Aultman Health Foundation – Cancer Screenings

Canton, OH
November 2017

Overview
Cancer is currently the second leading cause of death in the United States. The American Cancer Society estimates that 30 to 50 percent of cancer cases are preventable through prevention and early detection. Aultman Cancer Center has reached out to the community by creating access for preventive care through free cancer screenings for the insured and uninsured. The 2015 Community Health Needs Assessment for Stark County, Aultman Hospital, and the Aultman Cancer Center all identified access to health care as a priority health-related issue in the community.

Each year, the screening events have a dedicated team to provide care. In 2016, 29 Aultman employees and community volunteers, along with 17 local physicians, fully staffed and operated the annual screening clinic. Cancer screening was provided for breast, cervical, prostate, colon, lung, skin and oral cancers. Education for cancer prevention included obesity and healthy lifestyle choices, and smoking cessation. All exams and screening tests are provided free of charge and include access to a cancer navigator to facilitate follow-up care for any abnormal findings. Since 2014, additional cancer screening events have been offered at a satellite facility to screen for breast, cervical, colon, prostate, and skin cancers.

Impact
More than 4,000 free cancer screenings have been provided to approximately 1,750 individuals in our community. Data from 2011 to 2016 shows that 12 cancers were diagnosed as a result of the cancer screenings. In addition, 1,750 individuals received education on cancer prevention, risk factors, and screening guidelines that will have an impact on their future health.

Lessons Learned
It was noted that Stark County residents without insurance decreased from 17 percent in 2013 to 9 percent in 2015; however, many still experienced barriers to obtaining recommended cancer screenings due to high deductibles and out-of-pocket expense, awareness of insurance coverage options, lack of information about recommendations for screening, and access to physicians. For these reasons, we continue to offer free screenings to both insured and uninsured individuals who seek our services.

Future Goals
Goals are to continue to remove barriers to health care access by providing free screenings for vulnerable populations. We would like to have a greater focus on lung cancer screening (including low-dose CT scans) and colon cancer screenings at the screening events. Stark County has a higher-than-national-average smoking rate as well as more late-stage diagnosis of lung cancer. Aultman Hospital has partnered with The National Colorectal Roundtable in its efforts to increase colon cancer screening to 80 percent by 2018. Additional events dedicated to screening for colon and lung cancers could enhance our current efforts and find additional cancers when they are most treatable.

Contact: Liz Edmunds, DNP, RN
Aultman Health Foundation
Telephone: 330-363-3439
Email: liz.edmunds@aultman.com