Wisconsin
Partnership Between State Health Department and University Boosts Funds Available for Comprehensive Cancer Control
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Public Health Problem
In 1988, the Wisconsin State Legislature and then Governor Tommy Thompson established the Governor's Cancer Initiative, which allocated
nearly $400,000 of state funds annually to cancer prevention and control. In the early 1990s the state began to focus this money on tobacco control to enable Wisconsin to participate
in the American Stop Smoking Intervention Study conducted by the National Cancer Institute
and the American Cancer Society. Twelve years later, following development of the Wisconsin
Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan, the funds are now being redirected to comprehensive
cancer control (CCC).
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Program Example
The statute that set aside these funds for cancer
prevention and control requires that those using the monies match them on a dollar-for-dollar basis. Wisconsin's Division of Public Health (DPH), which is responsible for allocating
the funds, knew that it would be difficult for community-based organizations, which can now use this money the most, to come up with the match. So DPH turned to its partner in CCC, the University of Wisconsin-Comprehensive Cancer Center (UW-CCC) to see if it would be willing to provide matching funds and help get the funds distributed statewide. UW-CCC was able to leverage
its own funds and funds from the medical
school dean's Blue Cross and Blue Shield account to match the state dollar for dollar. So Wisconsin now has $800,000 invested in CCC for the coming year.
With these dollars in mind, the Wisconsin Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan's steering
committee identified six initiatives from the plan that they would like to start implementing this year. These projects include 1) a study of the quality of cancer care in Wisconsin, 2) an intervention that involves working with health systems to improve colorectal screening rates, 3) the provision of academic detailing services for physicians related to pain and palliative care issues, 4) an assessment of cancer care assets and barriers among underserved populations, 5) enhancement of the Wisconsin Cancer Reporting
System, and 6) the provision of continued
support for the Wisconsin Cancer Council and for the infrastructure supporting CCC plan implementation.
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Implication and Impact
In Wisconsin, CCC workers have seized a unique opportunity for partnership between the state health department and a university. By having DPH and UW-CCC work together, Wisconsin
has been able to literally double its efforts
to reduce the burden of cancer in the state.
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Contact Information
Comprehensive Cancer Control Program*
Department of Health and Family Services
610 North Walnut Street, Room 370 WARF
Madison,
WI 53726
(608) 265-9322
Fax: (608) 262-2425
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