The Promising Practices Conference on Community Health is an annual event that is part the community outreach and engagement program coordinated by the Louisiana Cancer Research Center (LCRC)'s Office of Community Engagement (OCE).  The Conference is a key step in the OCE's mission of engaging with Louisiana communities to improve health and wellness across the state. The Conference also represents a model of OCE collaboration with educational institutions and other local organizations to share community-level health and wellness information across different communities within Louisiana.

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The central objectives of the Conference are to increase community awareness of

• Factors related to cancer – with a focus on factors affecting Louisiana communities

• Cancer-related services and programs available to Louisiana communities

• Cancer-related research being done in Louisiana and that involves Louisiana communities

• Approaches that can help address cancer within Louisiana communities

These four objectives support the OCE's goal of reducing the impact of cancer across Louisiana and in the Gulf region.

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For these reasons, the Conference focuses on brining together community members, researchers, and stakeholders in healthcare and public health to​

• Discuss current and ongoing issues relating to community health

• Develop collaborations to address community health needs

• Understand community issues involving health and wellness

• Learn about services and resources available to Louisiana communities

• Identify research and research opportunities related to community health and wellness

By examining these topics, attendees can learn how to effectively address health and wellness needs in their communities.

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Conference participants include representatives of different research, non-profit, educational, and community organizations from across the state.  Conferences sessions will focus on assembling these participants into discussion groups to examine different health and wellness challenges facing  Louisiana communities.  The goal of these collaborative discussions is to share ideas, information, and strategies on how to best address health and wellness issues at a local level.  These discussions will also explore potential partnerships and collaborations that participants can use to address health and wellness needs in their local communities.