FDRHPO promotes colorectal cancer screening via regional partnerships
FORT DRUM, N.Y. (WWTI) – Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization is nearing the successful completion of an 18-month grant from Exact Sciences to help provide colorectal cancer screenings.
Exact Sciences is a leading provider of cancer screening and diagnostic tests, to improve colorectal cancer screening rates and make healthcare more accessible throughout the north country region.
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The grant promoted colorectal cancer screenings among marginalized elderly, low-income, and disabled populations throughout New York's rural Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties by supporting the region's primary care practices in identifying and outreaching eligible patients and promoting awareness of colorectal cancer screening through a multimedia campaign.
The grant was made possible through Exact Sciences' Funding Opportunities for Colorectal Cancer Screening Uptake Strategies Program, which provides funding to community organizations, health foundations, public health organizations, and advocacy groups working to increase access to colorectal cancer screening. Exact Sciences developed Cologuard, the first and only FDA-approved, noninvasive, multi-target, stool-based DNA screening test that people can use at home.
Colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable cancers, yet approximately 60 million average-risk Americans remain unscreened. Awareness and access are critical to increasing screening participation, and Exact Sciences is honored to support these organizations that are driving screening uptake and addressing inequities within their communities.
Paul Limburg, Chief Medical Officer of screening, at Exact Sciences
FDRHPO utilized data provided by Medicare and Managed Medicaid insurers to identify patients in the region who were due for colorectal cancer screening and worked with 11 primary care partners to outreach patients and track screening completion.
FDRHPO Communication's Committee also collaborated with other primary healthcare, inpatient, behavioral healthcare, and social care providers in the region to develop a marketing campaign. The campaign included messaging that screening generally starts at age 45; both men and women need to be screened; when caught early enough, roughly 90 percent of those diagnosed will successfully treat it; and that individuals should talk to their healthcare provider to determine which screening option is best for them.
The primary project goal was to complete 1,250 colorectal cancer screenings among the target population; at the time of writing, FDRHPO and its partners have exceeded the goal, having completed nearly 1,500 screenings.
FDRHPO houses a collection of educational graphics about colorectal cancer screening on its website at https://www.fdrhpo.org/colocancerresources; providers and the general public are invited to utilize and share these at no cost.
In addition to the colorectal cancer screening grant, FDRHPO and NCI collaborate with partners to impact a host of regional health behaviors and outcomes. Examples of collaborative regional initiatives include:
A separately funded project to promote breast cancer screening through the use of mobile mammography equipment in community 'hotspot' locations;
A three-year initiative to place community health workers in primary care practices to promote a range of preventive and chronic care among North Country patients;
Financial and technical support to primary care and behavioral care partners to provide transitional and chronic care management services to Medicaid-insured populations, for whom such services are not otherwise available. Recent analysis indicated that transitional care management services for Medicaid-insured patients in the region are linked to a 40% reduction in 90-day post-discharge healthcare costs, 14% lower inpatient readmission rates, and a 36% increase in documentation of social care needs;
Regional media campaigns, such as 'Call Us First' which encourages people to contact their primary care team for minor acute needs, and 'Healthy Habits' which encourages people to re-engage in primary and preventive care, notably annual wellness visits, recommended screenings, dental/oral care, and immunizations;
Adoption of a standardized screening tool that clinical and behavioral providers use to identify social needs among those they serve, document identified needs and make 'closed loop' referrals to relevant services;
A qualitative and quantitative research project to uncover perspectives and trends about accessing and experiencing primary care among elderly, low-income, and/or disabled regional residents, with recommended action steps for primary care, behavioral healthcare, and health insurance providers;
Provision of trainings to clinical, behavioral, and social care staff to improve understanding of, relationships with, and strategies to impact their patient populations;
Implementation of multiple value-based payment arrangements, whereby groups of clinical and behavioral partners collaboratively seek to steward the healthcare costs and improve quality measure compliance among more than 26,000 patients in the region; and
Financial awards to more than a dozen clinical, behavioral, and social care organizations since 2021 to pilot or conduct 'promising practice' interventions, including projects to reduce fall risk among elderly or disabled individuals; increase management of high blood pressure and diabetes; use telemedicine and remote patient monitoring to treat behavioral and substance use needs and better manage patients with chronic conditions; deploy community health workers to connect people to clinical and social resources; and promote transitional and chronic care management, childhood immunizations, and well-child visits.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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