LUNGevity Foundation Names NFN Scout, MA, PhD, as Community Champions Honoree

A well-regarded leader in health equity education, this month's honoree works to eliminate inequalities in cancer care within the LGBTQ community

News provided by

LUNGevity Foundation

Jun 28, 2021, 18:54 ET

WASHINGTON, June 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- LUNGevity Foundation, the nation's leading lung cancer-focused nonprofit organization, is honored to name NFN Scout, MA, PhD, as its next Community Champions recipient. The program, part of the organization's Health Equity and Diversity Initiatives, recognizes community leaders whose work exemplifies best practices in supporting people with lung cancer in at-risk populations.

Scout serves as the Executive Director of the National LGBT Cancer Network and the principal investigator of both the CDC-funded LGBTQ tobacco-related cancer disparity network and Out: The National Cancer Survey. Under his leadership, the National LGBT Cancer Network has developed resources such as support groups for cancer survivors and self-study training modules on pronouns and identity. A highly sought-after public speaker, Scout regularly works with both governmental and private cancer groups to address the increased rate of smoking within the LGBTQ population while reducing disparities in the care of lung and other types of cancers.

In addition to his work at the Network, Scout is an active contributor to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where he is Co-Chair of the Sexual and Gender Minority Research Office Work Group as well as a member of the Council of Councils. He sits on the Advisory Panel for the NIH's All of Us Research Program, which is an ambitious initiative designed to compile health data from over one million people living in the United States.

"We are so excited to highlight Scout as our next Community Champion," said Jeanne Regnante, LUNGevity's Chief Health Equity and Diversity Officer. "He has proven himself to be a steadfast leader through his work with the Network's commitment to health equity, civil rights, and equal representation for the LGBTQIA community."

An advisor on the LUNGevity Health Equity Council, Scout received his MA in Applied Sociology from George Mason University before obtaining a PhD in Sociomedical Science from Columbia University.

About LUNGevity Foundation
LUNGevity Foundation is the nation's leading lung cancer organization focused on improving outcomes for people with lung cancer through research, policy initiatives, education, support, and engagement for patients, survivors, and caregivers. LUNGevity seeks to make an immediate impact on quality of life and survivorship for everyone touched by the disease—while promoting health equity by addressing disparities throughout the care continuum. LUNGevity works tirelessly to advance research into early detection and more effective treatments, provide information and educational tools to empower patients and their caregivers, promote impactful public policy initiatives, and amplify the patient voice through research and engagement. The organization provides an active community for patients and survivors—and those who help them live longer and better lives.

Comprehensive resources include a medically vetted and patient-centric website, a toll-free HELPLine for support, the International Lung Cancer Survivorship Conference, and an easy-to-use Clinical Trial Finder, among other tools. All of these programs are to achieve our vision—a world where no one dies of lung cancer. LUNGevity Foundation is proud to be a four-star Charity Navigator organization. Please visit www.LUNGevity.org to learn more.

About Lung Cancer in the US

About 1 in 16 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime.
More than 235,000 people in the US will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year.
About 60%-65% of all new lung cancer diagnoses are among people who have never smoked or are former smokers.
Lung cancer takes more lives than the next three leading cancers (colorectal, breast, and prostate) combined.
Only 22% of all people diagnosed with lung cancer will survive 5 years or more, BUT if it's caught before it spreads, the chance of 5-year survival improves dramatically.

SOURCE LUNGevity Foundation