Accelerating cancer screening - central virginia health services, INC. (CVHS) is the applicant for this hrsa accelerating cancer screenings funding opportunity

CVHS is virginia's oldest and largest federally qualified community health center (FQHC). Currently the organization offers integrated primary medical, pharmacy and laboratory services, dental, and behavioral health (BH), including an addiction use disorder treatment program. Mammography and X-RAY are available at the original health center located in rural buckingham county. CVHS operates 20 sites covering a large service area that includes nineteen localities (15 counties and 4 cities). Over half of CVHS sites are in rural, medically underserved communities; the rest serve urban areas with low poverty populations. In 2021 CVHS served over 48,000 patients. The focus of this rural communities collaborative cancer screening project is breast and colorectal cancer (CRC). CVHS and its neighboring community health center, TRI area community health (TACH), will work closely with the university of virginia comprehensive cancer center's office of community outreach and engagement to execute the project workplan. The goal is to increase screenings for breast and colorectal cancer and follow up across the combined 27 counties and 2 cities served by CVHS and TACH. The university of virginia cancer center is one of two NCI-designated cancer centers in the state. TRI area community health operates 5 sites in the blue ridge mountain region of southwest virginia. IT has served the area for over 40 years. Comprehensive primary medical and BH services are provided at all sites except one, where BH is provided to complement medical care offered by the existing rural health clinic and free clinic. TACH's service area is in the economically depressed appalachian region, with the median household income almost $30,000 lower than the virginia median. TACH served over 10,000 patients in 2021. Each of the communities served by the two health centers has unique characteristics, with clinics developed, over time, to meet the needs of people living in that region. Accessible primary care for all populations, especially for the medically underserved, is the goal. In rural communities, lack of primary care providers, distance, low health literacy, and poverty are major barriers to care, in addition to other social factors that may negatively impact health outcomes. Urban residents more frequently face poverty, linguistic challenges, poor educational achievement, or cultural barriers. Common themes include lack of insurance, health disparities, and the need for affordable care for prevention of diseases, including cancer. The proposed project will address the needs of the targeted population at each of the thirteen project sites over a two-year period. Activities include the provision of information about the importance of cancer screening for breast and colorectal cancer; distribution and follow up of fit tests; mammography services; expansion of referral relationships with uvacc, hospital systems serving southwest virginia, and specialty practices; navigation customized for individual patients; outreach health education; financial assistance; and development of collaboration with community partners. The budget includes hiring one patient navigator for each FQHC, and funding for a contract with uvacc. The cancer center will provide a program manager to work closely with the two health centers, and services of outreach specialists. Over 6,550 patients will be screened for colorectal cancer by 12/31/23, and an estimated 6,000 women will be screened for breast cancer. CVHS and TACH expect to increase by 5-10% the percentage of patients who receive follow up within 30 days, after an abnormal screening result.