Welcome to the Mayo Clinic’s Community Outreach and Engagement Research Services (COERS) blog. COERS partners with communities and works in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders to develop and execute community outreach, engagement initiatives, and health equity research to address the needs of the communities we serve.

Public blog

I am a Community Member

Community Outreach

Community Partners We have over 175 partnerships throughout the communities we serve. We partner with community organizations (including faith-based, community-based, patient advocacy/support, health departments, etc.) to develop engagement and outreach activities, including health fairs, health education seminars, grocery distributions, etc. 

Evidence-Based Community Interventions We work in partnership with communities to develop and implement community interventions that specifically aim to address the cancer burden in the communities we serve. These evidence-based programs are developed across the cancer continuum (prevention to survivorship) and primarily focus on the cancers and risk factors that disproportionately impact underrepresented communities. The overall goal of these programs is to increase the uptake of primary and secondary cancer prevention and risk reduction behaviors/strategies. 

Mobile Community Outreach We collaborate with community partners to host on-site health education events, mobile food pantries, interactive sessions with providers, etc. 

Virtual Health Education Our staff hosts virtual outreach events using virtual platforms to increase access to health information, including a Cancer Conversations series with providers and cancer survivors; women’s health events; nutrition and fitness events, etc. 

Community Gardens Community gardens provide neighborhoods with the opportunity to promote healthy nutrition, improve overall wellness, and create stronger communities. In addition to promoting healthy eating behaviors, community gardens also provide a forum for community members to gather and get information about topics ranging from disease prevention to healthy behaviors. 

Community Engagement (CE) Studios

CE Studios provide an opportunity for researchers to work directly with community members, patients, caregivers, and other individuals to get meaningful insight to enhance the study design, implementation, and dissemination of their research. The incorporation of community voices leads to the development of informed research studies tailored to the communities of interest. As of March 2024, we have completed 27 CE Studios with one hundred forty-two community experts.

Benefits of CE Studios include:

  • Researchers can get consultation, guidance, and advice directly from the population in which they are interested.
  • Community experts with lived experience get to hear, firsthand, about research that will impact others with similar lived experiences.
  • The bi-directional conversation creates a stronger relationship between the researcher and the community they are interested in working with.

For questions about CE Studios, please email us at COERS@mayo.edu

Community Consultation

Our team offers consultative services to community members and organizations who have an idea, program, and/or initiative aimed at improving the health of their community through community-engaged research (CEnR). The CEnR program staff has expertise in

  • Community engagement
  • Community outreach
  • Community-engaged research
  • Working with diverse communities

Our team can provide selected community-based data, identify funding opportunities, and connect communities with a Mayo Clinic researcher for potential collaborations.

To request a Community Outreach and Engagement and/or Community Engaged Research (CEnR) consultation, please submit a request:

Mayo Clinic Employees: mc5097-158: Consultation Request | Community Outreach and Engagement in Research (mayo.edu)

External Parties: https://surveys.mayoclinic.org/jfe/form/SV_0fwqjndFJ0ancPQ