The Acres Homes Cancer Prevention Collaboration (Acres Homes CPC) is an MD Anderson-led initiative that seeks to reduce cancer risk and ultimately improve cancer outcomes in a historic neighborhood. It is one of five new centers for cancer control research created as part of the Persistent Poverty Initiative of the National Cancer Institute.
The Acres Homes CPC is implemented in the context of Be Well™ Acres Homes, an initiative of MD Anderson in collaboration with Harris Health, Memorial Hermann Community Benefit Corporation, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, and more than 30 community organizations united together with residents of Acres Homes.
One pilot project to come from the Acres Homes CPC is a community-wide assessment, led by Sanjay Shete, Ph.D. I designed a recruitment and message testing strategy utilizing Every Door Direct Mail® (EDDM®). The communications teams at MD Anderson and UT Center for Health Communication (myself included) also designed recruitment materials, including postcards. We also decided to add an A/B message test of changing the detail in the normative referent from general “You can help improve health and wellness in your community,” to “You can help improve health and wellness in Acres Homes.”
All assets were produced in English and Spanish. View materials below.
Team
Materials for the community assessment in Acres Homes were created through the Acres Homes Cancer Prevention Collaboration. The communication manager of this campaign was Martha Vieco-Garcia. I was in charge of the overall research recruitment strategy. Ellen Shin directed visual strategy and graphic design of the campaign. The project has been vastly improved based on feedback from many members of the Acres Homes CPC team, but especially the community advisers and Be Well Acres Homes Steering Committee.
MD Anderson team
- Ruth Rechis, Ph.D. (Principal Investigator)
- Lorna McNeil, Ph.D., M.P.H. (Principal Investigator)
- Karen Basen-Engquist, Ph.D., M.P.H. (Principal Investigator)
- Sanjay Shete, Ph.D.
- Stephanie Nutt, M.A., M.P.A.
- Monalisa Chandra, Ph.D.
- Haley Gardiner, M.P.H., CHES®
- Martha Vieco-Garcia, MS
- Mayra Aquino, M.S., R.D., L.D.
- Lauren Harris McDonald, M.P.H., CHES®
- Jasmine Dailey, M.P.H., RD, LD, CHES®
UT Center for Health Communication
- Brad Love, Ph.D. (Principal Investigator)
- Michael Mackert, Ph.D. (Principal Investigator)
- Lauren Kriss, Ph.D.
- Ellen Shin, B.F.A
- Jessica Hughes Wagner, M.P.H., MCHES® (former CHC Deputy Director)
Lauren Kriss 