Implementation of Evidence-based Interventions to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening in Texas Federally Qualified Health Centers.
Project Overview
The overall goal of our program is to increase Colorectal Cancer Screening (CRCS) through the adoption, implementation, and sustainability of evidence-based interventions (EBIs) in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) to ultimately reduce CRC (Colorectal Cancer) and CRC-related health disparities among African Americans and Hispanics in both rural and urban settings in Texas.
UTHealth Schools of Public Health Biomedical Informatics, UT Health Tyler, and MD Anderson partnered with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) across Texas to improve the adoption, implementation, and maintenance of U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Community Guide recommended evidence-based interventions (EBIs) for increasing CRCS.
US Preventive Services recommended approaches to CRCS:
- Provider assessment and feedback
- Provider reminders
- Patient reminders
- Reducing structural barriers
This work was supported by the CDC (1NU58DP006767-01-00; PI Fernandez). We would like to acknowledge our collaborating institutions: The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and the American Cancer Society.
Project Details
Maria E. Fernandez, PhD - Principal Investigator
Lewis Foxhall, PhD - Co Principal Investigator
Paul McGaha, DO, MPH - Co Principal Investigator
Bijal A. Balasubramanian MBBS, PhD - Co investigator
Lara Savas, PhD - Co investigator
Susan Fenton, PhD, RHIA, FAHIMA - Co investigator
Melissa Valerio-Shewmaker, PhD, MPH - Co investigator
Timothy Walker, PhD - Co investigator
Deevakar Rogith, MBBS, PhD - Co investigator
Project Staff
Project personnel are listed below. Click on a name to view the individual profile.
Health centers experience increased screening rates after partnering with Colorectal Cancer Control Program
In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded Colorectal Cancer Control Program (CRCCP) made great strides in increasing colorectal cancer screening (CRCS) and follow-up rates through partnerships with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) across Texas.
TACHC and CHPPR Assist Texas Health Centers to Implement Cancer Prevention Strategies
The Texas Association of Community Health Centers (TACHC) is Texas’s federally designated primary care association, committed to advancing equitable access to quality healthcare in Texas. The Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research regularly partners with TACHC on cancer and chronic disease prevention projects across the state, including HPV vaccination, smoking cessation, and colorectal and cervical cancer screening programs.
CHPPR Assesses Readiness of Health Centers to Implement Colorectal Cancer Control Interventions
A collaboration between CHPPR’s Colorectal Cancer Control and Prevention (CRCCP) and Organizational Readiness projects aims to help federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) improve their colorectal cancer screening (CRCS) rates. By performing needs and readiness assessments with the FQHCs, the teams can identify factors that influence the implementation of evidence-based interventions (EBIs) that could increase CRCS rates, allowing for more effective implementation with improved results.