The National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable (NCCRT), an organization co-founded by the American Cancer Society and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has recognized a combined total of six honorees as 2017 80% by 2018 National Achievement Award winners, a prestigious national honor recognizing leadership in the ongoing effort to increase colorectal cancer screening rates across the United States.
Great Plains Quality Innovation Network was one of the six honorees selected as a National Achievement Award Winner. Individuals and organizations were chosen for their dedication of time, talent and expertise to advancing needed initiatives that support the shared goal to regularly screen 80% of adults age 50 and over by 2018.
To be recognized for this honor, Great Plains QIN facilitated a regional Learning and Action Network, a collaborative centered around the importance of colorectal cancer screenings. Education and training was offered as well as technical assistance to support evidence-based systems change interventions at 57 clinics. Of the 43 clinics currently able to track their screening rates, all have reported improvements, with one screening as many as 84% of eligible patients.
Great Plains QIN team members will attend a NCCRT recognition event in New York City’s Times Square next month. Honorees, including Great Plains QIN, also have the option to designate a non-profit of their choice as the recipient of a monetary award fund.
Great Plains QIN Chief Executive Officer, Tina Georgy, remarked on the success, “Partnering with stakeholders from across the four-state region increased awareness of the value of colorectal cancer screening. The collective effort of stakeholders and staff providing education and support resulted in increased screening rates and the expansion of the innovative FluFIT program into a variety of settings, including Federally Qualified Health Centers, Indian Health Service clinics and pharmacy sites.”
“We are moving full speed ahead in our efforts to reach an ambitious public health goal: an 80% colorectal cancer screening rate by 2018,” says Dr. Richard Wender, chief cancer control officer for the American Cancer Society. “Fortunately, we have boots on the ground working every day to reach this goal. Whether it’s a health system engaging their patient base or an individual working with local faith-based institutions, each of our six honorees is a testament to the value and impact of organization and effort. Their work is relentless, their successes are enormous, and I’m confident that they are saving lives.”
The NCCRT, established by the American Cancer Society and the CDC in 1997, is a national coalition of public organizations, private organizations, voluntary organizations and invited individuals dedicated to reducing the incidence of and mortality from colorectal cancer in the United States through coordinated leadership, strategic planning and advocacy. The ultimate goal is to increase the use of proven colorectal cancer screening tests among the entire population for whom screening is appropriate.
For more information on the NCCRT, its efforts and 2017 honorees, click here.