West Side Of Chicago Research Articles

Veto players and gun violence in drug markets: Analysis based on field observations of eighty drug-selling spots on the Westside of Chicago

PurposeThe study analyzed whether the number of drug-selling spots has an impact on shooting incidents in drug markets on the Westside of Chicago. MethodsA theory of gun violence in drug markets was developed by building on veto players theory, and tested using a series of two-way fixed-effects Poisson regressions. The main variable of interest—drug-selling spots—comes from an original dataset comprised of eighty drug-selling spots identified through covert field observations. Controls included: the average age and average number of drug spot workers at the drug-selling spots, concentrated disadvantage, population, police anti-drug operations, and drug demand. FindingsIn support of the theory, the main statistical models and robustness tests consistently found that the larger the number of drug-selling spots in a given drug market, the higher the number of shooting incidents over time. Only the control for population remained consistently statistically significant across model specifications. ConclusionThe study contributes to the drug market literature by offering a novel theory of drug market violence, as well as a replicable way for researchers to observe drug market activity without disturbing the natural behaviors of market participants. The operationalization of drug-selling spots as sub-factions of organized criminal groups also provides a novel approach to the study of drug market violence.

Clustering of Social Determinants of Health as an Indicator of Meaningful Subgroups within an African American Population: Application of Latent Class Analysis.

Health disparities between people who are African American (AA) versus their White counterparts have been well established, but disparities among AA people have not. The current study introduces a systematic method to determine subgroups within a sample of AA people based on their social determinants of health. Health screening data collected in the West Side of Chicago, an underserved predominantly AA area, in 2018 were used. Exploratory latent class analysis was used to determine subgroups of participants based on their responses to 16 variables, each pertaining to a specific social determinant of health. Four unique clusters of participants were found, corresponding to those with "many unmet needs", "basic unmet needs", "unmet healthcare needs", and "few unmet needs". The findings support the utility of analytically determining meaningful subgroups among a sample of AA people and their social determinants of health. Understanding the differences within an underserved population may contribute to future interventions to eliminate health disparities.

Social-spatial network structures among young urban and suburban persons who inject drugs in a large metropolitan area

BackgroundRecent studies underscore the significance of adopting a syndemics approach to study opioid misuse, overdose, hepatitis C (HCV) and HIV infections, within the broader context of social and environmental contexts in already marginalized communities. Social interactions and spatial contexts are crucial structural factors that remain relatively underexplored. This study examines the intersections of social interactions and spatial contexts around injection drug use. More specifically, we investigate the experiences of different residential groups among young (aged 18-30) people who inject drugs (PWID) regarding their social interactions, travel behaviors, and locations connected to their risk behaviors. By doing so, we aim to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the multidimensional risk environment, thereby facilitating the development of informed policies. MethodsWe collected and examined data regarding young PWID's egocentric injection network and geographic activity spaces (i.e., where they reside, inject drugs, purchase drugs, and meet sex partners). Participants were stratified based on the location of all place(s) of residence in the past year i.e., urban, suburban, and transient (both urban and suburban) to i) elucidate geospatial concentration of risk activities within multidimensional risk environments based on kernel density estimates; and ii) examine spatialized social networks for each residential group. ResultsParticipants were mostly non-Hispanic white (59%); 42% were urban residents, 28% suburban, and 30% transient. We identified a spatial area with concentrated risky activities for each residential group on the West side of Chicago in Illinois where a large outdoor drug market area is located. The urban group (80%) reported a smaller concentrated area (14 census tracts) compared to the transient (93%) and suburban (91%) with 30 and 51 tracts, respectively. Compared to other areas in Chicago, the identified area had significantly higher neighborhood disadvantages. Significant differences were observed in social network structures and travel behaviors: suburban participants had the most homogenous network in terms of age and residence, transient participants had the largest network (degree) and more non-redundant connections, while the urban group had the shortest travel distance for all types of risk activities. ConclusionDistinct residential groups exhibit varying patterns of network interaction, travel behaviors, and geographical contexts related to their risk behaviors. Nonetheless, these groups share common concentrated risk activity spaces in a large outdoor urban drug market area, underscoring the significance of accounting for risk spaces and social networks in addressing syndemics within PWID populations.

Outcomes of a mobile medical unit for low-threshold buprenorphine access targeting opioid overdose hot spots in Chicago

IntroductionOpioid overdoses in Chicago are unevenly distributed, affecting medically underserved neighborhoods most acutely. Innovations in reaching patients perceived to be hard-to-reach (e.g., unstably housed, marginalized), especially in these underserved neighborhoods, are urgently needed to combat the overdose crisis. This study characterizes the pilot year of a mobile medical unit partnership between a large urban academic center and a community-based harm reduction organization in Chicago. MethodsThis is a retrospective cohort study of all patients who were seen on a mobile medical unit focused on providing low-threshold buprenorphine and primary care in areas with high opioid overdose rates on Chicago's West Side. Treatment episodes were accrued between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022 in the first year of operation. The main outcomes were number of patients seen, demographic characteristics of patients, and reason(s) for visit over time. ResultsThe study saw 587 unique patients on the mobile medical unit between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022. Approximately 64.6 % were African American, and more than half lacked active insurance or could not confirm insurance status at the time of visit. The most common reason for initial visit was COVID-19 vaccination (42.4 %), and the most common reason for follow-up visit was buprenorphine treatment (51.0 %). Eleven patients initially presented for other health concerns and later returned to initiate buprenorphine. ConclusionsThe mobile medical unit successfully reached nearly 600 patients in traditionally medically underserved Chicago neighborhoods with the highest overdose rates. The mobile unit's integrated approach met a variety of health needs, including buprenorphine initiation, with a unique opportunity for postoverdose initiation. Several patients initiated buprenorphine after presenting for different health concerns, showing the potential of an integrated approach to build on past mobile outreach programs and reach people with opioid use disorder who are not yet ready to initiate treatment.

A Spatial Analysis of Food Insecurity and Body Mass Index with Income and Grocery Store Density in a Diverse Sample of Adolescents and Young Adults.

Food insecurity occurs when a household lacks consistent access to food and is more prevalent in ethnic and racial minority populations. While there has been a proliferation of research linking food insecurity to obesity, these findings are mixed. It may be helpful to consider some additional geographic factors that may be associated with both factors including socioeconomic status and grocery store density. The purpose of the current study aimed to examine spatial relationships between food insecurity and SES/store density and BMI and SES/store density in a diverse sample of adolescents and young adults across two studies in a large, urban city. GIS analysis revealed that participants with the highest food insecurity tend to live in the zip codes with the lowest median income. There did not appear to be clear a relationship between food insecurity and store density. Participants with the highest BMI tend to live in zip codes with lower median income and participants with higher BMI tended to live in the south and west sides of Chicago, which have a relatively lower concentration of grocery stores in the city. Our findings may help to inform future interventions and policy approaches to addressing both obesity and food insecurity in areas of higher prevalence.

EXPANDING HOME-BASED PRIMARY CARE FOR MEDICALLY COMPLEX PATIENTS: RUSH@HOME

Abstract Medically complex older adults from underserved communities experience multiple barriers to obtaining necessary health care and services. Often these individuals are largely unable to leave their homes due to a lack of community resources facilitating travel to and from provider appointments. Rush@Home is a home-based primary care program that focuses on the 4Ms by incorporating patient navigation and social work services for medically complex older adults. The majority of the patients enrolled in the Rush@Home program identify as Black and/or Latino (>50%) and reside on the West Side of Chicago which is historically underserved in terms of health care access. To date, Rush@Home has enrolled n=234 participants with n=176 patients who are currently active in the program. Among participants there less than a 10% readmission rate and an ED visit rate of approximately 5%. This presentation will discuss the Rush@Home data and the importance of community engagement.

A Path Toward Equity and Inclusion: Establishing a DEI Committee in a Department of Pediatrics.

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee was established in 2017 within the Department of Pediatrics at Rush University Medical Center (RUMC), an academic medical health center located on the near west side of Chicago, IL. Results from climate surveys highlighted the need for increased DEI initiatives within the department, and a renewed national reckoning on racial tensions sparked an additional sense of urgency for system-level change. This paper outlines the initial creation and ongoing efforts of the DEI committee. Information related to the structure of our committee, aims of our work, progress toward identified goals, as well as ongoing barriers is provided. Academic medical health centers are tasked not only with working and training together, but also to care for a diverse group of patients within a larger community. As such, academic medical health centers represent a unique backdrop and opportunity for individual and system-level change.

The Trans Accountability Project: Community Engagement to Address Structural Marginalization and Health Inequities.

Black and Latina Transgender women face systemic marginalization and harm, increasing vulnerability to social stress and poor health outcomes. These communities have limited access to resources to mobilize and create paths toward health equity. In this paper we report on the results of a community partnership to engage Black and Latina transgender communities on the South and West Sides of Chicago and establish service priorities for collective empowerment. The Trans Accountability Project (TAP), a steering committee of racially diverse transgender and nonbinary representatives from four partner organizations, was established and led the design, recruitment, implementation, and analysis of a community needs assessment. World café and human-centered design methods, guided two community conversations/listening sessions around four activities: the perfect provider, my dream job, safety planning, and a stake-holder reflection. Sixty-three participants completed three activities and envisioned innovations for 1) accessible and holistic gender-affirming health care, 2) autonomous, flexible, and community-focused jobs in the arts, nonprofit/business, and care professions, and 3) safer social interactions and spaces. Ten stakeholders attended to listen and inform their organizational and clinical practices to empower Black and Latina transgender women. TAP prioritized accountability, connectedness, and centering the voices of Black and Latina transgender women as a starting point to intervene upon structural marginalization. Five insights emerged and have directed TAP's focus toward employment and collective care. Although further structural change remains a priority, TAP represents a mechanism for sharing power, improving communication and collaboration, and increasing transparency across relevant Chicago community-based organizations.

Reducing organized criminal violence through leadership removals: evidence from the drug wars on Chicago’s Westside, 2010-2019

ABSTRACT In this study, I argue that arresting the leaders of drug-selling gangs is a precise and impactful tactic for reducing gang-related gun violence in open-air drug markets. I construct a theory of leadership arrests in drug markets by building mainly on the political science literature on leadership removal of insurgents and drug cartels. To test my theory, and several controls derived from the scholarly literature on gang violence, I utilize an original dataset constructed using Freedom of Information Act responses from the Chicago Police Department, open-source data, and archival court documents. The latter data source and news articles were used to identify all gang leaders arrested in five drug markets on the Westside of Chicago between 2010 and 2019. Negative binomial analysis shows that arresting gang leaders is associated with significant reductions in gang-related shootings. Additionally, one of the controls – search warrants that result in the seizure of illicit drugs – is negatively associated with gang-related shootings. Both outcomes indicate that policymakers in Chicago, and cities facing similar open-air drug market violence, should focus significant resources on specialized police units that can carry out drug-related search warrants, arrest leaders of drug-selling gangs on state charges, and aid federal law enforcement in arresting leaders of drug-selling gangs.

“He’s Agonal”: An Insider’s Look into the Impact of Moral Injury Suffered While Policing on the Westside of Chicago

In this study, I seek to contribute to the literature on self-change and moral injury by providing an autoethnographic account of the processes through which I incurred “moral injury” while giving first aid to gunshot victims as a police officer on the Westside of Chicago. In particular, I aim to address the causes and consequences of failing to find a new identity that would allow me to adjust to repeated trauma. The second aim focuses on illustrating why many police officers working in extremely violent neighborhoods tend to disassociate from victims and potential victims. The analysis of the narratives I present on providing first aid to shooting victims shows that my religiously based moral norms were particularly transgressed by several key mechanisms. In the conclusion, I discuss how future research on moral injury can benefit from incorporating the theory of self-change. I also encourage future research on moral injury to focus on police officers working in extremely violent neighborhoods and consider using autoethnographic methods to pursue such research.

Rush@Home: Home-Based Primary Care Focused on Underserved Communities and Health Equity

Homebound patients are often medically complex and are among those in greatest need of care and services. This is especially true for those that reside in underserved communities, where they face the added risk stemming from scarce community resources. Often these patients are only able to access health care for emergencies, which is ineffective and high cost. Rush@Home is a home-based primary care program that exemplifies the Age-Friendly Health System mission with a focus on the 4Ms, incorporating navigation and social work. Patients reflect the West Side of Chicago, with 80% of patients identifying as Black and/or Latino. During the first two years, Rush@Home demonstrated better care at a lower cost with readmission rates decreased by 11.8%, hospitalizations by 17.5%, length of stay by 8.7%, ED visits by 17.9%, and missed appointments by 72%. This presentation will highlight outcomes and discuss key issues in home-based primary care.

Improving Readiness to Manage Intimate Partner Violence in Family Medicine Clinics by Collaboration With a Community Organization.

Primary care clinicians are in a unique position to address intimate partner violence (IPV) in routine clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to improve clinician readiness to identify and manage IPV in four family medicine residency practice sites on the west side of Chicago by partnering with a local domestic violence organization. Practice sites included three federally qualified health centers and one hospital-based office. Eligible clinicians included resident and faculty physicians, nurse practitioners, and certified nurse midwives. We assessed readiness using the validated Physician Readiness to Manage Intimate Partner Violence Survey (PREMIS). We used initial survey results (n=53, 73%) to develop a targeted clinician educational intervention by a community organization. We administered the PREMIS tool postintervention at 1 and 6 months, measuring perceived and actual knowledge, preparedness, and practice issues. We performed comparison statistics to assess aggregate change. PREMIS response rates were n=53 (72%), n=32 (47%), and n=36 (49%), for preintervention, 1, and 6 months postintervention, respectively. Mean clinician preparedness score improved significantly at 1 and 6 months (P<.001, P<.009). Mean self-perceived knowledge score improved significantly at 1 month (P<.001) and trended toward improvement at 6 months (P=.07). Actual knowledge trended toward improvement at 1 month (P=.07) and after 6 months (P=.05). Mean practice issues scores did not improve significantly. Participation in a 45-minute targeted educational intervention improved clinician readiness to manage IPV. Collaborating with a community partner builds a relationship for further referrals and advocacy for patients.

Health Literacy, Health Confidence, and Simulation: A Novel Approach to Patient Education to Reduce Readmissions.

Purpose/Objectives: The vision for this project was to create an inpatient education intervention to better prepare patients with chronic medical conditions for more effective self-management after discharge using a Skills Simulation Experience and focused one-on-one structured education format in a circuit-based intervention. As an interdisciplinary intervention, the health care team presents standardized education in a circuit training presentation to allow for one-on-one interaction with health care professionals, using multiple teaching/learning strategies, to assist the participant in acquiring or reinforcing skills needed to successfully self-manage his or her conditions postdischarge. Primary Practice Setting(s): West Suburban Medical Center (WSMC) is owned by Pipeline Health and is located on the west side of Chicago, IL. WSMC is a 118-year-old community-based teaching facility that has collaboration with a local Federally Qualified Health Center, providing clinic space on-site as well as clinical rotations for OB/GYN. WSMC serves 2 very diverse neighborhoods, Oak Park, IL, home of Frank Lloyd Wright and Ernest Hemingway, and the Austin neighborhood of Chicago, which ranks 11th out of the 77 Chicago communities in violent crime. Findings/Conclusions: Data collected included the following: Implications for Case Management Practice:

Resident-led vacant lot greening and crime: Do ownership and visual condition-care matter?

In many cities, high land vacancy has contributed to negative outcomes including visual blight, loss of sense of community and safety, and high crime rates. Although studies show that vacant lot greening programs reduce crime rates in high-vacancy areas, little is known about the impacts of resident-owner-based vacant lot repurposing initiatives on crime. We evaluated the impacts of one such initiative, the Chicago Large Lot Program, on crime reduction. Through this program, qualified property owners could purchase one or two nearby city-owned vacant lots for one dollar each. Focusing on two study sites on the South and West sides of Chicago, we performed difference-in-differences analyses to examine whether blocks with at least one purchased ‘large lot’ (n = 234) showed greater reductions in various types of crime compared to matched control blocks without large lots (n = 702) in the years following program implementation (2015–2018). We found that, starting in the second year of implementation, the program contributed to significant reductions in overall crime density as well as a few types of crime. We also found that visual condition and care of purchased lots was associated with reduced crime density in one of our study sites where the percentage of purchased lots and mean condition-care rating were more than twice as much as those of the other site. Our findings support the usefulness of vacant land repurposing programs that transfer ownership to residents, and suggest that greening activities encouraged by these programs help improve neighborhood safety and quality of life.

Exposing and Filling the Gaps in Care for LGBTQ Youth on the Westside of Chicago

Exposing and Filling the Gaps in Care for LGBTQ Youth on the Westside of Chicago

LB-6. Increased Diagnoses of Acute HIV Infection through Routine ED Screening and Rapid Linkage to Care and initiation of HAART During the COVID-19 Pandemic

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted routine HIV screening in healthcare settings. This has serious implications, especially for patients with acute HIV infection (AHI) presenting with symptoms suggesting COVID-19 infection. This is a high priority population for rapid linkage to care (LTC) and initiation of HAART.MethodsWe reviewed data from our eXpanded HIV Testing and LTC (X-TLC) Program, a collaboration effort between 13 healthcare centers on the South and West Sides of Chicago. Since 2016, most sites had 4th or 5th generation HIV Ag/Ab testing available.ResultsMost sites experienced reductions in HIV screens during the COVID-19 pandemic. Advanced planning by our ED incorporated blood draws for HIV screens as part of COVID-19 evaluations. UCM performed 19,111 HIV screens (11,133 in the ED) between 1/1/20 and 8/17/20, along with 100,635 COVID PCRs (14,754 in ED) between 3/17/20 and 8/17/20. Nine patients were diagnosed with AHI after the first case of COVID-19 in Chicago (1/24/20), and 7 were diagnosed after the first case of community transmission in Cook County (3/8/20). All cases of AHI were diagnosed in the ED. The rate of AHI was significantly higher in 2020 versus the prior 4 years (14.4 vs 6.8 per year, p < 0.05). AHI patients comprised 25.7 % (9/35) of all new diagnoses, the highest percent ever. There were 7 men (6 identified as MSM) and 2 cis-gender women, median age of 25 years (21 to 28 years). The median viral load was 6 million (115,000 to > 6 million) copies/mL. Eight of 9 patients presented with an illness indistinguishable from COVID-19, including 1co-infected patient. All were LTC and started on HAART from time of PCR result within a median of 1 day (0–38), but 3 days (range 1–41) from sample collection as a result of delayed reflex PCR confirmatory testing due to high demands on lab personnel and scarcity of reagents due to COVID-19 PCR volumes (since resolved).HIV Screening and COVID-19 Testing in the ED During COVID-19 ConclusionContinued HIV screening in our ED during the COVID-19 pandemic identified an increased number of patients with AHI. These individuals may be more likely to present for care due to fear of COVID-19 infection. We achieved rapid LTC and initiation of HAART without any incremental increases in resources. All HIV screening programs should incorporate blood-based HIV screening into their COVID-19 testing programs.Disclosures Moira McNulty, MD, MS, Gilead Sciences (Grant/Research Support)

Trauma exposure, PTSD symptoms, and tobacco use: Does church attendance buffer negative effects?

Traumatic stress and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are overrepresented in urban African American communities, and associated with health risk behaviors such as tobacco use. Support and resources provided by churches may reduce trauma-related health risks. In the current study, we assessed weekly church attendance as a moderator of relations between (a) traumatic event exposure and probable PTSD, and (b) probable PTSD and tobacco use. Data were drawn from a health surveillance study conducted in seven churches located in Chicago's West Side. Participants (N = 1015) were adults from churches as well as the surrounding community. Trauma exposure was reported by 62% of participants, with 25% of those who experienced trauma reporting probable PTSD. Overall, more than one-third of participants (37.2%) reported current tobacco use. As compared with non-weekly church attendance, weekly church attendance was associated with a lower likelihood of PTSD (odds ratio [OR] = 0.41; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.26-0.62; p < .0001) and lower tobacco use overall (OR = 0.22; 95% CI = 0.16-0.30; p < .0001), but did not moderate the effect of trauma exposure on risk of PTSD, or the effect of PTSD on tobacco use. Findings support church attendance as a potential buffer of trauma-related stress.

The Guthrie Boulder: A Forgotten Monument to Anesthesia in Chicago.

The Guthrie Boulder: A Forgotten Monument to Anesthesia in Chicago.

Abstract A010: Hidden figures – an example of using machine learning to prioritize cervical cancer screening outreach

Abstract Background: Cervical cancer (CC) – one of the most preventable malignancies, is best known for its impact to women in developing countries. The mortality-to-incidence (MIR) ratio worldwide is approximately 0.53, versus 0.29 in the US. However, hidden in this figure are women from places such as the predominantly African American community of West Garfield Park in Chicago which has a CC MIR of 0.63, comparable to a developing country. We need simple, versatile tools to identify women at increased risk for late-stage at CC diagnosis. Purpose: We test the feasibility of using machine learning to examine individual and census tract level predictors of a late-stage CC diagnosis in order to prioritize education, screening, and vaccination. Methods: For this analysis, we used a dataset with 164 CC cases diagnosed at the University of Illinois Cancer Center (UICC) between 2001 and 2018, and 46 (individual and neighborhood-level) attributes. We used the recursive partitioning approach with inverse probability weighting to generate a decision tree with a set of logical if-then conditions for predicting late stage at CC diagnosis. Results: The age at CC diagnosis for women in this dataset ranged from 22 to 80, with a mean of 47 years of age. Roughly half of the patients were African American (54%), ever smokers (47%), ever screened for CC (52% compliant, 15% delayed screeners), and had a history of an abnormal pap result (57%). Overall, 15% of the women were diagnosed at later stages (3, 4 or 5). The estimated accuracy of the fitted model was 91%. Based on the decision tree, the highest (71%) predicted probability of a late-stage CC diagnosis was estimated for the subgroup of women who resided in census tracts where: less than 12% of residents had long work commutes (in excess of 60 minutes); &amp;gt;and 30% of residents spent over 50% of their household income on rent; and &amp;gt;12% of households were female-headed with children. Conversely, the lowest predicted probability (6%) of a late-stage CC diagnosis was estimated for women from census tracts where 12% or more of residents reported long work commutes, and whose individual BMI was &amp;lt;19, and who lived within 10 miles of UICC. These results align with hot spot analysis results for these data showing two main clusters in neighborhoods on the south and west sides of Chicago with similar characteristics to those derived from the decision tree. Conclusions: The decision tree approach of machine learning generated a simple algorithm that identified subgroups at high risk for late stage at CC diagnosis. Though results lack generalizability and suffer from inherent overfitting, they have logical validity. Properly trained and tested in a validation set, this approach may be particularly useful to population-level cancer disparity researchers to identify most relevant individual and neighborhood-level characteristics and appropriate cut points, uncover hidden vulnerable subpopulations and partner with communities to inform strategies for interventions. Citation Format: Katherine Y Tossas, Jenna Khan, Robert A Winn. Hidden figures – an example of using machine learning to prioritize cervical cancer screening outreach [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr A010.

Abstract A128: Building sustainable partnerships between cancer centers and safety net community hospitals to increase access to and quality of cancer care

Abstract Background: Cervical cancer outcomes are influenced by race, socioeconomic status and region. African American women have the highest mortality rate from cervical cancer and Hispanic and American Indian/Alaska Native women have the highest cervical cancer incidence rates among racial/ethnic groups. Disparities in cervical cancer can be greatly improved by increasing access to and awareness of Pap screening and HPV vaccination among vulnerable populations. Safety net and community hospitals offer broader opportunities to reach at-risk individuals, however these hospitals face many challenges that mirror those of the patients they serve, including: decreased access to innovative research and treatment, decreased access to the full range of specialty care, and funding challenges. Public-Public partnerships between academic medical centers, cancer centers and private service organizations that extend to safety net and community hospitals can increase cervical cancer screening rates among individuals at greatest risk. Methods: The Loretto Hospital and Norwegian American Hospital serve communities that suffer the highest cervical cancer mortality rates in Chicago. Funded by the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, the University of Illinois Cancer Center partnered with these two community hospitals located on the west sides of Chicago to increase cervical cancer screening rates through clinical and community patient navigation. Evidence based methods such as small media interventions, client reminders, and one-on-one education will also be used to increase screening awareness and education. The evidence-based, implementation science program is guided by the RE-AIM framework. Reach, adoption and sustainability will be maximized through the integration of community hubs that comprise faith-, community-, school-based organizations and policy makers. Results: The project is a three year project. Now in its pre-implementation phase, the program is currently piloting data instrumentation and implementation processes. Preliminary results will be presented at the meeting. The Partnership development phase has been achieved and Full implementation will begin August 2019. Conclusion: It is expected that building partnerships between large academic medical centers, cancer centers and community hospitals will increase the capacity of community hospitals to offer quality screening and specialized care to community members and increase access to cervical cancer screening and education among at-risk populations ultimately decreasing cervical cancer disparities among underserved populations in the University of Illinois Cancer Center catchment. Citation Format: Vida Henderson, Jessica Madrigal, Jeanette Gonzalez, Erica Martinez, Katherine Tossas-Milligan, Patricia Doykos, Karriem Watson, Robert Winn. Building sustainable partnerships between cancer centers and safety net community hospitals to increase access to and quality of cancer care [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2019 Sep 20-23; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl_2):Abstract nr A128.