Abstract B125: A culture of belonging in the pursuit of inclusive excellence

Abstract Significance: Over the past two decades, fostering diversity in the clinical and biomedical workforce has emerged as a best practice for improving cancer health outcomes and reducing cancer inequities. Cultivating a culture of belonging is a pivotal strategy for recruiting and retaining a diverse cancer workforce, particularly for individuals from underrepresented backgrounds. The Hollings Cancer Center (HCC) at the Medical University of South Carolina maintains a strategic aim to recruit, train, and develop a cancer workforce that reflects the diversity of the catchment area. In alignment with this aim, the HCC Office of Programs to Enhance Diversity (OPED) led a two-part forum that prioritized strategies to promote a culture of belonging. The forum included 1) a nationally renowned keynote speaker who detailed the significance of a culture of belonging and its intersections with recruitment and retention of a diverse cancer workforce and 2) table-top discussion with forum attendees intended to identify actionable initiatives that foster a culture of belonging. Methods: We utilized a quality improvement approach to explore opportunities to advance a culture of belonging within the HCC infrastructure. To assess the impact of the forum we conducted a descriptive analysis on attendee feedback surveys and thematic analysis of table-top discussions. Results: 34 forum attendees completed the evaluation survey. 97% of respondents felt that the forum was a good use of their time and 85% of respondents reported the information presented in the forum helped them reflect on their own sense of belonging. Two primary themes emerged from the table-top discussions: the pursuit of systematic approaches for fostering inclusivity and ensuring feasible pathways for diverse recruitment and retention. Additionally, the forum was a critical strategy for yielding key recommendations from attendees regarding actionable steps needed to foster a culture of belonging (e.g. use of welcome videos, mechanisms for addressing microaggressions, targeted recruitment advertisements, and establishment of affinity groups). Conclusion: In this presentation, we will delineate strategic pathways forward for the ongoing cultivation of a culture of belonging in the pursuit of inclusive excellence within the cancer workforce. Citation Format: Joni Nelson, Nicholas Shungu, Destiny Harley. A culture of belonging in the pursuit of inclusive excellence [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B125.