The Problem

276,480

women were diagnosed
with breast cancer in 2020

42,000

may die from the disease.

In Chicago, African American women
are dying at a rate

40%

faster than
non-Hispanic white women.

The Action

The University of Chicago Medicine and Ingalls Memorial Hospital are embarking on a quality improvement (QI) program to explore how strategies applied at a local level can address disparities in care. The project, led by renowned faculty Olufunmilayo Olopade, MD, FACP, is studying the effectiveness of targeted interventions in improving various facets of breast cancer care for African American women treated in Cook County.

The University of Chicago is at the forefront of medicine and we are going to be at the forefront of innovative solutions that promote health equity through solidarity.

- Olufunmilayo Olopade MD, FACP, Director, Center for Clinical Cancer Genetics & Global Health

Our Progress

Follow our progress and find guidance and resources to support your own QI efforts toward improving disparities in care. Check back for periodic updates.

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Breast Cancer Disparities in Chicago

Women’s Fears and Racial Health Inequities

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Patient Perspectives: Treatment and Management

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Navigating Complex Treatment

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Improving Diagnosis and Treatment in Younger Women

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Risk Assessment and Early Detection

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Patient Challenges with Continuity of Care

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Racial Disparities in Patient Outcomes

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Our Approach

How it All Began: Getting a QI Program Off the Ground

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Finding Value in QI CME Programs: Credit Management

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Understanding QI CME: Bringing the Right People to the Table

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Where Are We

October 2023 Updates

June 2022 Updates

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February 2023 Updates

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The Contributors

Aminah Abdullah

Senior Director, Community Relations

Academy for Continued Healthcare Learning

Breast Cancer Advocate

Chicago, IL

Brenda Battle, MBA, BSN, RN

SVP Community Health Transformation

University of Chicago Medical Center

Chicago, IL

Mahira Zec Bonomo, MBA, CHCP

Executive Director, Center for Continuing Medical Education

The University of Chicago Biological Sciences & The Pritzker School of Medicine

Chicago, IL

Nan Chen, MD

Assistant Professor of Medicine

Section of Hematology / Oncology

The University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

Pamela Ganschow, MD

Director, Cancer Prevention and Survivorship Clinical Programs

Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine

University of Illinois Cancer Center

Chicago, IL

Amanda Kaczerski, MS, CHCP

Sr. Vice President, Education Strategy & Development

Academy for Continued Healthcare Learning

Chicago, IL

Olufunmilayo Olopade, MD, FACP

Walter L. Palmer Distinguished Service Professor of Medicine and Human Genetics

Director, Center for Clinical Cancer Genetics and Global Health

UChicago Medicine

Chicago, IL

John H. Stewart, IV, MD, MBA, FACS

Professor of Surgery

Louisiana State University School of Medicine

Center Director

LSU Health New Orleans/LCMC Health Cancer Center

New Orleans, LA

*Former Associate Director for Clinical Research at University of Illinois Cancer Center

Monica Peek, MD, MPH, MSc

Associate Professor of Medicine, General Internal Medicine

Associate Director, Chicago Center for Diabetes Translation Research

The University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

Patient Advocates

Alicia Cook

Patient Advocate

Candace Henley

Chief Surviving Officer

The Blue Hat Foundation, Inc.

Joanne Glenn

Founder & C.E.O. WOT Foundation, Inc.

Women on Top of their Game, Inc.

Resources

We thank the IME departments at Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca for their generous support of this QI program and their tireless commitment to improving healthcare access and outcomes, for everyone everywhere.

And to the University of Chicago Comprehensive Cancer Center, the University of Chicago Center for Continuing Medical Education, University of Illinois Chicago Cancer Center and their Chicago Cancer Screening and Testing Access Coalition (CCSTAC), and the Academy for Continued Healthcare Learning (ACHL), thank you for this impactful collaboration.