In recognition of its impact, the Colorado Cancer Screening Program (CCSP) received a special proclamation from the Colorado General Assembly at the State Capitol in Denver. CCSP focuses on cancer prevention and helps reduce barriers to care. State Rep. Perry Will presented CCSP the acknowledgement and speaker of the State House: Speaker K.C. Becker, along with several others, shared perspective about the program.
CCSP is a statewide program that partners with safety net hospitals and clinics to offer no-cost patient navigation services for cancer screenings for the medically under-served of Colorado. The program is coordinated through the University of Colorado Cancer Center, with funding support from the Cancer Cardiovascular and Chronic Pulmonary Disease (CCPD) Grants Program.
CCSP’s health care network has have detected cancer in more than 300 patients. Those patients may have gone on to have more advanced disease, poorer prognosis and/or diminished quality of life. CCSP estimates it has also prevented 500 cancers and saved the health care system $12 million. The program is particularly interested in dedicating resources to rural and frontier communities. It also now has a watchful eye on the growing number of young people diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
Members of the Colorado Cancer Coalition, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Fight Colorectal Cancer, Colorado Community Health Network and CCSP staff were at the capitol building in support of the program.
Andrea (Andi) Dwyer, CCSP’s program director, hopes this public recognition is a step toward ensuring patient navigation and further cancer prevention efforts are sustained in Colorado and nationally; which is a goal over the next several years for CCSP and its many partners.