cancer prevention and risk factors, as well as increase education of cancer screenings and early detection. Throughout her career, she has been passionate about serving her community.
 
Lizeth BarbaK. Lizeth Barbra
Community Health Worker
lizeth.barba@uky.edu
 
Lizeth, joined the Kentucky Cancer Program in 2024 and is based at KCP’s Lexington office, Serving as a Bilingual Community Health Worker fluent in English and Spanish, Skilled in cross cultural communication with a focus on building diverse relationships, establishing and maintaining partnerships with community organizations, leaders, and other stakeholders to promote health equity within Hispanic/Latino communities in the Kentucky East region. Lizeth also provides support for KCP outreach and engagement activities across the area working with the community to reduce the barriers to screening and treatment.
NCI Comprehensive Cancer Center - A Cancer Center Designated by the National Cancer Institute

Markey Cancer Center is designated by the National Cancer Institute as a Comprehensive Cancer Center – a distinction that recognizes our commitment to accelerating precision cancer research and care to patients. We are the first and only NCI-Comprehensive Cancer Center in Kentucky, and one of 57 in the nation.

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