Georgia Colorectal Cancer Control Program (GCRCCP) - Overall, Georgians are at a higher risk for colorectal cancer (39.4) than National incidence rates (36.4), based on the CDC state cancer profiles. Approximately 2.75 million Georgians living in rural areas are especially vulnerable given the healthcare infrastructure lacks the availability of GI specialists in remote areas across the state. It’s been well-established that two Georgias exist: Urban and rural. Depending on where a person lives in Georgia may impact survival if diagnosed with colorectal cancers (CRCs). Recent data shows urban areas with falling incidence rates. For example, Metropolitan Atlanta has lower incidence rates for CRC in four of the five counties where over six million metropolitan residents live. Rural Georgia tells a different story. Across several counties, rates are significantly higher than urban areas, state, and national levels. This state level project, sponsored through Georgia Center for Oncology Research and Education (Georgia CORE), is designed to close the gap between urban and rural Georgians by providing the well-established preventative CRC screenings in the rural communities. The Georgia Colorectal Cancer Control Program (GCRCCP) brings three highly experienced entities into a partnership that engages four Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) with 21 locations spread across rural Southwestern and Southeastern Georgia. Incidence rates for CRC in the southeastern hub of this project range from 44.4 to a high of 57.7 compared with Georgia at 39.4. The southwestern hub ranges from right at Georgia level to 49.5 in areas away from major cities and townships. In the rural counties, CRC screening rates have been identified as lower than in the urban areas across Georgia with several as low as 33% compared with urban areas of Atlanta and Augusts at 62% for low-income populations according to BRFSS. The GCRCCP builds upon current experience with FQHCs in the improvement of CRC screening rates with a program to embed evidence-based interventions (EBIs) into the workflow processes within FQHC clinic sites located in rural areas. The program provides technical expertise to ensure adaptation of CRC screening EBIs into practice procedures as well as training clinic staff to understand and monitor the effectiveness during and after implementation. By offering a comprehensive plan which includes the patient and provider reminders along with navigation services to ensure patients with positive stool-based tests are moved along the continuum to results, i.e., colonoscopies to cancer treatments, if needed, this program will provide two major outcomes. In the short term, CRC screenings will increase because of EBIs implemented across rural community clinics. This effort is projected to improve long term outcomes by reducing cancer incidences and mortality rates from CRCs in rural Southwestern and Southeastern Georgia.
