Diaz presents research at UAB Palliative Care Summit
The findings demonstrate the importance of bringing caregiver support directly to underserved communities and continuing to develop accessible, community-focused approaches to palliative care.
By Amanda Gibson
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Bryanna Diaz, MPA, research coordinator at the Mitchell Cancer Institute, recently presented a research poster at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Forging the Future of Palliative Care 2026 Innovation Summit, held Aug. 26-29 in Gulf Shores.
The poster, titled “Participation and Retention Outcomes in a Randomized Trial of a Lay-Navigator Led Advanced Cancer Caregiver Intervention Among Rural and African American Populations in South Alabama,” featured Project Cornerstone, a partnership between USA Health and UAB focused on supporting African American and rural family caregivers of patients newly diagnosed with advanced cancer.
Through trained community navigators and telehealth coaching, the program provided caregivers with resources for patient support as well as methods for coping, stress management, and self-care for the caregivers themselves.
The findings demonstrate the importance of bringing caregiver support directly to underserved communities and continuing to develop accessible, community-focused approaches to palliative care.
