Carla Strom, MLA, has been appointed administrative director for community outreach and engagement at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.
She is responsible for working with colleagues to develop initiatives for supporting community engagement and reducing gaps in health care outcomes as well as translational research across all programs at Vanderbilt-Ingram.
Strom was recruited from Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center in North Carolina, where she served as both a director and assistant director community outreach programs.
“There are few people who have the same level of experience and passion Carla has for community engagement. We were extremely lucky to recruit her to Vanderbilt, and it is exciting to think of all the ways her expertise will benefit our patients and the communities we serve,” said Karen Winkfield, MD, PhD, Ingram Professor of Cancer Research and associate director for Community Outreach and Engagement.
Strom has 25 years of experience in oncology education, research and health policy and variations in demographic outcomes. Her interest in cancer research began as a teen volunteer at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. She has an undergraduate degree in sociology with a minor in Spanish from Texas A&M University and a Master of Liberal Arts with an emphasis on international studies from the University of St. Thomas. Her first job in the profession was as a bilingual health information specialist for the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Information Service. She also serves as a patient advocate in community as well as academic oncology settings.
Strom has a personal connection with underserved communities and is a two-time, young adult cancer survivor.
“My work in oncology and underserved communities is not only a profession, it’s personal, and I’m excited to be part of the VICC community,” said Strom.
