In an effort to increase cancer screening rates in Virginia, the University of Virginia Cancer Center has formed a partnership with seven community health centers. These Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) receive federal funding to provide healthcare in underserved areas. The collaborative, known as the Virginia FQHC Cancer Screening Collaborative, aims to improve access to cancer screening services for residents in these areas.
Wendy Cohn, Phd, associate director of the UVA Cancer Center, emphasizes the importance of providing community-centered care. She explains that UVA has outreach staff located throughout the state who work to address barriers to cancer screening in different communities. The focus of the collaborative will primarily be on screenings for breast, cervical, colorectal, and lung cancers.
Over the next two years, the partners in the collaborative will work together to promote and facilitate cancer screenings. The participating health centers include Blue Ridge Medical Center, Central Virginia Health Services, Stone Mountain Health Services, Tri-Area Community Health, Community Health Center of the New River Valley, Southwest Virginia Community Health Systems, and Connect Health + Wellness in Martinsville.
The goal of the collaborative is to ensure that more Virginians have access to cancer screening services and ultimately improve cancer outcomes in medically underserved areas. For more information on the Virginia FQHC Cancer Screening Collaborative
