Accelerating Cancer Screening - The Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHC/SEK), the largest federally qualified health center (H80CS00841) in Kansas with 70,000 patients, is partnering with the University of Kansas Cancer Center (UKCC), a National Cancer-Institute-designated cancer center to increase screening for breast, cervical and colon cancer in the least healthy and most economically challenged region of Kansas. By leveraging the resources of a NCI Cancer Center and a FQHC, this project targets the residents of ten southeast Kansas counties (Allen, Bourbon, Cherokee, Crawford, Labette, Linn, Montgomery, Neosho, Wilson and Woodson in what is the least healthy and most economically-challenged region of the state to ensure access, eliminate disparities and mitigate the impact of the COVID pandemic on this all-rural population who average 190.3 deaths per 100,000 from cancer compared to a U.S. average of 144.1 per 100,000. Through deployment of patient navigators and outreach specialists from UKCC in partnership with CHC/SEK's Community Health Workers, referrals to low-or-no cost screenings including mammograms, pap tests, self-testing and colonoscopies for colon cancer will be completed and tracked to ensure abnormal results are addressed within 30 days of discovery. Grant funds of $500,000 over two years are being sought to expand the capacity of both partners including the dedication of a .5 FTE navigator through the Cancer Center to provide training, oversight and referrals, the addition at the health center of a full-time cancer care coordinator to support patients through additional testing and treatment and expansion of referral and quality improvement staff to support timely scheduling, tracking and reporting. Improving the health literacy of community members on the value of preventative care as well as ensuring the region's medical providers are knowledgeable and proactive is also a primary focus of this initiative. Special efforts will target incarcerated women, our mentally and physically disabled adults, our minority populations and our low-income including those over 65 which include about 20% of our overall residents.
