Published on August 26, 2020
Updated on November 26, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 26, 2020
MEDIA CONTACT:
Lisa Berry Edwards
703-519-2107
Lisa.Edwards@preventcancer.org
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Through its community grants program, the Prevent Cancer Foundation® is proud to support 10 projects focused on increasing cancer prevention and early detection in underserved communities across the U.S., from Issaquah, Washington to Tampa, Florida. The projects were selected through a highly competitive grants process, and each program will receive a one-year $25,000 grant.
The projects focus on diverse goals in education and screening for breast, cervical, colorectal, liver, lung and HPV-related cancers, including testing for hepatitis B and provider education for HPV vaccination. These projects will have a direct impact on underserved populations in both urban and rural locations, many of which lack access to cancer prevention and early detection services.
“Thanks so much to the Prevent Cancer Foundation for its incredible support of the ScanVan as it returns to our most-vulnerable communities, overcoming the many barriers presented by this pandemic and providing comprehensive breast health care to those who need it most,” said Erika Hval, Senior Grants Manager for Project Renewal, Inc., located in New York City.
Since 2007, the Foundation has awarded more than $2 million in community grants in 33 states and American Samoa and to the Washoe Tribe. Here are the Foundation’s 2020 community grant recipients:
American Indian Cancer Foundation (AICAF)
Minneapolis, Minn.
AICAF will partner with three American Indian urban health clinics across the U.S. to increase colorectal cancer awareness and screening. The project will focus on increasing the completion rate for 200 FOBT/FIT (stool-based) tests distributed through flu/FIT clinic events and other awareness events.
Binaytara Foundation
Issaquah, Wash.
In partnership with the local county health department and community collaborators, this project will provide cervical and breast cancer education, screening and navigation support to 300 Bhutanese refugee women in King and Snohomish counties in Washington state. The project aims to address the language, cultural and financial barriers faced by the refugees for cancer screening.
Kintegra Health
Gastonia, N.C.
The Health Promotion Navigation Program will coordinate breast cancer screening and diagnostic testing for 250 uninsured/underinsured women. In collaboration with clinical care teams, outreach staff and community partners, the project will ensure patients are linked to resources and programs through the assistance of the health promotion navigator.
Korean Community Services of Metropolitan New York, Inc.
Bayside, N.Y.
Project CALL will provide free screenings for hepatitis B, community education about hepatitis and liver cancer, culturally appropriate outreach and dedicated care coordination for uninsured or underinsured community members. The group will develop and release a radio PSA and video series highlighting the prevalence and risk of chronic hepatitis B and liver cancer in the Korean community.
North East Medical Services
San Francisco, Calif.
The Hep B Moms Program will provide comprehensive multidisciplinary care to women with chronic hepatitis B virus infection and their infants, starting from a woman’s initial prenatal hepatitis B screening to her infant’s first year of life. The program aims to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B among a patient population of predominately Asian immigrants. Chronic hepatitis B infection is the leading cause of liver cancer worldwide.
Project Renewal, Inc.
New York, N.Y.
Bilingual patient navigators will guide 1,100 underserved women in the greater New York City area through free comprehensive breast cancer screening and education on board the ScanVan mobile mammovan. The navigators will also guide these women through any needed follow-up diagnostic procedures and ensure timely results.
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
Buffalo, N.Y.
The Roswell AIR (Awareness, Information and Resources for Lung Cancer Screening) program is a community-partnered education program designed to increase knowledge and reduce barriers to lung cancer screening among underserved communities in Western New York. The program is offered in English and Spanish.
Tampa Family Health Centers, Inc.
Tampa, Fla.
Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Florida. The goals of the project are to reach and maintain a 50% colorectal cancer screening rate for the underserved patient population and to establish regular provider training and education about the importance of increasing screening rates. The project aims to engage community members and empower them to act as vital partners in the screening process.
The Research Foundation for SUNY on behalf of the University at Buffalo, The Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Department of Family Medicine and the Primary Care Research Institute.
Buffalo, N.Y.
The Patient Voices Fight Colorectal Cancer program will partner with primary care providers to increase colorectal cancer screening among predominately Black patients from Buffalo. Patient ambassadors will contact and educate patients and assist 125 people through the screening process.
VAX 2 STOP CANCER
Birmingham, Ala.
The Preventing HPV-Associated Cancers Through Effective Provider Education program will utilize evidence-based tools to increase HPV vaccination completion rates by 10% across 15 pediatric health care providers in a five-county area of central Alabama. A digital media campaign will be used to reach parents and adolescents with messages about the safety, efficacy and importance of the HPV vaccine.
