When Funds are Cut, What Can You Do?

1
When Funds are Cut, What Can You Do?

• Alternative Resourcing Strategies

2
Creating a Community Education and Awareness
Campaign

• Community Education Programs
• Media
• CME programs for health care providers
• Website articles
• Partnerships with Gastroenterologists
• Collaboration with American Cancer Society,
  Michigan Health Plan Institute, Michigan Cancer
  Consortium, Colorectal Awareness Network

3
Raising Awareness

• Annual awareness campaign during March in concert
  with national awareness campaigns
• Free community education programs, featuring the
  latest information on screening guidelines,
  prevention and early detection
• Ongoing articles, physician interviews, print, TV
  and radio messages, and website updates
  throughout the year

4
Early Detection

• Annual colorectal cancer education and screening
  program offered at no charge to the public
• Promoted through TV, print media, radio, flyers,
  brochures and website articles
• Provided through the donation of in kind
  resources from a Gastroenterologist and other
  IRMC staff and the generous financial support of
  the Ingham Regional Health Care Foundation

5
Other Awareness Activities

• Distribution of educational materials and
  screening information through
• Employers
• Health care providers and physician offices
• Faith communities
• Community Newspapers and network centers
• Survivor stories and community leaders interviews

6
Annual Screening

• 4th Annual screening program March/April 2004
• Included brief medical questionnaire, free fecal
  occult blood test
• Materials distributed in physician offices, labs,
  pharmacies, American Cancer Society, and sent to
  participants through the mail.

7
Screening Results and Recommendations

• Fecal Occult Blood Tests and Medical
  Questionnaire are reviewed by a
  Gastroenterologist.
• The Gastroenterologist makes recommendations for
  follow up and additional testing
• Results/recommendations are sent to the
  participants as well as to their physicians

8
2004 Screening Outcomes

• 600 kits distributed
• 300 specimens returned by mail by April 30
• 50 of participants referred for screening
  colonoscopy/sigmoidoscopy due to age, family
  history, or symptoms
• 12 specimens positive for occult blood
• Follow up done in 6 months to assess compliance
  with recommendations and outcomes of additional
  testing

9
Medical Staff CME

• Weekly Tumor Board
• Annual Primary Care and Oncology updates
• Annual Office Medicine updates
• Annual GI Medicine updates

10
Where do we go from here?

• Continue to expand community and business
  partnerships to promote screening for early
  detection
• Increase public awareness of established MCC
  guidelines
• Increase awareness of the importance of early
  detection and prevention in the successful
  treatment of colorectal cancer

11

• For additional information about Ingham Regional
  Medical Centers Healthwise University community
  screening and education programs please contact
• Maureen Sheppard, RN
• Director, Healthwise University
• 517-367-5156
• Maureen.Sheppard_at_irmc.org