March 2007-February 2008

The Lynchburg Rotary Club awarded the Free Clinic a $5,000 grant in March 2007 to support and increase the efforts for colon cancer screening for patients of the Free Clinic. This grant has NOT been renewed for 2008-2009. We are currently looking for a new funding source(s). Efforts have been made to provide all patients the age of 50 and older, with education, occult blood tests and a screening flexible sigmoid or colonoscopy.

EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT – Information and handouts are given to patients on colorectal screening, causes, and prevention. Teaching by medical and nursing staff is done with individual patients to promote awareness, the need for screening, risk factors, and a discussion of fears and myths associated with testing.

MEDICAL AND NURSING COMPONENT - Patients are given annual occult blood test cards after detailed instruction from the nursing staff or nurse practitioner. Once these are returned and processed, appropriate follow up is determined. This can either be direct referral to Gastroenterology Associates for evaluation or by referral to see Dr. Bob Richards, who volunteers monthly to see patients onsite at the Free Clinic. Patients will apply for State and Local Hospital Funds to pay for a flexible sigmoid or colonoscopy.

TRACKING COMPONENT- Data will be kept by the nursing staff to determine the number of education visits, number of occult blood test cards given and returned, and the number of referrals made for further care.

SPECIAL NOTE: This program is one of several dealing with preventative actions, which are designed by the Free Clinic to target underinsured or uninsured Central Virginians. It is intended to encourage them without incurring extensive costs to take these offensive steps to reduce their own risk of colon cancer.