Full Text of SR0727 103rd General Assembly
SR0727 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY | | | SR0727 | | LRB103 39121 LAW 69261 r |
|
| 1 | | SENATE RESOLUTION | 2 | | WHEREAS, Illinois has the sixth highest cancer mortality | 3 | | in the country and is among the group of states with the | 4 | | largest socioeconomic, racial, ethnic, and rural disparities | 5 | | in stage at diagnosis, mortality, and outcomes in the nation; | 6 | | and | 7 | | WHEREAS, The University of Illinois Cancer Center (UICC) | 8 | | has striven to reduce and eliminate inequalities in cancer | 9 | | outcomes through community-driven, scientific solutions for | 10 | | equitable outcomes in screening, diagnosis, treatment, and | 11 | | survivorship; and | 12 | | WHEREAS, UICC and partners have addressed cancer | 13 | | disparities for more than 30 years in a variety of ways, | 14 | | including with basic science to identify mechanisms of | 15 | | disparities, in translational science to test new treatments | 16 | | that can eliminate disparities, and in population science to | 17 | | test multilevel strategies that address structural, social, | 18 | | and behavioral drivers of cancer disparities in communities, | 19 | | federally qualified health centers, and safety net settings; | 20 | | and | 21 | | WHEREAS, UICC's demonstrated scientific excellence and | 22 | | capability for cancer health equity has always been centered |
| | | SR0727 | - 2 - | LRB103 39121 LAW 69261 r |
|
| 1 | | in genuine, bidirectional relationships across community, | 2 | | healthcare, government, and academic sectors; and | 3 | | WHEREAS, UICC is uniquely positioned to address cancer | 4 | | equity through outreach, practice, and science, given its | 5 | | Majority Minority Representation in Research, including | 6 | | possessing primarily minority and low-income participant | 7 | | representation through tissue biorepositories, clinical | 8 | | trials, and public health studies focused on ensuring | 9 | | innovations in prevention, early detection, treatment, and | 10 | | cures for cancer have equitable effects and access, which are | 11 | | made possible through quality, affordable cancer care | 12 | | available under the University of Illinois Hospital & Health | 13 | | Sciences System, from equitable, low or no-cost hereditary | 14 | | risk assessment and genetic services to equitable precision | 15 | | oncology treatments and survivorship; and | 16 | | WHEREAS, UICC is committed to the expansion of its | 17 | | infrastructure throughout the State of Illinois, an | 18 | | infrastructure that is centered on eradicating disparities in | 19 | | cancer care access and outcomes, which leverages its | 20 | | application for National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation; | 21 | | and | 22 | | WHEREAS, NCI designation is an accreditation given by the | 23 | | National Institutes of Health to elite U.S.-based medical and |
| | | SR0727 | - 3 - | LRB103 39121 LAW 69261 r |
|
| 1 | | laboratory institutions to demonstrate that these institutions | 2 | | are leaders in addressing the nation's cancer burden through | 3 | | research; and | 4 | | WHEREAS, NCI-designated cancer centers provide economic | 5 | | benefits for their communities, with the potential of over $1 | 6 | | billion in economic impact, by creating thousands of middle | 7 | | and high-wage jobs, recruiting world-class physicians and | 8 | | scientists, partnering with private corporations, and | 9 | | attracting philanthropic donations and with the ability to | 10 | | secure millions of dollars in additional funding for cancer | 11 | | research through exclusive partnerships with the National | 12 | | Institutes of Health; and | 13 | | WHEREAS, NCI-designated cancer centers offer significant | 14 | | benefits for communities, including federal funding that UICC | 15 | | would use for equity-driven, inclusive training and elevation | 16 | | of the next generation of diverse healthcare workers and | 17 | | researchers, providing education in STEM programs and | 18 | | mentorship opportunities, and producing a diverse, stable, | 19 | | future healthcare workforce focused on historically | 20 | | underserved communities; and | 21 | | WHEREAS, NCI-designated cancer centers benefit from | 22 | | additional funding and resources to optimize infrastructure | 23 | | for community outreach and engagement, including multilevel |
| | | SR0727 | - 4 - | LRB103 39121 LAW 69261 r |
|
| 1 | | enhancements for cancer education of evidence-based | 2 | | information to communities, technical assistance for | 3 | | healthcare systems, including federally qualified health | 4 | | centers and safety net facilities to enhance the quality of | 5 | | affordable, accessible primary and specialty cancer care, and | 6 | | training for community members and leaders to be embedded in | 7 | | science as partners and decision-makers to characterize and | 8 | | eliminate cancer disparities; and | 9 | | WHEREAS, Patients cared for by NCI-designated cancer | 10 | | centers have lower mortality rates, and said cancer centers | 11 | | are at the forefront of developing, testing, and scaling | 12 | | cutting-edge, novel tools, therapies, and innovations for | 13 | | their communities and beyond; and | 14 | | WHEREAS, NCI designation for UICC would have the | 15 | | institution join the distinguished ranks of two existing | 16 | | NCI-designated cancer centers in the State of Illinois, | 17 | | Northwestern University and the University of Chicago; having | 18 | | three NCI-designated cancer centers, each with significant | 19 | | resources, would result in major cumulative growth and | 20 | | significant increases in the economic, educational, community, | 21 | | and health benefits for the State and its communities; and | 22 | | WHEREAS, An additional NCI cancer center, unique in its | 23 | | focus on cancer disparities through community engagement, has |
| | | SR0727 | - 5 - | LRB103 39121 LAW 69261 r |
|
| 1 | | significant potential to reduce cancer burden by increasing | 2 | | access to the continuum of quality cancer care through | 3 | | partnerships across the State and by the implementation of a | 4 | | community-to-bench model, where communities guide and partner | 5 | | with providers and researchers to ensure science is inspired | 6 | | by and reflects community needs, priorities, and strengths; | 7 | | therefore, be it | 8 | | RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL | 9 | | ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we support the | 10 | | accreditation of the University of Illinois Cancer Center | 11 | | (UICC) as an additional NCI-designated cancer center in | 12 | | Illinois, which will be focused and driven to characterize and | 13 | | eliminate disparities in cancer outcomes; and be it further | 14 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 15 | | delivered to the University of Illinois Cancer Center. |
|