With its Funding Opportunities for CRC Screening Uptake Strategies (FOCUS) Program, Exact Sciences, a leading provider of cancer screening and diagnostic tests, has awarded $1.3 million to 23 organizations through its Madison, Wis., Dec. 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Exact Sciences, a leading cancer screening and diagnostic test provider, has announced the award. In addition to improving colorectal cancer screening rates, the recipients of the grant are committed to making healthcare more accessible, focusing on underserved populations.
Despite the disease being more treatable if caught in its earliest stages,1 CRC remains the second-leading cause of cancer death in the United States.1 There are an estimated 60 million adults with average-risk cancers that remain unscreened in the United States.2,3
One reason why CRC has a disproportionate impact on certain socioeconomic groups, races, and regions in the United States is that the most marginalized patients are often not screened for the disease. A study has shown that racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographical inequalities are responsible for half of premature deaths caused by CRC.4
"Exact Sciences is honored to support organizations that are making screening options more accessible and available to communities that are often overlooked," said Paul Limburg, Exact Sciences Chief Medical Officer, Screening. Despite the fact that colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable cancers,5 it still kills more than 50,000 people in the United States each year,3 and we intend to change that.
In order to increase access to CRC screening for community organizations, health foundations, public health organizations, and advocacy groups, Exact Sciences' FOCUS Program provides grant funding to these organizations. Exact Sciences has announced an additional group of grant recipients for 2023 earlier in the year. Since the FOCUS Program was launched in 2022, more than $2.9 million has been awarded to 50 organizations around the nation.
In April 2014, Exact Sciences released Cologuard®, the first and only FDA-approved, noninvasive, multi-target, stool-based DNA screening test that people can use at home. Since Conoguard was released, Exact Sciences has delivered over 13 million Cologuard results to patients in over 50 countries.
The awardees
Anxis Community Health, Pleasanton, Calif. The organization plans to improve CRC screening rates and follow-up colonoscopy compliance within its patient community through comprehensive education about screening options, guidelines of the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), targeted outreach to uninsured patients who have never had a screening, and automated reminders for both patients and providers.
The Chiricahua Community Health Centers, Inc., Douglas, Ariz., will integrate patient navigation services, led by community health workers, to improve CRC screening rates among its diverse and rural patient populations in an effort to increase screening rates.
In this center, the Christian Community Health Services DBA Crossroad Health Center in Cincinnati, Ohio will promote shared decision-making regarding the screening for colorectal cancer, support marginalized populations who have never been screened, and improve compliance among adults of average risk ages 45 to 49.
It is through the Community Health Center Network in San Leandro, Calif., that the network is planning to streamline patient care and improve CRC screening rates for specific populations by conducting outreach and sharing screening education in the language preferred by the patients.
Five Rivers Samaritan Health CenterDayton, OhioThis center will be dedicated to increasing the rate at which unhoused, uninsured patients are screened. In addition to providing patients with access to private restrooms for sample collection, access to mail for sample delivery, lodging before colonoscopy appointments, and transportation to colonoscopies, these services will all be provided at no additional cost to them.
The Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization is located in Watertown, New York. Through this project, the organization will increase screening rates in the low-income, marginalized older adult, and disabled populations of rural Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties in New York.
Willimantic, Conn.-Generations Family Health Center, Inc. In order to increase the screening rate for patients aged 45-49 and uninsured patients requiring individualized assistance, the federally qualified health center (FQHC) will educate professionals and patients about the importance of screening.
In conjunction with grant funding, Harbor Community Clinic dba Harbor Community Health Centers in San Pedro, Calif., aims to increase screening rates for patients ages 45-49 by 34% by using grant funding.
As part of the Illinois Public Health Association springfield, illinois.The association will engage community health workers to implement a patient navigation program and increase community outreach, with a specific focus on residents of color and immigrants, migrants and refugees.
It is the goal of the Jane Pauley Community Health Center in Indianapolis, Indiana to improve patient adherence and to promote informed decision making in order to increase screening in marginalized populations.
There is a foundation called the Kaleida Health Foundation located in Buffalo, New York. In order to increase screening rates and improve colonoscopy completion rates after a positive stool test, the foundation intends to address social determinants of health barriers by increasing patient education and building adherence programs. In Buffalo, the foundation will focus on African American, Hispanic, and immigrant adults ages 45-49.
KC CARE Health Center, dba Kansas City CARE ClinicKansas City, Mo.The majority of the patients at this FQHC are uninsured, underinsured, or living on low income in urban areas of Kansas City, and have historically been unable to access routine preventive care. In spring 2023, the screening rate improved by 21% as a result of process improvements and a targeted CRC campaign. The center intends to increase the screening rate by an additional 5% in the next 18 months using this funding.
Using patient navigation services, the FQHC will be able to increase the number of CRC screenings for adults between the ages of 45 and 49, who have the lowest rate of screening. This will allow the FQHC to overcome barriers to care for underserved patients by increasing the availability of screening services.
Marshall Medical CenterPlacerville, Calif.As the only hospital facility within about 25 miles of many people in the area, the hospital has provided medical care to more than 175,000 rural and semi-rural residents for many years. The program seeks to improve screening rates for marginalized groups and adults aged 45-49, especially in these rural areas.
It will be the responsibility of the Mississippi State Department of Health in Ridgeland, Mississippi, to convene community partners and stakeholders for the purpose of providing screening options to medically underserved African Americans in the rural deltas of Mississippi.
In 2022, less than half of the patients at Optimus Health Care in Bridgeport, Conn. had been screened for colon cancer. The organization will use the funding from this grant to improve screening rates in patients of racial and ethnic minorities, as well as those who lack or are underinsured in order to reduce the disparities in preventive healthcare in its community.
The Ozarks Community Health Center in Hermitage, Mo. aims to close the screening gap in its communities by improving education and increasing patient outreach with community health workers by utilizing community health workers.
The Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative of Sauk City, Wis., will use funds in order to address a critical screening disparity in rural Wisconsin when it comes to colon cancer screening. In rural Wisconsin, the screening rate is approximately 60%, while Wisconsin's overall screening rate is nearly 80%.
Located in Bridgeport, Conn., Southwest Community Health Center intends to increase screening rates among its approximately 26,000 clients, most of whom live under the Federal Poverty Level, 87% are racial or ethnic diverse, and 25% are better served by a language other than English. Southwest intends to increase screening rates among its approximately 26,000 clients.
In an effort to advance screening awareness and education, Talbot County Health Department is creating a systemic process with a focus on advancing screening awareness and education among marginalized patient populations in Easton, Maryland.
The CentersCleveland, OhioThis FQHC will provide enhanced patient navigation services, increase partnerships with hospitals to facilitate free or accessible screenings, increase awareness of screening options, and provide transportation to residents who are interested in getting screened for CRC.
There is a community health council referred to as CommWell Health, dba Tri-County Community Health Council, Inc. Four Oaks, N.C. CommWell Health is initiating Project FIERCE (Facilitating the Improvement of Equitable Rates of Colorectal Exams) to implement evidence-based interventions in order to organize CRC screenings for patients.
Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare QualityMadison, Wis., The Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality aims to increase participation from health systems across Wisconsin in order to improve CRC screening by focusing on shared decision making, education, and data analysis in addition to shared decision making.
As part of Exact Sciences' Funding Opportunities for CRC Screening Uptake Strategies (FOCUS) Program, which was launched in June 2022, Exact Sciences will provide funding to community organizations, health foundations, public health organizations, and colorectal cancer advocacy groups to expand access to colorectal cancer screening and create affordable pathways to follow-up diagnostic care.. Exact Sciences' FOCUS program reflects its ongoing commitment to provide people with access to care regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender identity, socioeconomic status, or geographic location and offers solutions to overcome barriers to care, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender identity, socioeconomic status, or geographic location. It is important to note that the submissions are reviewed via Exact Sciences' corporate grants process, which is completely independent from sales and marketing activities.. We make funding decisions solely based on the strength of the application and its alignment with the objectives of the FOCUS Program, without taking into account any actual or potential commercial relationships between us and our grantees.. Take a look at the FOCUS Program to learn more about it
 Take a look at the FOCUS Program to learn more about it
A brief overview of Exact Sciences Corp..A leading provider of cancer screening and diagnostic tests, Exact Sciences provides patients and healthcare professionals with the information and clarity they need to make life-changing decisions sooner rather than later. In order to build on the success of the Cologuard® and Oncotype® tests, Exact Sciences is investing heavily in the development of innovative solutions to be used before, during, and after the diagnosis of cancer.. You can find out more about ExactSciences by visiting their website.Visit www.exactsciences.com, follow Exact Sciences on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @ExactSciences, or find Exact Sciences on LinkedIn and Facebook
Visit www.exactsciences.com, follow Exact Sciences on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @ExactSciences, or find Exact Sciences on LinkedIn and Facebook
It is important to note that Exact Sciences and Cologuard are trademarks or registered trademarks of Exact Sciences Corporation. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.
In this news release, there are forward-looking statements regarding our expectations, anticipations, intentions, beliefs, or strategies regarding the future that are based upon our current expectations, anticipations, intentions, beliefs or strategies.. The forward-looking statements contained herein are based on assumptions that we have made as of the date hereof and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that might cause actual results, conditions and events to differ materially from those projected herein.. The forward-looking statements in this document should not be relied upon unduly. There are a number of risks and uncertainties that may affect our forward-looking statements, which are described in the Risk Factors section of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as well as in any other documents we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.. There is no obligation on our part to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, unless we are required to do so by law.
There is no obligation on our part to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, unless we are required to do so by law.
As of the 2022 USA single-year census estimates for ages 45-85 inclusive and the percentage of unscreened subjects, this number does not include age-related variations in screening rates due to various factors.
Citations include:
Steph Spanos+1 608-556-4380 [email protected] is the media contact for the United States. 
The contact person for investors is Erik Holznecht, +1 608-800-6605 [email protected] 
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