The Cancer Council of the Pacific Islands (CCPI) provides the overall direction for Regional Comprehensive Cancer Control (CCC) efforts and the CCPI members from each jurisdiction are part of their jurisdiction CCC coalitions and steering committees. The Pacific Island Health Officers Association (PIHOA) serves as an overall advisory to the CCC process since the PIHOA Board and Associate Members are the Ministers/Secretaries/Directors of Health for their jurisdiction. The Cancer Council of the Pacific Islands (CCPI) is a registered U.S. 501(c)(3) organization since 2007.
The main role of the CCPI is to improve the health and welfare of the people of the Pacific Islands through the development of programs and best practices activities and education, cancer program planning and outreach purposes.
The role of the CCPI Board of Directors is to attend annual meetings and regular meetings. The annual meeting of the Board of Directors of the CCPI shall be held each year at such time and place as may be determined by the Board of Directors, for the purpose of electing officers and transacting such other business as may be brought before the meeting. Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held, at least once per year, at such times and at such places as the Board of Directors may provide by proper notice. Special meetings may also be called in accordance with the CCPI bylaws.
The number of directors of the CCPI shall consist of three (3) or more individuals, with the number fixed by the Board of Directors in accordance with these bylaws. The number of directors may be increased or decreased from time to time, provided that the number of directors shall not be less than three.
There shall be two (2) voting members appointed by the Secretary or Director of the Department of Health or the Ministry of Health for each jurisdiction or area:
For each jurisdiction or area, one (1) CCPI Director shall be from the clinical sector and the other one (1) shall be from public health working in the cancer field. In the case of American Samoa, the Director of Health designates the Public Health CCPI Director; the Chief Executive Officer of American Samoa designates the Clinical CCPI Director.
Additionally, one (1) non-voting observer representing FSM National government, selected by the FSM Secretary of Health and Social Affairs, is allowed to fully participate in CCPI meetings.
The Steering Committee for the Pacific Cancer Coalition is comprised of the CCPI Executive Committee (President, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer) and the Regional CCC Project Staff. Because the CCPI does not presently have its own infrastructure to manage the Pacific CCC plan, they have designated the University of Hawai’i Department of Family Medicine and Community Health (UH DFMCH) to serve as the Secretariat for the CCPI to continue in its present capacity of supporting and advising the CCC process in each jurisdiction and the region, to continue to develop the Regional Pacific Cancer Registry in close coordination with jurisdiction efforts, and to continue assisting with advocacy for cancer-related issues at the U.S. National, Hawai’i, regional, and international levels. The long-term goal for the CCPI is to become an autonomous organization. However, at this early stage of development, continuing partnerships to facilitate the development of the CCPI and the Pacific Cancer Coalition are critical.
Because several of each jurisdiction’s objectives and strategies are implemented in close conjunction with regional strategies, there is a need for a full-time Regional CCC Coordinator. Each jurisdiction’s implementation grant application contains a portion of the regional CCC subcontract, which fund the Secretariat, Regional CCC Coordination, development of a web-based clearinghouse of information related to cancer control and policy issues affecting the region, and a part-time epidemiologist to assist each jurisdiction with developing appropriate baseline surveys and/or designing evaluation strategies that are meaningful and appropriate to the resources of the jurisdiction.
Technical assistance provided by Hawai’i-based partners is coordinated through the Regional CCC Program office. Additional technical assistance specifically regarding the development of the Pacific Regional Central Cancer Registry is provided by the Hawai’i Tumor Registry / Cancer Research Center of Hawai’i in close collaboration with the UH DFMCH.
Communication and coordination among the different coalitions, including the FSM State coalitions is through the CCC Coordinators. There is a one-week-long Regional meeting per year, with one of the two semi-annual CCPI meetings happening one day prior to the Regional CCC meeting. The Regional CCC office coordinates monthly calls with cancer coordinators and CCPI members to discuss the project progress, and successes and challenges with implementation, schedule trainings, distribute relevant materials, and improve coordination in general. The CCC Coordinators disseminates information back to their respective coalitions. Additionally, the Regional CCC staff is always available by email or cell-phone. Creating a central resource portal for cancer control related information will greatly help to expedite some implementation activities.
CCPI Pacific Cancer Program and Partners
Communication with external partners is accomplished by distributing the Regional and jurisdiction CCC plans to the partners listed in the previous section and participating in various meetings. A newsletter is planned for semi-annual distribution to partners. Additionally, a more succinct monograph highlighting the uniqueness of each jurisdiction and the region and a summary of the CCC plans will be developed and distributed by the Regional CCC program office.
Prioritization of the Regional CCC plan is time-based and resource-based and focuses on addressing core foundational issues so that long-term sustainability can be achieved. The plan is adapted based on new information, policies that affect the region, other opportunities, and new partnerships. The Steering Committee reviews, evaluates, and updates the plan at least twice yearly; the entire CCPI also discusses the implementation of the Regional and jurisdiction CCC efforts annually and the full Pacific Cancer Coalition reviews, and renews the Regional CCC plan at each annual meeting. If the Steering Committee proposes major revisions to the plan, they are distributed at least 30 days in advance of the Regional meeting so that the jurisdiction CCC coalitions have the opportunity to reflect on the proposed changes. Decision-making is made by simple majority. Because of the health workforce shortages, it is sometimes not possible for both CCPI members to attend, so the Pacific Cancer Coalition has decided to allow for voting by proxy and/or for call-in (conference call) voting if needed.
The current version of the Pacific Regional Cancer Plan is available to DOWNLOAD IN PDF.
University of Hawai’i – Department of Family Medicine and Community Health – Pacific Cancer Program – ARTICLES
| Jurisdiction | Clinical (C) / Public Health (PH) / CCC Coordinator (CCC) | Prefix | CCPI Member |
|---|---|---|---|
| CCPI OFFICERS | |||
| Guam | President | Dr. | John Ray Taitano |
| Yap State, FSM | Vice-President | Ms. | Martina Reichhardt |
| FSM National | Secretary and Treasurer | Mr. | X-ner Luther |
| CCPI DIRECTORS | |||
| American Samoa | C | TBD | |
| American Samoa | PH | TBD | |
| American Samoa | CCC | Ms. | Sherry Ho Chee |
| Chuuk State, FSM | C | Dr. | Yoster Yichiro |
| Chuuk State, FSM | PH | Dr. | Siana S. Kurabui |
| Chuuk State, FSM | CCC | Ms. | Frita Irons |
| Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) | PH | Ms. | Amber Lynn Mendiola |
| Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) | C | TBD | |
| Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) | CCC | Ms. | Lena Wabol |
| Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) National | Secretary of Health | Mr. | Marcus Samo |
| Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) National | CCC | Mr. | X-ner Luther |
| Guam | C | Dr. | John Ray Taitano |
| Guam | PH | Mr. | Alexis Silverio |
| Guam | CCC | Ms. | Louisa J. Borja |
| Kosrae State, FSM | PH | Mrs. | Salome Martin |
| Kosrae State, FSM | C | Dr. | Tholman Alik |
| Kosrae State, FSM | CCC | Mr. | Kun Sigrah |
| Pohnpei State, FSM | C | TBD | |
| Pohnpei State, FSM | PH | Dr. | Nohra Liwy |
| Pohnpei State, FSM | CCC | Ms. | Stephanie Kapiriel |
| Republic of Palau | C | Dr. | Glenda Santos |
| Republic of Palau | PH | Ms. | Selma August |
| Republic of Palau | CCC | Ms. | Suzette Brikul |
| Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) - Kwajalein | PH | TBD | |
| Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) - Majuro | C | Dr. | Ivy Lapidez |
| Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) - Majuro | CCC | Ms. | Neiar Kabua |
| Yap State, FSM | PH | CEO | John Gilmatam |
| Yap State, FSM | C | Dr. | James Edilyong |
| Yap State, FSM | CCC | Ms. | Martina Reichhardt |