PROTECT-AR - The University of Arkansas for Medical Science (UAMS) Primary Care Population Health Service Line (PCPHSL) aims to improve colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates and health outcomes in Arkansas by implementing evidence-based interventions (EBIs) in 11 primary care clinics across the state. The purpose of this initiative is to reduce disparities in CRC detection, prevention, and mortality by addressing barriers such as limited health literacy, financial insecurity, and social determinants of health (SDOH), while promoting access to early detection services. This initiative expands on prior efforts to address health disparities and aligns with Act 779, which lowers the recommended CRC screening age from 50 to 45 and is consistent with updated national guidelines. Arkansas faces a significant CRC burden, with incidence and mortality rates exceeding national averages, particularly in the Delta region. Late-stage diagnoses are prevalent, disproportionately affecting minority populations. Risk factors such as obesity, poor diet, tobacco use, and alcohol consumption further exacerbate these disparities. The state’s rural challenges, including limited healthcare access and hospital closures, contribute to worse outcomes for underserved communities. By focusing on early detection and equitable care, this initiative seeks to address these systemic barriers and establish a sustainable model for improving CRC outcomes statewide. In Year 1, the project will focus on underserved populations in the Delta region, targeting rural communities with high CRC incidence and mortality rates, significant barriers to care, and pronounced health disparities. In Year 2, the project will expand to include UAMS-owned community health centers in Magnolia, El Dorado, and Texarkana. In Years 3 and 4, the program will continue to expand by adding two Baptist Health clinics per year, ensuring statewide coverage by the end of the project. This phased approach begins in the Delta and systematically expands to reach vulnerable populations across Arkansas, with the goal of increasing CRC screening rates, improving care coordination, reducing structural barriers, and ensuring earlier detection of CRC. We will enhance our efforts to improve CRC cancer screening across Arkansas through strategic collaborations with key internal and external partners. Internally, we will work with the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the UAMS Institute for Digital Health & Innovation Education Team, and the UAMS Department of Biomedical Informatics. Externally, we will partner with Baptist Health System, SHARE, the Arkansas Department of Health, the Arkansas Academy of Family Physicians, and AR Health Ventures. The project will focus on EBIs to increase demand, expand community access, and strengthen provider delivery of screenings. Our collaborative efforts will focus on implementing multicomponent interventions to increase CRC screening, leveraging the strengths of our internal and external partners. These interventions will address three key strategies: increasing community demand through client reminders, incentives, media campaigns, and education; enhancing community access by reducing structural barriers such as appointment scheduling, transportation, language services, and screening site availability; and improving provider delivery through assessment, feedback, incentives, and reminders. By coordinating these evidence-based approaches with our partners, we aim to expand screening access and participation across the state.
