This year's Summit will provide an opportunity for stakeholders across the state to collectively address hot topics in cancer control. The below interactive breakout and working sessions will offer a venue for interested individuals to discuss how these topics affect their organization or community, what is being done to address these initiatives, and how stakeholders can work together to expand efforts throughout Minnesota.

Breakout Sessions: Overview of 2009 Projects
These sessions will recap 2009 Alliance projects, including their ongoing work and how partners can get involved.

Cancer Survivor Care Plan
What’s Next: Life after Cancer Treatment was created by Alliance members to help cancer patients, their providers and caregivers navigate the health system while tracking relevant information to help them along the way. Learn more about this pilot project, including how you can utilize this resource.

Free Colorectal Cancer Screening
Collaboration among Alliance members, health systems and providers has resulted in five free colorectal cancer screening events for under- and uninsured individuals. Learn more from this team, including how you can help expand its work.

Let’s Talk About It
Alliance partners have been collaborating with community clinics, churches and community-based organizations to provide prostate cancer education sessions to African American men in the Twin Cities and Rochester. Learn more about this project and explore opportunities for collaboration.

Mini-Grant Reports: CLUES and Angel Foundation
As recipients of 2008 Minnesota Cancer Alliance mini-grants, representatives from Communidades Latinos Unidos en Servicio (CLUES) and Angel Foundation will share what their organizations have accomplished as a result of their funding.

Mini-Grant Reports: Vietnamese Social Services and Coborn Cancer Center
As recipients of 2008 Minnesota Cancer Alliance mini-grants, these grantees helped educate their communities on the importance of colorectal cancer screening.

The Politics of Prevention: Working With Elected Officials to Facilitate Change
Public policy has a significant impact on the prevention, treatment and research of cancer. Minnesota is among the leading states in the nation in terms of its cancer policies. This session is an opportunity to learn about public policy “wins”, discuss key emerging policy issues and new opportunities to influence policy.

Working Sessions: Making Progress with Partners
If you have been looking for a way to contribute to the Minnesota Cancer Alliance, this is your chance! Working sessions create opportunities for people with shared interests to come together around new projects to move Alliance activities to the next level. Sessions will share background information, identify new resources, plan next steps and make a commitment to action.

Colorectal Cancer Community Education and Seniors Outreach
The Alliance is interested in finding new ways to increase demand for colorectal cancer screening. Consider ways to target specific communities -- including seniors -- for targeted screening education, and identify resources and key collaborators to make these projects a success.

Minnesota Colorectal Cancer Roundtable
In March 2009, the Minnesota Cancer Alliance convened a roundtable of health care payers and providers to discuss optimal colorectal cancer screening and to identify ways to improve delivery of clinical services and save lives. Learn what you can do to improve colon cancer screening through improved payer and clinical systems.

Cancer Survivor Care Plan: Promotion and Dissemination
What’s Next: Life after Cancer Treatment was created by Alliance members to help cancer patients, their providers and caregivers navigate the health system while tracking relevant information to help them along the way. Help identify ways to promote and disseminate the plan to patients and providers across the state.

Implementing Primary Prevention Programs in the Community
Supporting the implementation of policy, systems and environmental changes at the community level to reduce obesity and tobacco use has been the focus of work for several statewide Alliance partners in 2009 including Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Minnesota, ClearWay Minnesota and the Minnesota Department of Health. Learn how you can be involved in your community’s efforts.

For more information on these sessions, contact Elizabeth Moe at 651-201-3608 or elizabeth.moe@state.mn.us.