Friday, April 4, 2025
4/4/2025
CNMI CHCC Wise Woman Project - The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation (CHCC) is submitting this grant application for funding through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support and implement "Wisewoman: Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation of Women Across the Nation” under the funding opportunity CDC-RFA-DP23-0003. The alarming CNMI data affects and influences how the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation (CHCC) and its' key partners plan to strategize, implement and assess breast and cervical cancer screening interventions to reduce the burden of cancer in the CNMI community. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is recommended that all women ages 21-65 receive a pap test and women ages 50-74 receive a mammogram. The 2016 CNMI Non-Communicable Disease Hybrid Survey reports that 43.2% of women had a Pap test done within two years. However, 17.9% of women never received a pap test. Additionally, 2.9% of women self-reported coronary heart disease, angina, or heart attack. 4.5% of women reported other heart conditions or heart disease. Furthermore, 46.1% of CNMI adults do not have health care insurance, which is a barrier to accessing health care. Other risk factors reported in the survey, stated 1 out of every 2 women in the CNMI are diagnosed with Hypertension and 1 out of 5 of women currently reported smoking cigarettes. The overall data implies that the CNMI women health is at high risk of developing CVDs and other long term health issues if no prevention education and interventions are offered to address them. The proposed strategies are prevention and early detection by improving access to breast and cervical health screening, improving cardiovascular health among women ages 34-64 using the evidence-based health behavior support services, utilizing data analysis for quality improvement, and enhancing partnerships with key stakeholders and community organizations to improve patient health outcomes. These strategies support meeting program outcomes to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and benefit from early detection and treatment in the CNMI. Annually beginning year 2, the program will enhance goals build on activities from the previous years. The first year of the proposed WiseWOMan 5-year cycle will focus on utilizing surveys to assess screening rates among insured and underinsured women within the CNMI in lieu of continuing to increase screening intervention services. In addition, focus on establishing the program flow and partnership with health providers and community organizations to accomplish objectives. The program will implement and use the 2022 CNMI NCD and Risk Factor Hybrid survey results and results from qualitative analyses to modify interventions as needed. The survey questions include access to health care, pap tests, mammography, physical activity, nutrition, hypertension, and cardiovascular health to name a few. From year two to year four, the program will improve on strategies using process evaluations and PDSA cycle analysis. The program will continue to screen for and implement primary prevention and self-management activities in collaboration with various partners throughout the CNMI. From years 1 to 4, the program will evaluate activities implemented and strive to make improvementss. In year 3 to 4, the CNMI program will begin developing a sustainability plan with partners. In year five, the program will conduct an overall evaluation of the impact and outcome of interventions, staff, and training/workshops. The Non-Communicable Disease Program will use the results and recommendations from the overall assessment to develop the following 5-year WiseWOMan efforts.
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).