The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (MSBCCP) and the Mississippi Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (MCCCP), in response to the CDC REA DP17-1701, propose to reduce breast and cervical cancer morbidity and mortality rates through a collaborative approach.
The MS-BCCP strives to fill the gap for individuals whose medical needs would otherwise go unattended. The program implements patient navigation as well as evidence-based strategies to overcome screening barriers and community strategies to link individuals at highest risk and in greatest need to clinical services. Typically, these are uninsured, underinsured, medically underserved, minority, and elderly women. Often by the time symptoms appear and these women present to a healthcare provider, the disease has advanced, reflecting differences in access to screening and care. With federal and matching funds, BCCP supports the costs of breast and cervical cancer screening services for individuals who are uninsured or underinsured, have an income equal to or less than 250 percent above the federal poverty level, are aged 40 through 64 for breast cancer screenings or aged 21 through 64 for cervical cancer screenings, and who meet clinical cancer screening guidelines. Additional funds are sought and leveraged from outside resources to ensure that individuals outside of current eligibility guidelines can be served. BCCP continues to address breast and cervical cancer detection needs by utilizing a clinical model of providing high quality screenings, timely follow-up on abnormal findings, navigation to and through diagnostic resolution, encouraging culturally-responsive engagement and assessment by providers, incorporating evidence-based interventions, and collaborating with multiple stakeholders to enhance and integrate all program areas, including sister programs, MCCCP.
The MCCCP proposes to provide a comprehensive and coordinated approach to promote policy, systems, and environmental change strategies to prevent and control cancer. The MCCCP approach can be achieved via partnerships with several key stakeholders and organizations both internal and external to the MSDH’s Office of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (OCDPHP) within the Office of Preventive Health and Health Equity (OPHHE). Primary prevention efforts will focus on improving HPV vaccination rates and increasing access to healthy foods and promoting physical activity. Access to cancer screenings and early detection will be addressed via partnerships with the MSDH Office of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and Federally Qualified Health Centers pertinent to breast, cervical, lung and Colorectal Cancer to promote cancer screenings with uninsured/underinsured women and men via partnerships with health care systems. Survivorship efforts will focus upon Prostate Cancer Support Groups and the needs of Cancer Survivors and Caregivers via a prostate cancer dyadic, a comprehensive cancer survivors needs assessment and resource guide and the annual conference. Health equity will be addressed and focused upon with each annual objective to increase awareness and promotion of health equity.