Sunday, May 11, 2025
5/11/2025
Kentucky Cancer Prevention and Control Program - There are 4.4 million people in Kentucky, half are women (50.7), and 6.7% of those are uninsured (121,637). Of those uninsured, 11.8% are program eligible (63,835 women, age 21 or older, at or below 250% of the federal poverty level) and prioritized as the target population. In this project period, the Kentucky Women’s Cancer Screening Program (the Program) proposes to provide 3500 breast and/or cervical cancer screening and low-cost diagnostic services to the target population throughout the state. State data from 2014-2018 from the Kentucky Cancer Registry and United States Cancer Statistics, show that Kentucky has a cancer problem. The incidence and mortality rates for both breast and cervical cancers are higher in Kentucky than the US. In fact, Kentucky has the highest cervical cancer incidence rate in the country for 2014-2018. Kentucky’s breast cancer screening is slightly lower than the US, and in 2020, 70.5% of Kentucky women age 40 and above had a mammogram within the past two years, compared to 71.5% in the US. Kentucky’s cervical cancer screening rates are the same as the US (80.5%, 2020). In addition to the statistics, the state is burdened by barriers related to geography, poverty, transportation, access to care, fatalism, and provider fear and distrust, resulting in disparities in cancer outcomes especially among Black women; Hispanic women; low-income, uninsured, or underinsured women; and women living in rural Appalachia. The state does not have large minority populations in the rural regions, but urban areas have a high percentage of Black populations, and a growing Hispanic population. To maximize efforts to reach and increase breast and cervical cancer screening rates the Program utilized a data-driven, equity-driven, collaborative-driven approach to identify focus areas, disproportionately burdened by breast and cervical cancer, areas known as population(s) of focus. Preliminary analyses included program data, uninsured and income data (Small Area Health Insurance Estimates), cancer incidence, morbidity and mortality data from the Kentucky Cancer Registry, and the Kentucky Comprehensive Cancer Control Program data (Kentucky’s Cancer Action Plan, Kentucky’s Cancer Needs Assessment). In addition, the state’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data, Social Determinants of Health data and the Social Vulnerability Index were utilized both for community outreach planning strategies and decision-making. Collaboration with other CDC-funded programs is essential to amplify efforts to reduce the high burden of cancer in the state. The Program works closely with the Kentucky Cancer Registry, which provides complete, accurate and timely cancer data to support evidence-based intervention planning, as well identifying areas that most need breast and cervical cancer screening and reporting the number of new breast and cervical cancer cases identified. Another major partner, the Kentucky Comprehensive Cancer Control Program, which leads the Kentucky Cancer Action Plan and the Kentucky Cancer Consortium, is the statewide cancer control coalition, comprised of more than 100 multi-sectoral organizations and members of cancer burdened populations. In addition to the collaborative approach, and to combat the state’s cancer problems, the Program is building a solid infrastructure (screening delivery systems) and strong human capacity (retain experienced staff and partners) to implement an effective program that ensures women are empowered by having increased access to cancer control community-based organizations, social services, quality breast and cervical cancer screening, timely follow-up to diagnostics and treatment, all with an overarching health equity component. This approach will ensure we come that much closer to impactful outcomes of reducing breast and cervical cancer incidence, morbidity and mortality, and advance health equity throughout Kentucky.
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).