Packard Health received a $500,000 federal grant to improve cancer screenings in Washtenaw County. But there’s more to it than just getting screened to save lives.
Packard Health will partner with the University of Michigan’s Rogel Cancer Center. Their goal is to improve cancer screenings in underserved communities.
According to Dr. Ray Rion, the executive director for Packard Health, statistics show the biggest need is in the Ypsilanti area. He says getting the screenings is only half the battle, as follow ups are just as important.
“It’s surprising how many people will get screened, have a slightly abnormal test, which, you know, might be a problem, or the problem could develop in 12, 18, 24 months. And then they’re lost to follow up.”
Dr. Rion says the half million dollars from the Department of Health and Human Services will hire additional staff to help with patient outreach. In addition, it will fund the development of a cancer screening tracking software that will be used by hospital systems around the state.
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