The Stony Brook University Cancer Center has been awarded a Cancer Prevention in Action (CPiA) grant to help promote sun-safety measures in an effort to prevent skin cancer on Long Island.
Stony Brook is the first and only institution on Long Island to receive this competitive award. Cancer Prevention in Action is a New York State Department of Health and Health Research Inc. program supporting local cancer prevention and risk reduction interventions using a policy, systems and environmental (PSE) change approach. This project is supported with funds from Health Research, Inc. and New York State.
This grant will allow the Stony Brook University Cancer Center Community Outreach and Engagement staff to partner with community organizations and businesses in Nassau and Suffolk Counties to implement sun-safety measures, which is in line with the Cancer Center’s mission. By adopting sun-safety policies, these community groups will be instrumental in reducing skin cancer risk for their employees and visitors. There will also be opportunities for education about the dangers of UV tanning and the importance of HPV vaccinations for community partners and leaders to mobilize change that will prevent cancer.
“We are excited to share our expertise with the community and help community partners adopt policies that promote sun safety on Long Island and that can help prevent skin and HPV-related cancers,” states Linda Mermelstein, MD, MPH, the associate director of Community Outreach and Engagement at Stony Brook Cancer Center.
The Stony Brook University Cancer Center is Suffolk County’s cancer care leader and a leader in education and research, with more than 20,000 inpatient and 70,000 outpatient visits annually. To learn more, visit https://cancer.stonybrookmedicine.edu/.