July 15, 2024
Peggy Johnson has been named chair of The University of Kansas Cancer Center’s Community Advisory Board (CAB). Ms. Johnson is the executive director and chief operating officer of the Wichita Medical Research and Education Foundation.
A key value of The University of Kansas Cancer Center is to create bi-directional communication between community members, organizations and the leadership of KU Cancer Center. The CAB includes community members and organization leaders from across the state of Kansas and western Missouri, KU Cancer Center’s catchment area. The Board is comprised of individuals representing a diversity of cancer experiences, skills, community connections, geographic locations and demographics.
The primary responsibilities of CAB members are to inform KU Cancer Center’s research priorities and community engagement efforts by sharing community priorities and concerns, reviewing KU Cancer Center’s identified priorities and concerns, updating KU Cancer Center on current initiatives within population-specific and network boards, assisting with the development of KU Cancer Center’s strategic plan, helping evaluate KU Cancer Center’s outreach efforts, assisting with understanding the catchment area disparities and identifying and supporting KU Cancer Center’s efforts to engage catchment area populations.
“Peggy Johnson has been a long-standing advocate and supporter of KU Cancer Center, and we’re grateful to have her serve as chair of our Community Advisory Board,” stated Roy Jensen, MD, vice chancellor and director of the cancer center. “Peggy is passionate about raising awareness around cancer, particularly cancer types that may not get as much attention as others. She’s done an excellent job as vice-chair of the Board the past year, and we look forward to collaborating with her in her new role of leading the Board this year. Peggy is a champion when it comes to cancer causes. The work she does throughout the state has had, and will continue to have, a lasting impact.”
A 29-year cancer and access-to-care advocate as well as a triple-negative breast cancer survivor, Ms. Johnson has been actively involved in the field of cancer for several decades. A founding member of KU Cancer Center’s patient research advocacy program known as PIVOT, which stands for Patient and Investigator Voices Organizing Together, she currently serves as chair of the PIVOT education committee. She served on the Susan G. Komen Kansas Mission Advisory Council, Kansas Affiliate for more than 29 years. She served on the steering committee of Komen Advocates in Science (AIS) to oversee the AIS program and review breast cancer research for a decade. She served as co-chair of the Kansas Cancer Partnership (KCP), as a KCP steering committee member and as a KCP public policy committee member for more than two decades. Public policy has always been a large area of focus for Ms. Johnson, working to make sure everyone has access to the best quality of healthcare and treatment. As a patient advocate, assuring the patient’s voice is heard in treatment decisions and research has become one of her many passions.
Ms. Johnson served as vice-chair of the CAB for a year before being named chair. She succeeds Dr. Steve Scott as the CAB chair; Dr. Scott served as chair from the beginning of 2023 through the beginning of 2024 and will remain an active and valued member of the CAB.
“Steve Scott actively engaged the Board in discussion, soliciting valuable insight about the needs of communities across the cancer center’s catchment area,” stated Ronald Chen, MD, MPH, FASCO, FASTRO, associate director for health equity at KU Cancer Center. “Steve brought a thoughtful approach to each decision he made, and he brought a great deal of strategic thinking and focused leadership to this role. We are grateful to Steve for his dedicated service as chair.”
A key value of The University of Kansas Cancer Center is to create bi-directional communication between community members, organizations and the leadership of KU Cancer Center. The CAB includes community members and organization leaders from across the state of Kansas and western Missouri, KU Cancer Center’s catchment area. The Board is comprised of individuals representing a diversity of cancer experiences, skills, community connections, geographic locations and demographics.
The primary responsibilities of CAB members are to inform KU Cancer Center’s research priorities and community engagement efforts by sharing community priorities and concerns, reviewing KU Cancer Center’s identified priorities and concerns, updating KU Cancer Center on current initiatives within population-specific and network boards, assisting with the development of KU Cancer Center’s strategic plan, helping evaluate KU Cancer Center’s outreach efforts, assisting with understanding the catchment area disparities and identifying and supporting KU Cancer Center’s efforts to engage catchment area populations.
“Peggy Johnson has been a long-standing advocate and supporter of KU Cancer Center, and we’re grateful to have her serve as chair of our Community Advisory Board,” stated Roy Jensen, MD, vice chancellor and director of the cancer center. “Peggy is passionate about raising awareness around cancer, particularly cancer types that may not get as much attention as others. She’s done an excellent job as vice-chair of the Board the past year, and we look forward to collaborating with her in her new role of leading the Board this year. Peggy is a champion when it comes to cancer causes. The work she does throughout the state has had, and will continue to have, a lasting impact.”
A 29-year cancer and access-to-care advocate as well as a triple-negative breast cancer survivor, Ms. Johnson has been actively involved in the field of cancer for several decades. A founding member of KU Cancer Center’s patient research advocacy program known as PIVOT, which stands for Patient and Investigator Voices Organizing Together, she currently serves as chair of the PIVOT education committee. She served on the Susan G. Komen Kansas Mission Advisory Council, Kansas Affiliate for more than 29 years. She served on the steering committee of Komen Advocates in Science (AIS) to oversee the AIS program and review breast cancer research for a decade. She served as co-chair of the Kansas Cancer Partnership (KCP), as a KCP steering committee member and as a KCP public policy committee member for more than two decades. Public policy has always been a large area of focus for Ms. Johnson, working to make sure everyone has access to the best quality of healthcare and treatment. As a patient advocate, assuring the patient’s voice is heard in treatment decisions and research has become one of her many passions.
Ms. Johnson served as vice-chair of the CAB for a year before being named chair. She succeeds Dr. Steve Scott as the CAB chair; Dr. Scott served as chair from the beginning of 2023 through the beginning of 2024 and will remain an active and valued member of the CAB.
“Steve Scott actively engaged the Board in discussion, soliciting valuable insight about the needs of communities across the cancer center’s catchment area,” stated Ronald Chen, MD, MPH, FASCO, FASTRO, associate director for health equity at KU Cancer Center. “Steve brought a thoughtful approach to each decision he made, and he brought a great deal of strategic thinking and focused leadership to this role. We are grateful to Steve for his dedicated service as chair.”