Newswise — Northfield, IL — The CAP Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the College of American Pathologists (CAP), is expanding its flagship “See, Test & Treat®” cancer screening program in the state of Texas. Supported by a grant from CVS Health, the Foundation is holding three See, Test & Treat programs in the Houston area in October, providing life-saving mammograms and Pap tests with same-day results and follow-up care along with other community tailored health services for uninsured women.
The first program was held at Lone Star Family Health Center on October 1, at which nearly 100 women received screenings and education. The next two Texas programs will be at Sunnyside Health Center on October 8 and at the UT Physicians Bayshore Family Practice Center on October 29. Hologic, Inc. is providing in-kind donations of ThinPrep Pap tests while CooperSurgical donated a LEEP workstation and supplies.
Funding from CVS Health was instrumental in Lone Star Family Health Center’s third See, Test & Treat event on October 1. That event was led by Dr. Kyle Eskue, a CAP member pathologist and targeted underserved women of Hispanic and Caucasian ethnicity.
On October 8, Dr. Donna Coffey and Dr. Patricia Chevez-Barrios, pathologists at Houston Methodist Hospital will lead a See, Test & Treat program at Sunnyside Health Center focusing on African American women. CAP Foundation Board Director Sonia Carol Robazetti, MD, CCRC, will coordinate the program while CAP Foundation Director Dr. Joseph Lucci, a gynecologic oncologist at UT Health, Houston will serve as the OBGYN lead.
The third program led by CAP member pathologist, Dr. Jing Liu will be held October 29 at UT Physicians Bayshore Multispecialty Clinic. Dr. Robazetti will serve as program organizer, bringing her experience to help benefit two Texas See, Test & Treat® programs this fall.
See, Test & Treat has served uninsured women in Texas since 2012. In 2015 alone the program delivered cancer screenings to nearly 300 women. In one Texas program, 18 percent of the women receiving mammograms showed abnormal results. Pap test findings were as high as 11 percent in another program. All programs returned abnormal HPV results. As part of each program, participating hospitals and health centers provide necessary follow-up testing and treatment.
“See, Test & Treat removes the barriers that prevent underserved women from receiving vital cancer screenings,” said CAP Foundation Board President Jennifer Laudadio, MD, FCAP. “CVS Health has recognized that the See, Test & Treat programs play an important role in making sure no woman is left behind in cancer screening and connection to follow-up health care.”
“As a pharmacy innovation company, we are committed to helping people on their path to better health,” said Eileen Howard Boone, Senior Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility and Philanthropy, CVS Health. “We are proud to support the CAP Foundation as they work to increase access to quality health care for underserved populations and improve women’s health.”
The Texas See, Test & Treat events mirror the collaboration demonstrated every day by pathologists as a critical part of health care teams.
“With the help of these grants and the collaboration and volunteerism of pathologists, gynecologists, radiologists and health care specialties, family medicine practitioners, laboratory technicians, nurses, specialists and community advocates, this is only the beginning of a larger effort to help detect and treat cancer among Texas women in vulnerable populations,” said Dr. Laudadio.
Each See, Test & Treat program provides free screenings, same day test results, follow-up care and health education counseling for medically at-risk populations faced with financial, linguistic, social, and cultural barriers to health care.
Breast cancer is expected to take the lives of nearly 3,000 women in Texas this year and cervical cancer will account for close to 400 deaths, according to the Texas Cancer Registry. Support from CVS Health is particularly important because Texas has the highest uninsured rate in the nation according to the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and the third highest rate of cervical cancer among the states (CDC).
About the College of American Pathologists and CAP FoundationAs the leading organization for board-certified pathologists, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) serves patients, pathologists, and the public by fostering and advocating excellence in the practice of pathology and laboratory medicine worldwide. With 18,000 physician members, the CAP has led as the gold standard in laboratory accreditation for 50 years with more than 7,600 CAP-accredited laboratories in 50 countries. Find more information about the CAP at cap.org. Follow CAP on Twitter at @pathologists.
The CAP Foundation, its philanthropic arm, supports patient-centered and humanitarian initiatives led by pathologists, striving to connect people in underserved communities with the specialized skills of pathologists.
CAP Foundation funding for See, Test & Treat is made possible through the continued generous support of CAP member pathologists, staff, foundations, industry, and private donations. Learn more and donate: foundation.cap.org or follow us on Twitter at #seetesttreat.
About CVS HealthCVS Health is a pharmacy innovation company helping people on their path to better health. Through its more than 9,600 retail pharmacies, more than 1,100 walk-in medical clinics, a leading pharmacy benefits manager with nearly 80 million plan members, a dedicated senior pharmacy care business serving more than one million patients per year, and expanding specialty pharmacy services, the Company enables people, businesses and communities to manage health in more affordable and effective ways. This unique integrated model increases access to quality care, delivers better health outcomes and lowers overall health care costs. Find more information about how CVS Health is shaping the future of health at https://www.cvshealth.com
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