Saturday, April 26, 2025
4/26/2025
Accelerating Cancer Screening - Title: Accelerating Cancer Screening Fair Haven Community Health Clinic (FHCHC), located in New Haven Connecticut, in partnership with the Yale Cancer Center (YCC), an NCI-designated cancer center, will improve screening and referral to care and treatment for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers among a target population of predominantly low income, minority individuals. Fair Haven Community Health Clinic, Inc. H80CS00741 374 Grand Avenue, New Haven CT 06513 Authorizing Official: Suzanne Lagarde MD FHCHC currently serves over 31,000 patients annually, over 60% of whom are Hispanic, and over 90% live below 200% Federal Poverty Level. Fully 16% of FHCHC patients are uninsurable. FHCHC screening rates for breast (52%), cervical (68%) and colorectal (45%) cancer are significantly lower compared with national averages. Additionally, barriers to timely referral to care and treatment suffers, with delayed treatment or worse, no treatment frequently occurring. With this funding, FHCHC will hire personnel to oversee a robust Cancer Care Program. We will hire a Program Manager and a Community Health Worker (CHW). The Program Manager will be responsible for cancer screening at FHCHC, with attention to integration into the various workflows of the clinic. The Manager will track data, ensure that CHWs, Care Coordinators and clinical staff are aware of the program and the guidelines for screening for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer. The Manager will work with staff of the Yale Cancer Center to ensure proper training of FHCHC CHWs in cancer navigation. Under the Manager’s supervision, the CHW will be one of FHCHC’s cancer navigators, working with patients to overcome barriers to care. Patient transportation needs for screenings/tests will be paid for with these funds. In an effort to ensure that our largely Hispanic population understands the importance of various cancer screening strategies, a robust culturally sensitive marketing campaign will take place throughout the year, with a special emphasis on messaging during the months of public awareness campaigns for breast (October), cervical (January) and colorectal (March) cancers. Key to the success of this project will be the strong collaboration with the Yale Cancer Center (YCC) which will deploy Cancer Center personnel to work with FHCHC CHWs within our service area. Together, YCC and FHCHC will 1. Increase the number and percentage of racial/ethnic minority, low-income patients screened for the following three cancer types: cervical, breast, and colorectal; and 2. Increase the number and percentage of patients assisted with accessing appropriate follow-up care within 30 days of receipt of an abnormal cancer screening test result. Additionally, FHCHC will collaborate with Project Access-New Haven, a non-profit which provides navigated, specialty care to the uninsured, and with the CT Department of Public Health, Cancer Comprehensive Program, who are committed to referring patients to FHCHC for cancer screenings. By December 2023, FHCHC will have shown an increase in breast cancer screening from 52% to 60%, an increase in cervical cancer screening from 68% to 75% and an increase in colorectal cancer screening from 45% to 55%. Patients referred to YCC for care and treatment of abnormal screenings and/or a cancer diagnosis will increase and patients with abnormal cancer screening will be seen for navigation within a 30-day window. Metrics will be tracked and reported.
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).