Collaborative Oncogeneralist Training Program to strengthen cancer prevention and survivorship care

A unique and impactful training program focused on cancer prevention and survivorship, created by the University of Illinois Cancer Center for the next generation of leaders in preventive medicine and primary care, continues to grow and flourish in partnership with UI Health and Cook County Health.

The Oncogeneralist Training Program equips clinicians to address the complex medical and psychosocial needs of cancer survivors and to identify patients who may benefit from enhanced cancer prevention strategies based on personal risk factors or family history.

In the program, UI Health physicians and Cook County Health Preventive Medicine trainees gain hands-on experience across the cancer care continuum, from prevention and risk assessment to survivorship and population-based care centered on Chicago's most vulnerable populations. The physicians and trainees rotate for a minimum of three months within the Cancer Prevention and Survivorship program at the UI Health Mile Square Health Center, a federally qualified health center with a network of clinics.

The Cancer Center is part of UI Health, the academic health enterprise of the University of Illinois Chicago. UIC, UI Health and Cook County Health expanded their partnership last year to include medical education, clinical care and research. This builds on the original 2021 partnership that yielded the Partnership for Pediatric Care.

For trainees, the experience has been transformative. Dr. Simon Kim, a current Cook County Health Preventive Medicine trainee, said the program fills a critical gap in traditional medical education.

"Participating in the Oncogeneralist Training Program in cancer prevention and survivorship at the University of Illinois Cancer Center has been a uniquely enriching experience," he said. "The rotation offers a rare opportunity to build practical skills in both cancer prevention and survivorship care, areas that are increasingly essential across primary care and public health yet often underrepresented in traditional training."

Through his work in the program at Mile Square, Kim gained exposure to models of care that center on equity, patient-centered communication and the integration of services for populations that often fall through the cracks after cancer treatment ends.

The program was co-developed by Dr. Pamela Ganschow, the Cancer Center's director of Cancer Prevention and Survivorship Clinical Programs; oncogeneralist Dr. Deborah Manst, who leads the Cancer Survivorship Lecture Series at the Cancer Center; and Dr. Neha Awati, part of the Cancer Prevention and Survivorship Clinical Programs team.

From a leadership perspective, the collaboration reflects a shared investment in workforce development, health equity and system-level impact.

"For Cook County Health trainees, this partnership expands training beyond prevention and treatment to include survivorship, a domain in which preventive medicine and primary care play a critical role. For UI Health and the University of Illinois Cancer Center, the collaboration brings in diverse, public health-minded clinicians who enrich the program with a population health lens while strengthening its reach and sustainability across safety-net settings," said Ganschow and Dr. Darcie Moeller, program director for the Cook County Health Preventive Medicine Training Program.

"Together, we're not only advancing clinical training but also shaping future leaders in the CCH Preventive Medicine training program, who will be better equipped to deliver high-quality, culturally responsive care for cancer survivors across safety-net systems," they added. "It's been incredibly meaningful to be part of this effort."

Dr. Ashanta Brady, another Cook County Health trainee, called the program "an extraordinary training experience. This rotation improved my confidence as a clinician to coordinate complex care for underserved, underrepresented and multicultural communities."

She noted that the experience strengthened her knowledge of "evidence-based prevention and survivorship guidelines, the genetic influence of malignancies, risk-reduction strategies, population health, community-centered participatory research and equity-enhancing strategies to reduce health disparities."

"The benefits of this training program are endless. I am grateful to continue strengthening relationships across healthcare sectors and public health," she said.

The partnership underscores a shared commitment to prepare clinicians who can bridge public health and clinical care and lead the future of equitable cancer prevention and survivorship services.

Presently, the program is open to internal medicine and family medicine faculty (12-month apprenticeships) and preventive medicine trainees (three to 12-month rotations). It also provides two-to-four-week elective rotations for UI Health internal medicine and family medicine residents.

Upon completion of the apprenticeship program, participants will have developed competencies aligned with national standards in cancer survivorship care, including care coordination, management of physical and psychosocial effects, health promotion, patient education, cultural competency and quality improvement.

If you are Interested in the Oncogeneralist Training Program, please email [email protected].

Oncogeneralist Training Program participants

2024-25 cohort
Dr. Sean McClellan, Cancer Center member and UI Health family medicine physician in the Pilsen Family Health Center
Dr. Luis Rivera, UI Health family medicine physician and medical director of the Pilsen Family Health Center

2025-26 cohort
Dr. Simon Kim, Public Health and Preventive Medicine Fellow, Cook County Health
Dr. Ashanta Brady, Public Health and Preventive Medicine Fellow, Cook County Health