Knowledge is empowering and the Foundation empowers communities of people across the nation. Target outreach, especially to underserved individuals and communities, is another way the Foundation touches lives.
Breast Health Education
The Foundation’s Breast Health Education for Young Women materials are reaching communities far and wide. These materials are designed to increase young women’s knowledge about breast cancer screening and lifelong breast health. The educational DVD and guide were developed in partnership with the Howard University Cancer Center for use in interactive education sessions.
This year 160 DVDs and 300 facilitator’s guide are in 35 states across the U.S. and 3 foreign countries. From urban schools in Minnesota and health fairs in New York, to a health center in Bermuda, educators are using the materials to teach breast health behavior to young women in their communities.
Designed for use in a variety of settings, the video and guide provide the resources for reaching young women with valuable breast health education. “The materials were straightforward and easy to use,” commented a facilitator from Texas. Reaching teens in her school, a school nurse from Louisiana found the video to be “current and informative.” The materials have helped nurses, health educators and group leaders talk to young women about breast cancer myths and facts, breast self-exams and advocating for one’s health.
American Indian and Alaska Native Dialogue Projects
Increasing Colorectal Cancer Screening in Indian Country
The Foundation continues its initiatives to increase colorectal cancer awareness, screening and treatment among the American Indian and Alaska Native communities across the country. This year, the Foundation worked on multiple initiatives, including advocacy tools, a presentation at the National Indian Health Board conference, networking meetings and a tailored educational booklet.
In fiscal year 2009, a Call to Action and Tribal Resolution were developed as tools to gain support for increasing CRC screening in Indian Country. Staff worked at both at the grassroots level and national level to gain signatures and support for the Call to Action and Resolution, including support from the National Indian Health Board. Through generous awards from the Amgen Foundation and Spirit of Eagles, travel support was provided to American Indian/Alaska Native Dialogue team coordinators and leaders from the Minnesota state-level Dialogue project for a capstone meeting in November and the national Dialogue conference in April. Both meetings provided the opportunity for learning and sharing among the team leaders, networking with national group representatives and advocacy training. Additionally, the Foundation adapted the Guide to Preventable Cancers booklet for American Indian and Alaska Native communities to fill a gap of very limited cancer prevention resources available for the community.
National Annual Conference, Dialogue for ActionTM to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening
The 11th Annual Dialogue for Action in Colorectal Cancer Screening: Harnessing the Power of Success was held April 1 – 3, 2009, at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel in Baltimore, bringing together national leaders in colorectal cancer screening to evaluate specific techniques and approaches for promoting prevention and early detection. Vince Papale, former Philadelphia Eagle who is a colorectal cancer survivor, delivered a motivational keynote address at the start of the conference, and Karen Pollitz, of the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, delivered the closing keynote.
This year’s meeting highlighted successful programs and techniques in communication, outreach, policy and advocacy. The event engaged attendees by presenting cutting-edge programs from across the country and by facilitating targeted conversations between diverse groups of stakeholders to develop actionable steps for attendees. Moreover, the first-time poster session was a success, with 20 posters displayed, which included seven research and 13 outreach projects.
During the conference, the Foundation honored three outstanding colorectal cancer awareness prevention champions. Joe Arite, Director of Policy for The Colorectal Cancer Coalition was awarded the Cancer Prevention Laurel for Advocacy. Dr. Tim Byers, MPH, the interim Director for the University of Colorado Cancer Center was awarded the Laurel for National Leadership and Dr. Diane Dwyer, the Medical Director for the Maryland Department of Health received the Cancer Prevention Laurel for Innovative Programs.
State-Level Dialogue For ActionTM
Over the past seven years, seventeen states have moved from awareness to action against colorectal cancer as part of the Dialogue For Action program. The state-level program, facilitated by the Foundation, is in its final year of the multi-year cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agreement supported five years of the Dialogue for Action program work in 11 states, out of a total of 17 states, and ten American Indian and Alaskan Native communities.
A successful state-level Dialogue summit was held in June, 2009 in Lexington, Kentucky where approximately 117 attendees. The summit focused on crafting, communicating and disseminating colorectal cancer screening awareness to the state, engaging leadership to increase state-wide colorectal cancer screenings and follow-through state-wide methods.
Following the summit, a committee was formed to implement an action plan based on the recommendations that emerged from the conference.
Prevent Cancer Super Colon™ and the National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Campaign
The 2009 National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Campaign kicked-off with the Prevent Cancer Super Colon in Times Square, New York. The Prevent Cancer Super Colon exhibit visiting areas of high colorectal cancer incidence to help raise awareness about the potential risk factors for colorectal cancer and encourage people to get screened. The campaign and the inflatable, walk-through exhibit earned over 2 million media impressions through a cross-country, 18-stop tour to over 60,000 visitors. Stops on the tour included NASCAR Motor Speedways, Fond du Lac Indian Reservations in Minnesota, Pueblo of Sandia in New Mexico, Massachusetts, Maryland, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Nevada, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.
Lung Cancer Workshop
Lung cancer continues to be the leading cause of cancer death. As global tobacco consumption grows, there is a need for early detection screening tools and targeted treatments. The Foundation’s sixth annual Lung Cancer Workshop Application of High Resolution CT Imaging Data to Lung Cancer Drug Development: Measuring Progress convened in May to evaluate the advances in spiral CT scanning to asses if new treatments are effective. This annual workshop draws key opinion leaders in the field of early lung cancer detection.
Community Grants
Launched in 2006, the Community Grants Program supports education and services in cancer prevention and early detection. The program awards two types of grants: one-year development grants and two-year enhancement grants.
Reaching out to individuals in soup kitchens, at health fairs and through local radio programs, the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s community grantees are making a difference in rural and urban communities. Community grants are one way the Foundation shares vital information with the people who need it most. Facing limited resources and large underserved populations, these five community grantees are making a tremendous impact by providing valuable cancer prevention education and screening services. Here is a snapshot of the Foundation’s community grants program:
- Chenango Health Network, Chenango County, NY–The Chenango Health Network received a grant from PCF to educate women in a medically underserved region of New York about cervical cancer. Staff and volunteers reached over 2,300 women with important cervical cancer information and provided cervical cancer screenings to over 500 women. Community events, food banks, church groups and hair salons were among the various settings for this educational campaign featuring local women. The campaign shared the educational information through computer kiosks, local radio and print media to help educate the community about cervical cancer and screening.
- Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA. – Con Amor Aprendemos (With Love We Learn) is an interactive program that educates Hispanic/Latino couples about HPV and cervical cancer. Through a train-the-trainer course, this program is creating a network of promotoras (health educators) that share and help to educate about cancer prevention in their own Latino communities in Georgia.
- Hispanic Health Initiatives, Inc., Casselberry, FL –Through health fairs, community events and media outlets, peer health educators reached out to over 40,000 women in Florida with education regarding the importance of annual screening and early detection for breast cancer. The women are mostly uninsured or under-insured Latinas with very limited English proficiency. The group utilizes over 70 active volunteers and a team of peer educators to provide health information and facilitate access to health care. Because of this beneficial program, over 700 women were referred for annual clinical breast exams and mammograms in the past year.
- Primary Care Coalition of Montgomery County, MD –This program is increasing cancer prevention among an underserved community in Maryland by providing colorectal cancer education and screening and utilizing a new referral system for mammograms. The new system has resulted in decreasing the time from referral to screening by over 100 days. The coalition has partnered with local hospitals and clinics to create a safety net for those women ineligible for other county programs. To date, colorectal cancer screening has been provided to 26 women and mammograms to 98 women. The group is also utilizing medical records to improve care coordination for colorectal cancer screening.
- Rural Health Group, Roanoke Rapids, NC –Ten local community organizations joined a partnership created by the group to promote prostate awareness and prevention among African American men who are at highest risk for prostate cancer in three North Carolina counties. The groups are co-sponsoring prostate cancer awareness events in communities, churches and civic groups. Over 400 men received prostate cancer screenings and 16 lay health advisors have been trained to provide health education.
The purpose of the Foundation’s community grants is to support local cancer awareness education and screening programs across the country for all populations, especially underserved communities. The beneficial and important grants fund life-saving programs and help to educate communities about screening and cancer prevention guidelines.
The Foundation at State Fairs
Food, fun, carnival rides and farming are central to the spirit of state fairs. But prevention education to center stage as the Foundation provided cancer screening and education at eight state fairs in Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio and South Dakota.
The State Fair program started in Kansas in 1993, when the Foundation partnered with Senator Bob Dole and the Hutchinson Clinic to bring free PSA tests to screen for prostate cancer for men eligible under screening guidelines.
In addition, many more received important cancer prevention information and tips, even if they did not get screened. "This [screening] is the only reason I come to the fair," said a visitor at the Kansas state fair in September 2008.
The Foundation collaborates with local medical partners and state government representatives to provide needed tools to encouraging cancer prevention, including education and several screening tests. Thousands take advantage of the health education and screening booths at their state fairs: Some fair-goers travel long distances to participate in these free screening opportunities, which they might not otherwise have closer to home. A total of 5,868 screenings were provided in the eight states which included:
- 4,814 Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA)
- 118 Digital Rectal Exam (DRE)
- 581 Cholesterol Screenings
- 245 Glucose Screenings
- 338 Fecal Occult Blood Test for Colorectal Cancer (FOBT)
- 8 Mammograms
George Washington University Hospital Mammovan Partnership
The Foundation continued its commitment to reaching underserved DC women through the George Washington University Hospital Mammovan Partnership. More than 2,400 mammograms were provided both at their workplace and home communities, of which 61% were uninsured. These mammograms were free of charge over the past twelve months. 60% of the screening days were community sites, whereas 40% were at workplace sites. The Mammovan is outfitted with state-of-the-art digital mammography equipment and the program utilizes patient navigation services to provide necessary follow-up care regardless of a women’s ability to pay.
¡Celebremos la vida!
The Foundation celebrated the 15th year of the ¡Celebremos la vida! program. Since the program’s start in 1994, this Foundation funded program has been a mainstay of underserved Hispanic communities in the Washington DC metro area and McHenry County, Illinois. The program provides much-needed preventive services while removing many health care barriers, such as language and cultural barriers. Using patient navigators to educate women about cancer prevention and to guide them through complex medical system, the program ensures that the women get the follow-up care. Celebremos participants receive breast and cervical cancer screening and health education. All these services are provided, regardless of the ability to pay. The program expanded to a fourth site at the Spanish Catholic Center-Langley Park clinic, which allowed Celebremos to reach many more women, especially those receiving their first screening mammogram.
Throughout the year, Celebremos provided over 750 mammograms and over 650 Pap tests across the four sites. Thanks to the Celebremos patient navigators, several of the women that were screened required follow-up care. Participants in the program continue to be overwhelmingly satisfied with the services and staff. Ninety-six percent of participants felt they learned some or a lot about cancer prevention, and 98% were satisfied or very satisfied with the program overall. Programs like Celebremos, which are accessible and culturally appropriate, overcome many barriers to care, helping to decrease health disparities facing many Hispanic communities.