Field Placement: American Cancer Society, Los Angeles Division Office
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Preceptor: Jane Cohen, Director of Marketing/Communications, Southern California
Student Name: Kristine Fazio
Year: 2003

Marketing Communications/Media Relations Department

The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a non-profit organization with chartered divisions throughout the country and over 3,400 local offices. ACS is committed to fighting cancer through a balance of programs in research, education, patient service, advocacy, and rehabilitation. All ACS income results from donations made by the public, investment income, and government grants, with the largest proportion from donations.

I have spent the summer working on two separate projects for the Marketing Communications Department of ACS under the supervision of Jane Cohen. The goal of one of the projects was to field test and evaluate a new colon cancer brochure targeting women. Screening rates have been much lower for women than for men although colorectal cancer affects both sexes at equal rates. As data made this inconsistency evident, this new brochure was designed specifically to target women of all ethnic groups and highlight the importance of early detection through screening. Prior to mass-production and delivery throughout the Los Angeles regional area and beyond, the brochure required testing in the community to gain feedback on certain elements such as its design, content, and impact. It was my responsibility to get the necessary feedback from the community to make an educated decision about the future of the brochure. In order to do this I created a questionnaire and delivered it at various locations including a hospital education group, a doctor’s office, and by mail. I also led one focus group about the brochure at a church in Inglewood. Finally, I analyzed the data using a data analysis program, SPSS 11.5, and made recommendations in a report that will be sent to the National office.

The goal of the second project was to develop an evaluation model and evaluation form for a Breast Cancer Awareness Month event to be held at Universal CityWalk, “Take A Stand Against Breast Cancer.” Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed non-skin cancer in women and early detection remains its best defense. Awareness of this life-threatening disease, education about early detection, and the importance of continued research are aims of ACS and the themes of one major event each year. As with all programs, an evaluation is necessary to determine how well the program has met its objectives and what should be changed or improved upon to make it more effective; therefore, I created an evaluation plan, a quantitative data collection sheet, and a questionnaire to gain insight into participants reactions of this event. I did this by looking at previous data collection strategies employed by ACS and by talking with event committee heads to determine their specific intended goals. The event is planned for October 26, 2003 and the evaluation work I completed will serve as a basis for final evaluation materials, as changes may be made to the event between now and its implementation.

Overall, working at ACS for the summer was a great experience. I have made some great friends and future connections along with a valuable gain in experience in the field of public health. I would recommend this field site to anyone.

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