Spotlight on Cancer Navigation: Dr. Nelly Burdette Leads Timely Training on Equity-Focused Communication

  • 23 Apr 2025

Spotlight on Cancer Navigation: Dr. Nelly Burdette Leads Timely Training on Equity-Focused Communication

We’re thrilled to highlight a recent webinar that brought together health equity, motivational interviewing, and cancer care navigation, led by our very own CTC-RI’s Nelly Burdette, PsyD.

“Role of Navigation in Cancer Care: Patient Communication, Cultural Understanding, and Support Strategies” was co-sponsored by the Rhode Island Health Center Association and the Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island as part their Project ECHO training series “The Role of Navigation in Cancer Care”. This timely session tackled one of the most requested topics in the field: how navigators can strengthen communication strategies with patients, especially through an equity-informed lens.

Dr. Burdette shared practical insights on how cancer navigators can elevate their support for patients using motivational interviewing techniques tailored to diverse populations. Her presentation emphasized the power of culturally responsive communication and how meaningful conversations can build trust, reduce barriers to care, and improve outcomes.

Key areas covered during the session included:

  • Communication best practices for cancer navigators from a motivational interviewing perspective, with a focus on health equity.
  • Approaches navigators can apply with a diversity lens within motivational interviewing frameworks to better support patients from all backgrounds.

Participants left the session with a deeper understanding of how to use motivational interviewing not just as a technique, but as a relational approach to meet patients where they are, especially those from underserved or historically marginalized communities.  View the session HERE.

This session was part of a broader initiative to strengthen cancer screening and care coordination across Rhode Island’s community health landscape. To learn more about this ECHO series, watch past ECHO sessions, or register for upcoming sessions, click HERE.