UTHealth Houston Receives over $2.9 million to Improve Colorectal Cancer Screening Rates in Texas

The UTHealth Houston Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research (CHPPR) is proud to lead a transformative five-year initiative to advance colorectal cancer screening, follow-up, and treatment across Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in Texas. Funded by a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) grant exceeding $2.9 million over the next five years, this initiative builds on CHPPR’s longstanding success with the CDC’s Colorectal Cancer Control Program (CRCCP) and will synergize with ongoing work in colorectal cancer education, community outreach and engagement, and screening through efforts like the Hope Through Grace Endowment.

This ambitious program is co-led by two nationally recognized leaders in implementation science and cancer prevention: Dr. Maria E. Fernandez and Dr. Bijal Balasubramanian. Their vision is clear: to close the gap in colorectal cancer outcomes by embedding sustainable, evidence-based practices into the heart of Texas’s safety-net healthcare systems.

Colorectal cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, and Texas ranks among the lowest in screening rates, with some FQHCs reporting rates as low as 7.34. This shortfall is especially pronounced in East Texas and the Greater Houston area., where the patient populations face systemic barriers to care.

To address these gaps, CHPPR is leading the Texas Colorectal Cancer Consortium (TC3), a coalition of FQHCs, state agencies, academic partners including UT MD Anderson Cancer Center and UT Health Science Center Tyler, the Texas Association of Community Health Centers (TACHC), the American Cancer Society (ACS), and the Cancer Alliance of Texas (CAT), among others. TC3 members have a long history of collaboration on the CDC CRCCP and extensive expertise in developing effective implementation strategies and supporting the use of interventions to increase colorectal cancer screening in clinics.

For this new initiative, the TC3 is partnering with six FQHC systems, comprising 26 clinics in East Texas and Greater Houston, to implement a multi-strategy approach to increase screening uptake. These strategies include:

1. Establishing and enhancing partnerships between FQHCs and community organizations;
2. Helping FQHCs implement evidence-based interventions like patient and provider reminders, navigation services, and efforts to reduce structural barriers like transportation and cost;
3. Ensuring high quality data monitoring and reporting through a CRCS Program Data Dashboard; and
4. Helping clinics strengthen workflows, referral coordination, and partnerships to address social determinants of health.

To ensure patients receive not only screening but also timely follow-up and treatment, the CRCCP is working in close partnership with CPRIT-funded programs including MD Anderson’s Project 80%, Moncrief Cancer Institute, and Texas A&M C-STEP.

Over the next five years, TC3 aims to boost screening rates by at least 50%, improve provider adherence to screening guidelines, and enhance electronic health record systems to better track patient outcomes, strengthen referral coordination, and address social determinants of health through community partnerships. The ultimate goal is to create a sustainable model for integrating evidence-based interventions into FQHCs and enhancing healthcare delivery.

This initiative will work in tandem with CHPPR’s other ongoing work in colorectal cancer control and prevention, including the Colorectal Cancer Prevention and Control Program (CRCPC), funded through the Hope Through Grace Endowment. By combining tailored patient education and community outreach and engagement with effectively implemented evidence-based screening programs, CHPPR and TC3 partners will provide communities with the knowledge and services they need, reduce cancer disparities, and improve long-term health outcomes in Texas.