The University of Arizona has announced plans for a 5-year, $1.99 million grant that will expand access to high-quality cancer care for Latinos.

This new initiative is made possible by the grant from the Merck Foundation Alliance to Advance Patient-Centered Cancer Care. This funding will support programs that provide greater access to care for underserved populations across Southern Arizona and encourage collaboration between primary care physicians and the cancer specialists they refer patients to.

This new effort is bringing together the University of Arizona community, including the college of medicine and the department of Psychology, the UA Cancer Center and community partners, including the Arizona Community Health Worker Outreach Network and El Rio Community Health Center.

The goal is to provide Latinos/Hispanics with more options and services during their cancer battles, in part by providing resources to the physicians who care for patients and ensuring that clients

They also hope to enhance engagement with patients and increase the oncology communication training for UA medical students and other trainees in the health sciences.

Projects funded by the grant will help support patients and ensure their preferences, values and needs help guide clinical decisions related to their care.