Project Community
Empowering Patients Living with Cancer, Survivors, Advocates and Consumers
Project Community is a public health outreach initiative established by the FDA Oncology Center of Excellence to patients living with cancer, survivors, advocates, families, and people living in underserved or under-represented urban and rural communities who are at greater cancer risk.
Our goal is to increase communication between underserved and under-represented communities and medical professionals and healthcare communities nationwide, to foster understanding, awareness, and participation to reduce cancer risk and increase survival.
Featured Topic
“ Cancer Moonshot Community Conversations, Moving on Equity: OCE Expands Diversity Initiative” recorded May 4, 2022, at FDA’s White Oak campus.
The Oncology Center of Excellence recognized the opportunity to conduct unique external outreach soon after the coronavirus pandemic began. OCE reached out to oncology stakeholders to better understand COVID-related experiences and the pandemic’s impact on cancer patients, advocacy groups and oncology product development. OCE COVID-19 Listening Sessions occurred with 11 patient, advocacy, and community groups.
- LUNGevity: April 17, 2020
- Pancreatic Cancer Action Network: April 20, 2020
- Fight Colorectal Cancer: April 21, 2020
- Project Community Stakeholders: April 24, 2020
- National Brain Tumor Society: May 1, 2020
- Cancer and Aging Research Group: May 5, 2020
- AACR Scientist Survivor Program: May 27, 2020
- Melanoma Research Alliance: June 4, 2020
- National Organization of Rare Diseases: June 6, 2020
- National Breast Cancer Coalition: June 9, 2020
- Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance: September 14, 2020
Project Community Chicago, IL
More than 100 Chicago-area residents attended the Project Community meeting “Community Engagement with the Community in Mind: A Conversation about the Facts, Figures, and Diversity in Oncology” during Black History Month, organized in conjunction with PeerPlus Education and Training Associates and the University of Illinois Patient Brigade.
Project Community Orangeburg, SC
Project Community participated in a community meeting collaboration with the Medical University of South Carolina during a “MOVENUP Train the Trainer” cancer education session at the Williams Chapel AME Church in Orangeburg, SC.
Meet the Team
Project Lead: Rea Blakey, OCE Associate Director for External Outreach and Engagement
Ms. Blakey joined the FDA OCE in July 2018. Before coming to FDA, her career centered on TV dissemination of public health information. She reported on air as a CNN Medical Correspondent, hosted medical programs at Discovery Channel, and worked 13+ years as a News Anchor and Health Reporter at Washington, DC’s WJLA-TV, winning two Emmy Awards.
Ginneh Stowe, Senior Regulatory Project Manager, OCE Oncology Program Project Management Team
Ms. Stowe earned her undergraduate degree from Hampton University and a Master of Science degree from Georgetown University. She is also alumni of a W.K. Kellogg Fellowship at the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School and earned a Master’s Certificate in Project Management from The George Washington University.
OCE's Project Community is the winner of the 2021 FDA Excellence in Diversity, Inclusion and Excellence Award
Connect With Us
Twitter: #OCEProjectCommunity
Twitter: #BlackFamCan
Email: OCE-Engagement@fda.hhs.gov
Additional Information: