Community Engagement Core

The Community Engagement Core focuses on enhancing relationships and communication between researchers and clinicians, policymakers, and communities; developing a primary health care extension system through which innovations can be more effectively disseminated and implemented; strengthening practice and community-based research; encouraging the translation of potentially impactful discoveries into practical innovations; and helping other IDeA states develop similar programs and approaches.

A set of principles or “Rules of Engagement” are being developed that, once agreed upon by all partners and stakeholder groups, will help to ensure that relationships between the academic and practice communities serve the needs and meet the expectations of both groups. Partnerships with the Oklahoma State Department of Health, local Turning Point and Sooner Success coalitions, the Public Health Institute of Oklahoma, the regional Area Health Education Centers, and the Oklahoma City Area Inter-Tribal Health Board will help develop and sustain a primary health care extension system within which innovations and resources can more efficiently reach those who can benefit from them.

Adding a Network Coordinator will strengthen the Oklahoma Physicians Resource/Research Network and the Oklahoma Child Health Network. Additionally, a new pharmacy research network will be established.

The Clinical Inquiries Program developed in the OUHSC Department of Family and Preventive Medicine will be expanded to include other departments and partner institutions. This “ClinIQ” program makes it possible for those who deliver health care to submit questions to the academic centers, which will provide evidence-based answers based upon a careful review of published research.

The Community Engagement Core will also establish a Translational Think Tanks (T3) Program that brings together teams of researchers and, when appropriate, clinicians, policymakers, and community members to take promising discoveries and attempt to translate them into practical clinical innovations.

Core Leadership

CEO Core Director – Paul Spicer, PhD

CEO Core Associate Core Director (Tribal Settings) – Lancer Stephens, PhD

CEO Core Senior Associate Core Director – Mark Doescher, MD, MSPH

CEO Core Associate Core Director (Healthcare Settings) – Zsolt Nagykaldi, PhD

OPHIC Associate Core Director – Zsolt Nagykaldi, PhD

Tribal Engagement Unit

The Tribal Engagement Unit (TEU), led by Dr. Lancer Stephens (Wichita/Creek), is a cornerstone of our initiative. The TEU focuses on building strong, collaborative relationships between researchers and tribal communities, addressing barriers to engagement, and supporting research efforts that are culturally respectful and impactful.

Unit Functions:

Facilitating Partnerships: Helps investigators collaborate with tribal partners, including support for IRB applications, tribal council approvals, and consent forms.

Overcoming Barriers: Addresses misconceptions and challenges related to tribal engagement in research.

Supporting Tribal Health Systems: Provides critical assistance to tribal health systems, including grant preparation, technical writing, and resource provision.

Notable Projects:

SAFARI Clinical Trial: Partnered with the Absentee Shawnee Tribe to screen patients for atrial fibrillation, demonstrating the feasibility and acceptability of mobile device-based screening.

Grant Assistance: Supported proposals from various tribes for CDC and IHS grants, and assisted in a successful SAMHSA grant application for reducing underage alcohol and prescription drug use.

Unit Leadership:

Dr. Lancer Stephens (Wichita/Creek)

Aims of the Core

Our core aims are centered on empowering tribal nations through research, enhancing research capacity, and addressing health disparities. We strive to ensure that our efforts are impactful and sustainable, with a strong emphasis on collaboration and community involvement.

Primary Objectives:

• Empower Tribal Research Offices: Support tribes in developing and managing research projects that address their specific priorities and needs.
• Build Research Capacity: Assist tribes in securing funding, providing training, and developing research infrastructure.
• Address Health Disparities: Engage in research that targets health disparities affecting tribal communities, including cancer, chronic diseases, and pandemic response.

Strategic Goals:

• Enhance Collaboration: Foster partnerships between researchers and tribal communities to ensure that research is conducted in a respectful and effective manner.
• Increase Funding and Support: Help tribes secure grants and support for research initiatives, from technical assistance to grant writing.
• Promote Ethical Research: Ensure that research practices are ethical and aligned with the values and needs of tribal communities.

Key Achievements

• NARCH Program Collaboration: Partnered with the Cherokee Nation to secure several grants for projects addressing health disparities, including a major award in September 2022.
• Cancer Research Partnerships: Collaborated with NCI-designated cancer centers and OU’s Center for Applied Social Research on grants to tackle cancer health disparities.
• Ethical Research Initiatives: Developed research programs focusing on the ethics of indigenous genomic research and AI/AN student training in genetics and ethics.

Responses to COVID-19

• RADx-UP Awards: Implemented community-driven programs with the Cherokee Nation to enhance testing, contact tracing, and biorepository capacity.
• Oklahoma PREVENT Project: Addressed vaccine hesitancy and identified healthcare system factors influencing vaccine uptake.
• Chickasaw Nation Collaboration: Applied successful testing processes to other rural areas of the state.