SR0727 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

SR0727 LRB103 39121 LAW 69261 r

SENATE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Illinois has the sixth highest cancer mortality in the country and is among the group of states with the largest socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, and rural disparities in stage at diagnosis, mortality, and outcomes in the nation; and

WHEREAS, The University of Illinois Cancer Center (UICC) has striven to reduce and eliminate inequalities in cancer outcomes through community-driven, scientific solutions for equitable outcomes in screening, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship; and

WHEREAS, UICC and partners have addressed cancer disparities for more than 30 years in a variety of ways, including with basic science to identify mechanisms of disparities, in translational science to test new treatments that can eliminate disparities, and in population science to test multilevel strategies that address structural, social, and behavioral drivers of cancer disparities in communities, federally qualified health centers, and safety net settings; and

WHEREAS, UICC's demonstrated scientific excellence and capability for cancer health equity has always been centered in genuine, bidirectional relationships across community, healthcare, government, and academic sectors; and

WHEREAS, UICC is uniquely positioned to address cancer equity through outreach, practice, and science, given its Majority Minority Representation in Research, including possessing primarily minority and low-income participant representation through tissue biorepositories, clinical trials, and public health studies focused on ensuring innovations in prevention, early detection, treatment, and cures for cancer have equitable effects and access, which are made possible through quality, affordable cancer care available under the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System, from equitable, low or no-cost hereditary risk assessment and genetic services to equitable precision oncology treatments and survivorship; and

WHEREAS, UICC is committed to the expansion of its infrastructure throughout the State of Illinois, an infrastructure that is centered on eradicating disparities in cancer care access and outcomes, which leverages its application for National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation; and

WHEREAS, NCI designation is an accreditation given by the National Institutes of Health to elite U.S.-based medical and laboratory institutions to demonstrate that these institutions are leaders in addressing the nation's cancer burden through research; and

WHEREAS, NCI-designated cancer centers provide economic benefits for their communities, with the potential of over $1 billion in economic impact, by creating thousands of middle and high-wage jobs, recruiting world-class physicians and scientists, partnering with private corporations, and attracting philanthropic donations and with the ability to secure millions of dollars in additional funding for cancer research through exclusive partnerships with the National Institutes of Health; and

WHEREAS, NCI-designated cancer centers offer significant benefits for communities, including federal funding that UICC would use for equity-driven, inclusive training and elevation of the next generation of diverse healthcare workers and researchers, providing education in STEM programs and mentorship opportunities, and producing a diverse, stable, future healthcare workforce focused on historically underserved communities; and

WHEREAS, NCI-designated cancer centers benefit from additional funding and resources to optimize infrastructure for community outreach and engagement, including multilevel enhancements for cancer education of evidence-based information to communities, technical assistance for healthcare systems, including federally qualified health centers and safety net facilities to enhance the quality of affordable, accessible primary and specialty cancer care, and training for community members and leaders to be embedded in science as partners and decision-makers to characterize and eliminate cancer disparities; and

WHEREAS, Patients cared for by NCI-designated cancer centers have lower mortality rates, and said cancer centers are at the forefront of developing, testing, and scaling cutting-edge, novel tools, therapies, and innovations for their communities and beyond; and

WHEREAS, NCI designation for UICC would have the institution join the distinguished ranks of two existing NCI-designated cancer centers in the State of Illinois, Northwestern University and the University of Chicago; having three NCI-designated cancer centers, each with significant resources, would result in major cumulative growth and significant increases in the economic, educational, community, and health benefits for the State and its communities; and

WHEREAS, An additional NCI cancer center, unique in its focus on cancer disparities through community engagement, has significant potential to reduce cancer burden by increasing access to the continuum of quality cancer care through partnerships across the State and by the implementation of a community-to-bench model, where communities guide and partner with providers and researchers to ensure science is inspired by and reflects community needs, priorities, and strengths; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we support the accreditation of the University of Illinois Cancer Center (UICC) as an additional NCI-designated cancer center in Illinois, which will be focused and driven to characterize and eliminate disparities in cancer outcomes; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be delivered to the University of Illinois Cancer Center.