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State Cancer Programs in Action

A group of healthcare professionalsCDC works with state health agencies and other key groups to develop, implement, and promote effective strategies for preventing and controlling cancer.

 

Photo: Two men talkingCDC is a leader in nationwide efforts to ease the burden of cancer. Through the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, CDC works with partners to translate research into public health programs, practices, and services. To ensure that innovations reach the people who most need them, CDC helps states, tribes/tribal organizations, and territories build the capacity to apply scientific advances to the development of strong cancer control programs.

Here are some examples of how participants in the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) and the National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (NCCCP) have taken action:

Alaska: Combined Leadership

In 2003, Alaska's five NBCCEDP grantees joined together to create the Alaska Breast and Cervical Health Partnership. The Health Partnership began collaborating on many NBCCEDP components. Eliminating duplication and collaborating to maximize strengths has facilitated enhancement of individual programs and resulted in an integrated statewide infrastructure for training providers and conducting outreach, education, screening, and diagnosis for underserved Alaskan women of all races and ethnicities.

Colorado: Risk Reduction

Under the banner of "Citizens for a Healthier Colorado," voluntary health organizations, tobacco control advocacy organizations, and statewide chronic disease coalitions, including the Colorado Cancer Coalition, advocated for an increase in tobacco excise taxes. These taxes would allocate a percentage of new revenues for cancer programs. Armed with the Colorado Cancer Plan, a broadly supported strategic action plan based on sound data, the coalition member organizations successfully garnered public support for this measure and its cancer-related provisions.

Florida: Building a Strong Referral Network

The Florida Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (FBCCEDP), Believe in Miracles, covers 11 rural counties in northeast Florida. The local program has developed an extensive network of providers that coordinates services through 10 county health departments, eight federally funded health centers, two hospitals, and 10 mammography sites. The relationships that Believe in Miracles' staff have developed within the health care community have facilitated—through the provision of such services as transportation, prompt registration into other need-based programs, and quick referrals—screening services that NBCCEDP supports.

Photo: People gathered around a laptop computer.Maine: Early Detection

Recognizing the need for a dramatic impact on the cancer burden, the Maine Cancer Consortium, Maine's statewide comprehensive cancer control partnership, has updated its Cancer Plan to reflect emerging needs and new issues in cancer prevention, detection, and care. Achievements include a colorectal cancer social marketing campaign to increase awareness about the benefits of colorectal cancer screening; developing and disseminating a Colon Cancer Community Action Kit to more than 60 community coalitions; and awarding seven community mini-grants to increase colon cancer screening awareness.

New Jersey: Strength of Coalitions

In New Jersey, the Statewide Cancer Coalition, initiated in 1994, has been instrumental in advocating for increased funding. The Coalition includes varied cultural and ethnic representation and membership is comprised of grass roots, civic, minority, community-based, and faith-based organizations; cancer service providers; other health care providers; consumers; survivors; pharmaceutical corporations; insurance corporations; and national and local cancer organizations. Since 2000, with the help of coalition partners and the hard work of screening programs, state funding doubled, enabling screening for twice as many women.

North Carolina: Building Partnerships

The North Carolina Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (NC CCCP) convened the first-recorded meeting of the North Carolina (NC) American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer hospitals in October 2007, entitled "Working Together to Reduce the Burden of Cancer for all North Carolinians." As a direct result of that meeting, the NC CCCP sponsored the organization of the NC Cancer Centers' Collaborative. The Collaborative will serve as the umbrella organization and assist the NC CCCP in developing the NC Cancer Patient Navigators' Association.

Oklahoma: Cherokee Nation: Addressing Health Disparities

In October 2006, Cherokee Nation successfully convened the first Cherokee Nation Cancer Summit to promote the Cherokee Nation Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan and its implementation, and increase awareness about cancer disparities among the community and its leaders, health professionals, and other entities interested in eliminating cancer disparities in Cherokee Nation. Overall, the summit helped meet Cherokee Nation Government Performance Results Act goals by raising awareness among providers about cancer screening, with a focus on colorectal cancer and disparities in Cherokee Nation.

South Dakota: Working Together for Greater Success

In South Dakota, two NBCCEDP-funded programs are working together to serve better the women in their area. Collaboration between the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Project and the state's All Women Count! program continues to grow, through recognition and appreciation of the distinct contributions from which both programs can benefit. The state program serves as the portal for access to Medicaid through the Medicaid Treatment Act for women in both programs, while the tribal program helps resolve issues that affect the Native American women in the state program. Women throughout the state have benefited from this collaboration.

Washington: Maintaining Access

The Washington program's Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) has helped to ensure access to screening and diagnostic services for women. When a local radiology practice recently refused to perform stereotactic breast biopsies due to low reimbursement rates, women from five counties had to travel as far as 100 miles to access these services. The MAC intervened with persuasive letters to the radiology practice, resulting in the restoration of services for women living in the five-county area.

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