Ronald E. Myers received a D.S.W. in Social Welfare Policy in 1983 and a Ph.D. in Medical Sociology in 1989 from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.  Dr. Myers completed postdoctoral training in Behavioral Epidemiology at Fox Chase Cancer Center from 1983 to 1985.  Dr. Myers served as an Associate Member, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia from 1985 to 1994.  In 1994, Dr. Myers joined the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia as an Associate Professor and Associate Director for Population Science.  In 2001, Dr. Myers was appointed as Professor and Director, Division of Population Science, Department of Medical Oncology, and the Center for Health Decisions at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.  He has conducted cancer prevention and control research studies for 30 years, has been principal investigator on many peer-reviewed research grants, has numerous peer-reviewed publications in the field, and has delivered presentations at national and international conferences.  His areas of expertise include patient adherence to cancer screening; shared decision making in cancer risk assessment, screening, and treatment; and disparities in cancer prevention and control. Dr. Myers is Principal Investigator of a Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)-funded CER study designed to test different approaches for increasing colorectal cancer screening in Hispanic primary care practice patients.  He also leads a PCORI-funded EAIN project that applies a collective impact learning community strategy to the adaptation of evidence-based intervention for use in health systems to reduce cancer disparities.

This project is designed to test the impact of a decision support and navigation intervention on colorectal cancer screening adherence among Hispanic/Latino patients served by primary practices.

The Center for Health Decisions of the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University will engage a Steering Committee (i.e., representatives of patients, providers, health systems, insurers, employers, and advocacy organizations), Patient and Stakeholder Advisory Committees (i.e., patients, physicians, administrators) from health care systems located in southeastern Pennsylvania, and communications industry partner organizations in a collective-impact learning community. Members will collaborate to adapt evidence-based interventions for implementation in the health systems to reduce cancer screening disparities.