Dr. Sumedha Penheiter

So the Minnesota Cancer Alliance is actually an organization that's formed in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Health. And it's a result of the new CDC requirement that all states receiving cancer funding must have a state plan and should be done independent of the guidance of MDA, direct guidance, and really be an outcome of public awareness, public concerns, and public needs.

So the Minnesota Cancer Alliance is actually an organization that's formed in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Health. And it's a result of the new CDC requirement that all states receiving cancer funding must have a state plan and should be done independent of the guidance of MDA, direct guidance, and really be an outcome of public awareness, public concerns, and public needs.

The main purpose of the Minnesota Cancer Alliance is really to form this cancer plan independently in collaboration with the community and focus on the spectrum from etiology to detection to cure and then palliative care or survivorship. So I feel the Alliance is an organic evolution

The main purpose of the Minnesota Cancer Alliance is really to form this cancer plan independently in collaboration with the community and focus on the spectrum from etiology to detection to cure and then palliative care or survivorship. So I feel the Alliance is an organic evolution

It was initiated around the cancer plan, but it is a lot of advocates as well as institutions, health institutions, advocacy institutions, all gathered together to help reduce the burden of cancer across the state of Minnesota.

It was initiated around the cancer plan, but it is a lot of advocates as well as institutions, health institutions, advocacy institutions, all gathered together to help reduce the burden of cancer across the state of Minnesota.

Definitely. I think you spoke very elegantly. It is the framework that is written and documented and a guideline that helps us go back and see where our efforts are productive, where they need more energy, and also...

Definitely. I think you spoke very elegantly. It is the framework that is written and documented and a guideline that helps us go back and see where our efforts are productive, where they need more energy, and also...

For us to point out what the burdens are and bring it to the attention of the general public as well as state level, there can be a lot of individual efforts that are not concerted and then although they are very valuable, sometimes collective efforts lead to collective actions which are more impactful. So this helps identify

For us to point out what the burdens are and bring it to the attention of the general public as well as state level, there can be a lot of individual efforts that are not concerted and then although they are very valuable, sometimes collective efforts lead to collective actions which are more impactful. So this helps identify

what the framework is, but then also for individuals, like I shared, you know, they're able to use these as guidelines in their own community partnerships, action groups to further their work and reduce the burden of cancer. So it's a nice guideline, as I would say, for people to go to. So I agree. I think the framework is very necessary.

what the framework is, but then also for individuals, like I shared, you know, they're able to use these as guidelines in their own community partnerships, action groups to further their work and reduce the burden of cancer. So it's a nice guideline, as I would say, for people to go to. So I agree. I think the framework is very necessary.

And it also helps, you know, everybody's so focused in their specific space. Clinicians are very focused on diagnosis and treatment. And then there's this financial legal companies that are focused very much on the financial legal part of it. Insurance clinical trials group focuses very much on making sure that, you know, state-of-the-art clinical therapeutics are available to the patients.

And it also helps, you know, everybody's so focused in their specific space. Clinicians are very focused on diagnosis and treatment. And then there's this financial legal companies that are focused very much on the financial legal part of it. Insurance clinical trials group focuses very much on making sure that, you know, state-of-the-art clinical therapeutics are available to the patients.

So everybody can end up being kind of in their own very focused, silo is not the right word, but field. And I think this plan then kind of also connects the dots between all aspects of cancer from, you know, prevention, detection to all the way to survivorship. And it's a composite picture so that not just one aspect of the disease gets more of the attention or effort.

So everybody can end up being kind of in their own very focused, silo is not the right word, but field. And I think this plan then kind of also connects the dots between all aspects of cancer from, you know, prevention, detection to all the way to survivorship. And it's a composite picture so that not just one aspect of the disease gets more of the attention or effort.

No, like I said, a lot of it is the success. We gauge our success as reality. enforcing or emboldening something to policy. I think the biggest successes from what I see based on the evaluation database is we have really addressed the HPV vaccination issue. The Minnesota Commission on Cancer has presented to a lot of medical professionals on increasing HPV vaccinations.

No, like I said, a lot of it is the success. We gauge our success as reality. enforcing or emboldening something to policy. I think the biggest successes from what I see based on the evaluation database is we have really addressed the HPV vaccination issue. The Minnesota Commission on Cancer has presented to a lot of medical professionals on increasing HPV vaccinations.

We've funded some stakeholder advisory groups and trained young leaders on the information of HPV and really tried to bring awareness of this very preventable cancer to a lot of areas. And I think we've seen a lot of effort and success database in adoption of the vaccine. in young preteen adolescents, despite of a lot of hesitation in both males and females.

We've funded some stakeholder advisory groups and trained young leaders on the information of HPV and really tried to bring awareness of this very preventable cancer to a lot of areas. And I think we've seen a lot of effort and success database in adoption of the vaccine. in young preteen adolescents, despite of a lot of hesitation in both males and females.