Primary Health Network (PHN) is proposing to address screening rates and referral to care and treatment for colorectal cancer in three (3) counties within its service area in Pennsylvania: Beaver County; Erie County; and Lawrence County. This will be accomplished via partnership with UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, an NCI-designated cancer center (described in more detail below). This project will target patients at five (5) PHN locations within the targeted counties. These include: Autumn Street Health Center in Beaver County (99 Autumn Street, Aliquippa, PA 15001); Beaver Falls Primary Care in Beaver County (1302 Seventh Avenue, Beaver Falls, PA 15010); Wayne Primary Care in Erie County (650 East Avenue, Erie, PA 16503); Ellwood City Health Center in Lawrence County (304 Evans Drive, Suite 201, Ellwood City, PA 16117); and New Castle Primary Care in Lawrence County (1112 South Mill Street, New Castle, PA 16101). Each of these areas was chosen due to lower screening rates for colorectal cancer (described in the NEED section and other portions of this narrative), as well as overall area need and presence of minority/underserved populations (such as the refugee population in Erie County). These specific needs and lower screening rates are fully described in the NEED section and other portions of this narrative. PHN’s current colorectal screening rate for the three-county service area is 35% (representing approximately 250 patients via 2021 UDS data). PHN is projecting to increase the number of patients receiving a colorectal cancer screening by approximately 50% (or an additional 125 patients) by the end of the 2-year project period, resulting in an overall screening rate of approximately 39%. PHN will also establish a baseline for patients referred to treatment within 30 days of receiving an abnormal screening result (not currently tracked). Once the baseline is established, PHN projects increasing it by a minimum of 10% (i.e., if the basel
ine is 100 patients transitioned to treatment within 30 days, PHN proposes increasing that by 10 patients), over the course of the project period.