1. Maine Medical Center Cancer Institute-
NCI Community Cancer Centers
Program
Susan Miesfeldt, MD
Maine Medical Center

2. NCI Community Cancer Centers
Program (NCCCP) Overview
• Started in 2007 with initial funding of 16
sites primarily in rural, small-town and
underserved urban areas in 14 states
• In April 2010, MMCCI became one of 14
newly-funded sites
• MMCCI second site in New England
(Hartford Hospital among initial sites)

3. NCI Community Cancer Centers
Program (NCCCP) Overview II
•Two-year award
•Key personnel
– Co-PIs: S Miesfeldt MD/N Col MD
– Physician Leader: J Hedlund MD
– Scientific Administrator: I Emery PhD
– Program Administrator: B Grillo MA
– Program Manager: K Blackburn MS

5. Overall Goal:
• To improve access to quality
cancer care-- including high-
priority clinical trials-- with a
focus on rural, poor and
immigrant/refugee populations
in Maine

6. NCCCP Pillars/ Pillar Leads
 Advocacy: S Miesfeldt MD
 Biospecimens: M Jones MD
 Clinical Trials: E Larsen MD/ M
Feinberg
 Communications: D/Deatrick
MPH/L Doxey MPH
 Disparities: C Ewan-Whyte PhD
 Information Technology: B
Blumenfeld MD/ E Andersen
 Quality: D Salvador MD
 Survivorship/Palliative Care: P
Han MD

7. Specific Objectives
 Reduce cancer-related healthcare disparities among
immigrant/refugee communities, the poor and rural
Mainers by improving access to full spectrum of
cancer-related care, including access to high-quality
clinical trials
 Develop partnerships with community-based
organizations to support cancer-related care of the
underserved
 Standardize the collection of tissue and other
biospecimens for clinical trials
 Improve information technology, including instituting
electronic health records

8. Specific Objectives II
 Improve quality of care, including access to
multidisciplinary care, genetic counseling and focus
on ASCO-QOPI certification
 Enhance survivorship and palliative care services
 Support mechanisms to develop/broadly
disseminate culturally- sensitive health promotion
materials and cancer information resources
 Communicate effectively with NCCCP stakeholders
(i.e., community partners, clinicians, health
systems, hospitals, clinics, DHHS, policy makers,
advocacy organizations)
 Promote patient advocacy as well as programmatic
(NCCCP) advocacy