Accelerating Cancer Screening - Stigler Health & Wellness Center, Inc. Address: 1505 E. Main Stigler, Ok 74462-2913 Project Director: Teresa Huggins, CEO Contact Numbers: (Voice) 918-967-3368 (Fax) (918) 967-4582 Email: thuggins@healthwellnessok.com Website: https://healthwellnessok.com/ List all grant program funds requested in the application, if applicable: $379,414.22 Grant Number: H80CS04286 Description of the proposed project. With cancer mortality being high throughout Oklahoma, Stigler Health & Wellness Center, Inc. (SHWC) is stepping up its efforts to improve cancer screening rates in Haskell, Latimer, Leflore, McIntosh, Muskogee, Pittsburg and Sequoyah Counties; a primarily rural region of eastern Oklahoma where far too many people are forgoing cancer screening. For the proposed project, SHWC intends to focus on improving screening and referral rates for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer by targeting women 25 – 65 years old for cervical cancer screening (excluding women who have had cervix removed for non-cancer related reasons); women 45- 70 old for breast cancer screening (upper age range may change based on life expectancy); and all patients 45-75 years old for colorectal cancer screening. As it currently can take 3 weeks or longer to receive follow-up care related to abnormal cancer screening tests, SHWC will also work with Stephenson Cancer Center staff to develop more efficient and effective protocols and practices for referral and follow-up care. Summary of how project increases access and addresses barriers to cancer screening and referral to care Given the fact that cancer screening services are available in the region, although not plentiful, the proposed project will put great focus on addressing barriers to care that limit access to screening and follow-up care for the low-income population while simultaneously addressing the health center’s patient engagement strategies and work force needs. To address barriers to care, SHWC and the cancer center will build better linkages to programs that make low cost/no-cost cancer screening and care and treatment available. On SHWC’s part, the health center will utilize the Unite US platform to link with over 400 social service/health-related agencies in Oklahoma, ensuring patients have access to almost any type of assistance they may need to free up their mind and spirit when confronted with the possibility of a greatly feared diagnosis. To address work force needs, SHWC will also hire a Patient Navigator, a Screening Coordinator and a Patient Access Center Screening Specialist (to handle scheduling), all of whom will receive training and mentoring from Stephenson Cancer Center staff. The Cancer Center will also provide additional training for SHWC’s Integrated Care Specialists and Care Coordinators, and may provide SHWC with specialized cancer screening templates for use with the health center’s Care Message system – a bi-directional system that will allow SHWC to send patient reminders and other content recommending on-time cancer screenings. Description of proposed partnerships, including with an NCI-designated Cancer Center For this project, SHWC is partnering only with the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Stephenson Cancer Center, Oklahoma’s only NCI-designated Cancer Center. In this partnership, the Cancer Center will deploy Outreach Specialist and a Patient Navigator to SHWC’s service area quarterly. As a additional means of improving communication between the organizations, leaders and staff from both SHWC and the Cancer Center will also engage in bi-monthly virtual meetings to discuss challenging issues being encountered in relation to increasing cancer screening rates and developing efficient and effective referral for care and treatment practices.
