Yale Cancer Center Names Tracy Battaglia MD, MPH, as New Leader of Community Outreach and Engagement

Tracy Battaglia, MD, MPH, joins Yale Cancer Center’s Community Outreach and Engagement (COE), serving as associate director. The program is at the cornerstone of the center’s mission to strengthen community partnerships.

Battaglia is a nationally recognized clinician-scientist with more than 25 years of experience driving community-academic partnerships. Her research has focused on designing and implementing multi-level interventions with community partners to expand access to care for all.

She strives to expand key initiatives, including the design of a comprehensive patient navigation program at Smilow Cancer Hospital, ensuring patients have access to high-quality care and supportive services.

“Dr. Battaglia is the ideal leader to carry forward our mission of community engagement and increasing access to cancer care,” said Eric P. Winer, MD, director of Yale Cancer Center and president and physician-in-chief of Smilow Cancer Hospital. “Her extensive experience in building partnerships make her uniquely suited to guide COE into the future.”

The role was previously held by Marcella Nunez-Smith, MD, MHS, an associate dean at Yale School of Medicine. Winer thanks her for being a “transformative leader” who bridged partnerships among patients, communities, scientists, and providers. Nunez-Smith continues her work leading community grant initiatives to advance partnerships for Yale School of Medicine.

About Yale Cancer Center:

Yale Cancer Center combines a tradition of innovative cancer treatment and quality care for our patients. A National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated comprehensive cancer center since 1974, Yale Cancer Center is one of only 57 such centers in the nation and the only one in Connecticut. Yale Cancer Center members include national and internationally renowned scientists and physicians at Yale School of Medicine and Smilow Cancer Hospital. This partnership enables the Center to provide the best approaches for prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment for cancer.