National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month kicked off in New York City with a special live broadcast on Wednesday, March 1, at 1:00 p.m. (CT) and featured several celebrity guests dedicated to the cause.
The event was a collaborative effort of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable (NCCRT) and Fight Colorectal Cancer to promote colorectal cancer screening and recognize the 2017 80% by 2018 National Achievement Award recipients. As one of the six awardees, Great Plains Quality Innovation Network (GPQIN) was represented at the live event in New York City by team members Judy Beck and Nancy Beaumont.
Katie Couric hosted the program during which Luke Perry led various interviews including a panel of award representatives. Each panel member highlighted best practices and recommendations for reaching the shared goal of 80% age-eligible adults screened by 2018. Quality Health Associates of North Dakota State Program Director Judy Beck represented the GPQIN and shared the success of the 54 clinics participating in the special innovation project for colorectal cancer screening. She emphasized the collaborative efforts of the GPQIN and the importance of access to care in rural communities.
Celebrities and survivors also shared personal connections to the disease and talked about the importance of screening throughout the event.
“Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men and women – and it doesn’t have to be that way. Colorectal cancer is preventable with early detection. Encourage your patients to talk to their medical professionals about what the best test is for them and talk with their family about colon cancer screening. People of all ages need to be talking about colorectal cancer screening – if kept secret, lives may be lost unnecessarily,“ emphasized Nancy Beaumont, state program director with the South Dakota Foundation for Medical Care.
While colorectal cancer screening rates have increased, there is still work to be done. Data from a recent American Cancer Society (ACS) study revealed an increase in colorectal cancer diagnosis for adults under 50. The ACS’s Chief Medical Officer Dr. Rich Wender discussed the impact of lifestyle change to decrease cancer risk, the potential for saving 203,000 lives by 2030 and his thoughts on achieving the 80% by 2018 goal.
In case you missed it, you can access the replay of the event here.
National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Kick-Off Event was live streamed from New York City on March 1, 2017. Judy Beck represented the Great Plains Quality Innovation Network during a panel interview of award representatives.
Click here to read about Great Plains QIN 80% by 2018 award and our efforts to improve colorectal cancer screenings in our region.