Social Determinants of Health in Cancer Care (American Society of Clinical Oncology)
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Network Member News
SelfMade Health Network (SMHN) Celebrates National Nurses Month for the Second Consecutive Year
2026 Theme: “Bridging Care: Nurses Across Settings, Sectors, and Communities”
“Nurses have the potential to play a vital role in improving the quality, accessibility, and value of health care, and ultimately health in the community, beyond their critical contributions to acute care.”
In honor of National Nurses Month (in every setting) and Cancer Research Month (May 2026), we would like to build upon the last year’s success by expanding and amplifying efforts even further this year to celebrate nurses in every setting. As a CDC National Network (over 10 years ago) with a shared focus on health equity, cancer, and commercial tobacco-related disparities [including tobacco-related health disparities (TRHD)] specially among low-income populations and other populations with low socioeconomic status (SES) characteristics (e.g. uninsured, underinsured, medically underserved, etc.) nationwide, our Leadership Council (National Advisory Council) is comprised of nurses alongside other multidisciplinary professionals. In addition to honoring them; we would like to acknowledge all nurses nationwide this year.
“Nurses deliver high-quality care by providing care that is safe, effective, person-centered, timely, efficient, and equitable (IOM, 2001). Changing health outcomes will require action at all levels—upstream, midstream, and downstream—and nurses have a major role at all levels in reducing gaps in clinical outcomes and improving health care equity.”
During National Nurses Month and Cancer Research Awareness Month, we have an opportunity to recognize the essential role nurses play in keeping communities healthy, resilient, and thriving as well as their indispensable, wide-ranging contributions in all settings. We warmly invite you to participate in or join this nationwide campaign dedicated to recognizing the essential role of nurses—including Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs). From strengthening public, county and community health, expanding access to high-quality patient-centered care, improving health outcomes, improving employee health, advising evidence-based health policies & clinical practices, advancing research, cultivating intergenerational health in local communities, strengthening health plans, guiding the future generation of nurses and more, this campaign honors all nurses (including those impacting the health populations across the lifespan where they live, work, play, learn, worship, receive healthcare and age). We will be using the hashtag: #NationalNursesMonth
“Care that is patient-centered reflects the qualities of compassion, empathy, and responsiveness to the needs, values, and expressed preferences of the individual patient (IOM, 2001).”
Nurses are uniquely positioned to address issues across multiple levels of care and settings. They provide clinical services, coordinate care, and facilitate navigation across complex systems. They also address non-clinical factors—such as transportation, health literacy, and access—that significantly influence outcomes. The momentum created during National Nurses Month is not an endpoint—it is a foundation. Let us build on it. Let’s continue the work.
References:
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/12956
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. The Future of Nursing 2020-2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25982
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2005. Quality Through Collaboration: The Future of Rural Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/11140.
SMHN Op-Ed Templates (free and customizable): 2026 National Nurses Month
SMHN Fact Sheets and Infographics (featuring Resources and Recommendations)
SMHN Webinars (featuring free downloadable Resources)
ODHP Releases New Tobacco Fact Sheet
We are proud to share that SelfMade Health Network’s Director Dwana Calhoun, has been selected to serve as a Board Member for Counter Tools. Dwana is looking forward to sharing her expertise implementing strategies that drive cancer prevention and tobacco cessation among communities with low socioeconomic populations, in support of the Counter Tools mission.
Counter Tools is nonprofit focused on ensuring every person, without qualification, has the opportunity to live a healthy life in a healthy and equitable place. Using evidence-based models of change, Counter Tools builds capacity and helps make communities healthier through training and technical assistance. Counter Tobacco.org, a resource focused on counteracting tobacco product sales and marketing at the retail point of sale, is a flagship project of the Counter Tools organization. To see a full list of Counter Tool’s leadership team, visit https://countertools.org/who-we-are.
2017 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Conference on The Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved
Investing in Public-Private Partnerships to Address Breast Cancer Disparities among African-American Women (Low-income) within a Non-Medicaid Affordable Care Act (ACA) Expansion State and Appalachian Region Dwana “Dee” Calhoun, MS [National Network Director, SelfMade Health Network] and Patricia Matthews-Juarez [Meharry Medical College: Department of Family and Community Medicine
https://aacrjournals.org/cebp/article/27/7_Supplement/C21/274124/Abstract-C21-Investing-in-public-private
The work originating from the SelfMade Health Network’s Regional Resource Lead Organization/Partner: University of Kentucky College of Public Health has been featured at multiple conferences including;
2017 CDC’s National Cancer Conference (sponsored by the CDC Division of Cancer Prevention and Control)
- Innovative Public-Private Partnerships to Address Lung Cancer Disparities (Kentucky-SMHN Regional Resource Lead Organization) –Published in the American Journal of Men’s Health
2017 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and Medically Underserved Conference
- “Lung Cancer Prevention and Survivorship is Good Business: Unifying Communities and Industries for Better Health”
2018 American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting/Conference
Panel Presentation: Innovation in Men’s Cancer Prevention and Treatment
- “Lung Cancer Prevention and Survivorship among Low-Income, primarily Male Worksites in Southern Kentucky: A Resource Kit“