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February 2017 |
-Robert Gerlach, Board Chair
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 February is National Cancer Prevention Month
Haven't made a New Year's resolution yet? Don't worry, there is still time. The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) recommends three steps that will lead you to a healthier lifestyle to reduce your cancer risk, as well as prevent diseases like heart disease and diabetes. And these steps will help you get in shape too! Tackle all three at once or take one step at a time. As the saying goes, "taking the first step is always the hardest".
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NH CCC 12th Annual Meeting
Partnerships in
Health Care: Enhancing the Survivorship Experience
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Click the image above to Download the Annual Meeting Brochure
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8:00am - 4:00pm
Grappone Conference Center
Concord, NH
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Resources
Cancer Control TAP (Technical Assistance Portal), George Washington University Cancer Center's centralized website of technical assistance resources such as: news, resource repository, tool kits, webinars, social media tool kits for cancer awareness months
(
March colorectal cancer) , and funding opportunities. Subscribe to their
e-newsletter
.
Springboard Beyond Cancer, FREE customizable self-management program to help people with cancer manage symptoms, and live healthier after their diagnosis, ACS & NCI
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A Message from the Board Chair
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Robert Gerlach, Chair, NH CCC Board of Directors |
One of the long-standing goals of the Collaboration has been to provide opportunities where individual initiatives could be reported so that colleagues could identify emerging work relevant to a broader community. In 2015, however, the Collaboration reorganized its energy around Task Forces that focused on NH CCC efforts toward meeting specific goals and objectives outlined in the "2015-2020 NH Cancer Control Plan".
The NH CCC Board of Directors was recently struck by the significant accomplishments of the NH CCC Task Forces.
The Equity Task Force released a white paper,
Examining Preventive Cancer Screening Rates Among Vulnerable Adults in New Hampshire
. In the past year, the Shared Decision-Making Task Force produced a reference rack card,
Shared Decision Making for Cancer Screening
, conducted two
training workshops
, and supported the Lung Cancer Screening Network that is facilitated by the American Lung Association of the Northeast. The Quality of Life Task Force developed an
information card
, for cancer patients experiencing pain, and organized a statewide series of discussions on the film "Being Mortal" and advanced care planning. These accomplishments confirm the ability of NH CCC to achieve a whole greater than the sum of its parts.
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Equity Task Force Releases White Paper
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"Examining Preventive Cancer Screening Rates Among Vulnerable Adults in NH"
The white paper was developed by the Collaboration's Equity Task Force, who used an innovative approach to identify vulnerable populations that are less likely to be screened for cancers, such as breast and cervical.
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Partners Promote HPV Immunization - Free CME Opportunities
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Human papillomavirus (HPV) immunization is a way to prevent cancer, and low vaccination rates leave New Hampshire boys and girls vulnerable to HPV-related cancers. According to the CDC, HPV infections cause over 17,000 cancers in women, and over 9,000 cancers in men each year in the US.
The New Hampshire Comprehensive Cancer Collaboration is supporting multiple projects in Cheshire County that target medical providers and parents to increase immunization rates. Several of these projects took place in January and February, including provider trainings and a public awareness event that reached over 50 providers. Additional events are scheduled.
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Utilizing Partnerships to Address Arsenic in Private Well Water
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In New Hampshire, more than 40 percent of the population depends on private wells for their water supply.
[i]
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[ii]
Unlike individuals who receive water from public water systems, private well owners are responsible for testing, treating and maintaining their water quality.
Arsenic is a contaminant found in untreated well water that is of particular concern.
[iii]
Studies have shown exposure to arsenic has been linked to a wide range of health issues including cancer.
The Dartmouth Toxic Metals Superfund Research Program has extended an invitation to NH CCC to partner with them on expansion of efforts to inform the public of the need to reduce arsenic exposure through testing and treatment of private wells. If environmental risk is relevant to your cancer control responsibilities, we hope you will let us know (info@NHCancerPlan.org) to include you, as we organize member interest around this important theme.
(Footnotes are included in the "Read more" link above)
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Lung Cancer Screening Summit
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Promoting and Coordinating Best Practice Lung Cancer Screening in NH
The American Lung Association of the Northeast is planning a midcourse summit on Tuesday, May 23 from 1:00 - 4:00pm at the Foundation for Healthy Communities in Concord. We invite you to share your voice and attend this summit if you are offering or plan to offer lung cancer screening. For more information, contact Lee Gilman at Lee.Gilman@lung.org.
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Screen to Save Colorectal Cancer Initiative Launching in 2017
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The National Cancer Institute is implementing a nationwide colorectal cancer (CRC) initiative called Screen to Save. The goal is to increase CRC screening rates, especially among racially and ethnically diverse populations, and people living in rural areas. Increasing CRC screening rates is part of the
10 recommendations
by the Blue Ribbon Panel for the Cancer Moonshot, announced in October 2016.
This initiative will involve 49 sites-including the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer Center-that support Community Health Educators who will provide CRC education in their communities. Locally, the Norris Cotton Cancer Center will educate the public about CRC prevention and screening through social media and outreach activities, such as community festivals and events. The focus will be on communities where screening rates are lowest.
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March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month
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Resources to Support You
Social Media Toolkit
The George Washington Cancer Center just
released an updated social media toolkit for Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Awareness Month in March. The updated toolkit provides evidence-based messaging and best practices for increasing knowledge and awareness around colorectal cancer prevention, screening and treatment. If your organization is looking for ways to get involved in CRC Awareness Month, but don't know where to start--this toolkit is for you!
Download today
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EI brief
 We are pleased to share a new emerging issue brief that was developed in partnership with Dartmouth-Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer Center. The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has updated their screening guidelines for CRC for the average risk population. The new guidelines highlight that there is convincing evidence that CRC screening substantially reduces death from CRC among adults ages 50 to 75 years and that not enough adults in the US are using this effective preventive intervention. In addition, two new screening modalities are now included. Providers should become familiar with the new options, which may lead to increased screening rates among individuals who did not want to undergo screening by other modalities or for whom colonoscopy may not have been appropriate. It is essential that organizations across the state work together in an effort to try to achieve the national goal of 80% for CRC screening.
This newsletter also includes information about the national "Screen to Save" initiative, and the new "Replication Manual for an Effective Patient Navigation Model to Increase Colonoscopy Screening" that is based on the model implemented by the NH Colorectal Cancer Screening Program.
We will be sharing additional resources with you through our
Facebook page during the month of March.
Please visit often and share the information with others.
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Melanoma Foundation of New England Cited in Study Conducted by the University of Colorado
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 The Melanoma Foundation of New England has been cited as an influencing force in a
recent study
on melanoma rates conducted by the University of Colorado.
The study examined data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's Cancer Statistics database titled Cancer Types Grouped by State and Region. Of the 48 states with reported melanoma death rates for both the 2003 and 2013 periods, 23 states (48%) experienced a decrease, 4 states (8%) experienced no change, and 21 states (44%) experienced an increase in death rates.
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New Hampshire Colorectal Cancer Screening Program and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Announce New Replication Manual for an Effective Patient Navigation Model to Increase Colonoscopy Screening
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The
New Hampshire Colorectal Cancer Screening Program (NHCRCSP)
patient navigation model has been highly effective in increasing the completion and quality of colonoscopy screening among underserved groups. Patients in this program were 11 times more likely to complete colonoscopy than a comparison group. Given their success, NHCRCSP and the CDC worked together to develop a
manual
to help others replicate the model. Expanded use of the NHCRCSP model can help reach our shared goal of 80% colorectal cancer screening by 2018.
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Increasing Cervical Cancer Screening Rates at HealthFirst Family Care Center
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Sheryl Russell, RMA
HealthFirst Family Care Center |
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Sheryl Russell has worked as a Registered Medical Assistance for the past 12 years, and has coordinated the NH Breast and Cervical Cancer Program (BCCP) for the past 10 years. In this role, she provides outreach to enroll women, who do not have health insurance or have insurance with a very high deductible, into the BCCP which provides free breast and cervical cancer screening, and diagnostic services to women who qualify. For the past several years she has been working as the Center's community health worker (CHW). In this role, she works with patients who may have barriers to accessing recommended screenings for breast, cervical or colorectal cancer.
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Wentworth-Douglass Hospital Launches LIFE Program
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The Seacoast Cancer Center at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital is pleased to announce its new wellness course. LIFE - Lifestyle Interventions for Everyone - is an 8-week program for cancer survivors, caregivers, or anyone who wants to learn more about reducing cancer risk.
Faculty from both WDH staff and experts from the community present on such topics as, "How to Green Your Home", "Improving Nutrition and Fitness", and "Making Meaningful Changes".
First piloted last fall, the next session starts March 23rd and runs through May 11th. An $80 course fee includes a weekly light meal, all books and handouts. Limited scholarships are available, with inquiries addressed at registration.
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The New Hampshire Comprehensive Cancer Collaboration is a dedicated partnership of individuals and organizations committed to reducing the burden of cancer in the state through the implementation of the NH Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan.
The New Hampshire Comprehensive Cancer Collaboration is an initiative of the
Foundation for Healthy Communities, a non-profit New Hampshire organization focused on improving health and health care through innovative partnerships.
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