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Nadine J. Barrett, Ph.D., M.A., M.S., stood in front of a packed ballroom and reflected on her 15-year professional relationship with Robert A. Winn, M.D., director and Lipman Chair in Oncology at VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center.

“Dr. Winn walks the talk all day, every day,” said Barrett, associate director of community outreach and engagement at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center. “His commitment to creating national equity in cancer goes everywhere from his research to his mentorship to ensuring that we are diversifying our workforce so that our workforce does look like the communities we serve.”

Barrett, who is also the president of the Association of Community Cancer Centers (ACCC), then presented Winn with the organization’s 2024 Clinical Research Award. It recognized Winn’s dedication to cancer research, education, prevention, early detection and quality treatment.

“It’s easy to figure out why folks don’t trust us,” Winn said after accepting the award. “If you want to change a system, don’t just do something different, do a different thing.”

Winn acknowledged the field of oncology has increased dialogue about access and diversity in recent years, but he added that the conversation to this point may not have been “the right one.”

“It is key that we understand that what we do needs to get out to the people,” Winn stated about the science happening at ACCC member institutions. “But we also have to have humility to get what I call ‘the translation’ to come back to all of us. It takes the community and health systems and cancer centers in the community to get this job done.”

Winn commented that historically there has been a focus on discoveries to reduce the cancer burden, but he also encouraged all researchers to rethink the context of clinical trials and to communicate in the language of communities.

“It isn’t about your head. It’s about your heart and what you want to get done,” said Winn. “Step out, show up and show out. We can get the doggone thing done.”

Winn received the award during the ACCC 50th Annual Meeting and Cancer Center Business Summit, held Feb. 28 – March 1, 2024, in Washington, D.C.

The ACCC is comprised of more than 34,000 multidisciplinary practitioners and 1,700 cancer programs and practices nationwide, including Massey. According to the ACCC, an estimated 65% of the nation's cancer patients are treated by an ACCC member.

Written by: Amy Lacey