Federal Cooperative Agreement Summary

The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) received a $1.368 million Cooperative Agreement from the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (under CFDA 93.800: Organized Approaches to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening) to implement multicomponent evidence-based interventions (EBIs) targeting colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) across New Jersey. The five-year project, awarded August 30, 2025, and extending through August 29, 2030, addresses significant health disparities by focusing on underserved and disparate populations aged 40-75 years, where CRC screening rates in FQHCs (43.6%) substantially lag the state average (66.3%).

NJDOH will deploy EBIs across multiple FQHC health systems with planned expansion to all 23 FQHCs by year five, with the primary objective of increasing CRC screening rates and improving follow-up testing quality among vulnerable populations. Through leveraging established funding and strategic partnerships, the cooperative agreement aims to increase early-stage CRC diagnosis rates and reduce mortality in underserved communities by implementing organized screening programs tailored to address health disparities related to gender, race/ethnicity, and geography.