Category: Health System Treatment Program

The Bridging Research Innovation Advocacy and Value-Centric Excellence in Young-Onset Colorectal Cancer (BRAVE-CRC) Program at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has a mission to offer the best integrated care for CRC patients diagnosed under age 45 across the entire cancer continuum, from diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and prevention through genetic testing. The BRAVE-CRC program uses a variety of tactics, including expediting and coordinating patient care across multiple providers and clinics in a singular treatment day, standard socio-ecological needs assessments at intake, and having a dedicated nurse care coordinator for their young onset (YO) population. They have also implemented universal germline genetic testing through a self-navigated online platform for almost 300 of the patients they serve and their relatives. Lastly, to bring patients together, they have hosted an annual YOCRC Patient conference since 2023 with over 100 virtual attendees each year, including participants from Canada and the United Kingdom. The BRAVE-CRC program staff are most proud of their work to create a community of YOCRC patients, which now boasts over 8000 members since the program’s launch in 2021. Through their work, they hope patients can feel a little less alone in their CRC treatment and survivorship journey. Learn more about them here. 

Category: Health System Screening Program  

The Fred Hutch/ UW Medicine Population Health Colorectal Cancer (CRC) Screening Program aims to eradicate CRC by improving screening, reducing racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities, and improving follow-up for those with abnormal non-invasive CRC screening tests. This is done through quality improvement, research, community engagement, and informing local, Washington state, and national health policy. Since the program’s inception in 2021, the CRC screening rate at UW Medicine has improved from 62% to 73% among the eligible population, through a combination of mailed outreach and a strong partnership with primary care to increase awareness. Additionally, screening has improved in the 45-49 year-old age group from 26% to 57%, exceeding the 37% national screening rate in this population. Screening rates have also increased across all racial and ethnic minority groups in the population served. The program team is proud of their broad impact across the health system, which has inspired resources to empower more communities and systems to increase CRC screening rates. Looking ahead, they are striving for a program screening rate of 80%, with modeling suggesting this milestone could be reached within three years. Learn more about them here. 

Category: Links to Care Program

MNGI Digestive Health’s Links to Care Program is dedicated to preventing and detecting colorectal cancer (CRC) by offering free colonoscopies to uninsured individuals through partnerships with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) across the Twin Cities metropolitan area of Minnesota. Established in 1995 with support from the American Cancer Society, the program has expanded to 11 FQHCs, serving patients who are often low resource, low income, and speak languages other than English. As partners, the FQHCs identify and refer eligible patients to the program following either a positive stool test or family history of CRC. In addition to offering free colonoscopies with monitored anesthesia care (MAC) sedation, pathology fees are also fully covered if polyps are removed during the procedure. Since 2016, MNGI has helped 888 uninsured patients, of which 479 had polyps or tissue removed (431 precancerous adenomas), and 10 patients were diagnosed with CRC. New in 2026, uninsured patients of screening age no longer need a positive stool test or family history to participate in Links to Care. MNGI’s staff is most proud of the lives saved through their work and continuously prioritize their goal of preventing and detecting CRC because it’s the right thing to do for the communities they serve. Learn more about their work here.