Sunday, May 5, 2024
5/5/2024
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most common cause of death from cancer in New Hampshire (NH) as well as throughout the U.S., despite being a preventable disease. Increasing CRC prevention as well as early detection (finding CRC at earlier stages) could significantly decrease the incidence and deaths from this disease; both are accomplished by increasing CRC screening through the use of screening tests as recommended by the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). Despite this knowledge, over 30% of eligible people in the U.S. remain unscreened, and tremendous disparities exist with significantly lower CRC screening rates among vulnerable and underserved populations experiencing multiple barriers to screening. Therefore, an essential public health goal, and the purpose of our proposed project, is to increase clinic-level CRC screening rates through partnership with clinics serving the people least likely to be receiving this essential health care. By partnering with at least two new clinic partners in addition to our current partners, we plan to use evidence-based interventions (EBIs) as recommended in The Community Guide in order to increase high-quality screening rates at each partner clinic, and thereby increase prevention and early detection of CRC. NH residents served by our partner clinics face significant barriers to CRC screening. NH is one of the most rural states in the U.S., and our two new partner clinics are located in counties that are among the most rural in NH. In addition to considerable geographic barriers, lower annual income and higher rates of being uninsured are among the many obstacles that must be overcome for this population. NH has a rapidly expanding aging population, and the fourth oldest population in the U.S., with many additional people for whom screening rates are well below state and national averages needing CRC screening each year. It is essential to improve CRC screening rates for these populations, in order to reach the goal of decreasing CRC. The New Hampshire Colorectal Cancer Screening Program (NHCRCSP) is a CDC-funded program (through the CDC’s Colorectal Cancer Control Program, or CRCCP) that has been working to increase CRC screening throughout NH for the past eleven years. By developing partnerships and meaningful collaborations, NHCRCSP has successfully implemented evidence-based interventions with our partners, and significantly increased screening rates resulting in an additional 5,242 people screened at our partner clinics. Through this funding opportunity, NHCRCSP can continue to use proven, evidence-based methods, expand to include additional partners in the underserved, most rural areas of NH, and continue to evaluate and improve the strategies and activities that achieve successful outcomes. All partnerships and processes are in place, and if funded NHCRCSP will be able to begin work immediately. NHCRCSP has built the foundation that will enable us to work successfully with new and existing partners, reaching the underserved and unscreened in the most rural areas of the state and increasing high quality CRC screenings. It is only through successfully increasing prevention and early detection that the long-term outcome of decreasing the incidence and mortality of CRC will be realized, and that is the overall goal of our work.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
