Forms and Downloads
Please submit forms by email |
Mission
The mission of the Cancer Alliance of Texas (CAT) is to engage organizations, agencies, institutions and individuals to work collaboratively to reduce the impact of cancer in Texas and promote the Texas Cancer Plan.
History
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) received funding in 1998 from the Centers for Disease Control to implement the Texas Cancer Plan through its Texas Comprehensive Cancer Control Program. In partnership with the Texas Cancer Council, now known as the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), the DSHS initiated the formation of the Texas Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalition to facilitate collaboration and communication among a wide range of member agencies working in cancer control.
In 2003, by mutual agreement between the DSHS and the Texas Cancer Council, the Texas Cancer Council assumed active administration of the Coalition. In 2008, active administration of the Coalition returned to the DSHS.
The Coalition commemorated its 10th anniversary in 2009 and changed its name to the Cancer Alliance of Texas (CAT). CAT now includes over 100 members representing major cancer control stakeholders in the state. The DSHS continues to provide support to CAT and plays an integral role in its continued success. Alliance members have been actively engaged in the development and updating of the Texas Cancer Plan, most recently released in 2018, which serves as the blueprint for cancer control activities in Texas.
Leadership and Executive Committee
 |  |  |  |
Michael A. Davis, CAT Chair Baylor Scott & White Healthcare | Philip Huang, MD, MPH, CAT Immediate Past-Chair and CAT Tobacco Control Chair Austin Public Health | Jennifer Cofer, MPH, CHES, CAT Chair-Elect M.D. Anderson Cancer Center | Karen Torges, CAT Advisor to the Chair
Community Health Charities |
Kelli Becerra, M.Ed., CHES - CAT Member-At-Large Williamson County and Cities Health District
| Rachel Coughlin, MPH – CAT Comp Cancer Representative Texas Comprehensive Cancer Control Program, DSHS
| Maria Fernandez, PhD - CAT HPV Vaccination Priority Area Chair UT Health Science Center Houston, School of Public Health
| Lewis E. Foxhall, MD - CAT Colorectal Cancer Screening Priority Area Chair M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
|
Ramona Magid - CAT CPRIT Representative Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas | Rebekkah Schear, MIA - CAT Survivorship Priority Area Chair Dell Medical School at UT Austin | Gwen Sims, MEd, RD, LD - CAT Member-At-Large Harris County Public Health
| Melanie Williams, PhD - CAT Texas Cancer Registry Representative Cancer Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch, DSHS |
Join CAT
Are
you interested in joining the Cancer
Alliance of Texas? Benefits
of membership include:
- Increased
awareness of the scope of the problem of cancer in Texas and what national,
state, and local organizations and partners are doing to address the problem.
- Access
to an organized networking forum of Texas organizations and partners working to
address the state’s cancer burden.
- The
ability to serve on state-level work groups to help implement the Texas Cancer
Plan.
- Increased
knowledge of funding and technical resources available to assist in local, and
community cancer control planning.
- A
subscription to The CATalog Newsletter, CAT’s biweekly publication featuring
news, educational opportunities, resources, and more.
- Invitations
to quarterly meetings you may attend in person or via conference call.
Please fill out an application here and follow the instructions at the bottom of the form to submit electronically.