LIDERES, a community health initiative developed by Duke medical students with support from Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences (HNS&CS) faculty, was featured at El Centro Hispano’s 3rd Annual Community Health Worker Forum on September 6, 2025.
Over 130 participants at the forum benefitted from the Spanish-language educational session focusing on head and neck cancer awareness, risk factors, and early screening techniques. The session equipped community health workers with essential knowledge to promote head and neck cancer prevention within their communities.
The initiative is supported by the American Head and Neck Society, who honored LIDERES with the 2025 AHNS Community Service Award.
LIDERES (Latino Initiative for Delivering Education and Raising Engagement on Screening for Head & Neck Cancer) is a community-centered health education initiative focused on increasing awareness, early detection, and prevention of head and neck cancer in Spanish-speaking and Latino communities. Co-developed by Duke medical students Rebecca Zasloff, Angelina Nasthas, and Alexandra Hunter, with support from Department of Head and HNS&CS faculty Nosa Osazuwa-Peters, PhD; Trinitia Cannon, MD; and Leda Scearce, LIDERES was created in close partnership with El Centro Hispano, North Carolina’s largest Latino-led organization. The initiative places a strong emphasis on training and equipping Latino community health workers through culturally and linguistically tailored education.