Lakeview, OR (March 15, 2016) – The Eastern Oregon Healthy Living Alliance (EOHLA) is pleased to announce it has received a $24,286 grant from the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute Community Partnership Program (CPP). These funds will support a community project to identify colon cancer screening best practices in 5 counties in Eastern Oregon, including Lake, Harney, Sherman, Gilliam, and Wheeler.
Community Advisory Councils (CAC) from five counties in Eastern Oregon, including Lake, Harney, Sherman, Gilliam, and Wheeler, used Eastern Oregon Coordinated Care Organization (EOCCO) community project funding toward projects to improve colon cancer screening rates, and each county had varying results. The grant project will conduct focus groups in each of the 5 counties to assess each project’s methods and materials and identify best practices for increasing colon cancer screening rates. The results will be shared with health organizations with the goal of improving the screening rates in Eastern Oregon.
The EOHLA identified chronic disease as one of the top regional priorities. Cancer is a top chronic disease, and it’s one of the top causes of death annually within the region. 60% of all colon cancer related deaths can be prevented through annual screenings. The grant funded project helps to identify ways to increase screening rates within Eastern Oregon.
“The EOHLA is committed to providing strategies that improve community health throughout the region”, stated Andrea Fletcher, EOHLA Board President. “Within the healthcare system there is a shift toward prevention practices to help keep people healthy. Screenings, such as colon cancer screenings, can prevent many serious illnesses before they occur. This project is important because it helps us to better understand how we can improve colon cancer screening rates in Eastern Oregon.”
The OHSU Knight Cancer Institute Community Partnership Program is designed to build sustainable collaborations with Oregon communities by providing grants and other resources to foster development of community‐identified cancer prevention, early detection, treatment and survivorship projects. The OHSU Knight Cancer Institute has made a decade‐long commitment to invest in this program to develop robust, sustainable programs that benefit the health of all Oregonians. Additional information about the program is available on the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute’s website.
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The Eastern Oregon Healthy Living Alliance was formed in 2014 to provide strategies within the Regional Community Health Improvement Plan and to support community health development in Eastern Oregon. The EOHLA consists of a governing board with member representation from each of the 12 counties that comprise the Eastern Oregon Coordinated Care Organization (EOCCO).
