Nominations for the 80% by 2018 National Achievement Awards Are Open!

The NCCRT is pleased to announce that nominations are open for the 2018 80% by 2018 National Achievement Awards, a competitive recognition program that seeks to highlight 80% by 2018 success stories by recognizing individuals and organizations who are dedicating their time, talent and expertise to advancing the shared goal to regularly screen 80% of adults 50 and over by 2018.

Of course, we welcome nominations of partners who have reached 80%, but we are also looking to recognize systems who are seeing noted improvements in baseline screening rates or recognize individual champions who have made a difference through leadership or other means. Visit the 80% by 2018 National Achievement Awards webpage to learn about contest rules, prizes and recognition, and to submit your nomination. The top nominee will receive a $3,000 donation to support their efforts (see the website for details and exceptions). Watch this video from Dr. Wender to learn more.

The nominations deadline is December 11^th, 2017. Visit www.nccrt.org/awards to learn more and submit your nomination (or self-nomination) today!

Replay 80% by 2018 Progress Webinar

In case you missed it, you can watch a replay of our Oct. 3^rd webinar, 80% by 2018 Progress, featuring NCCRT Chair and ACS Chief Cancer Control Officer, Dr. Richard Wender.  The purpose of the webinar is look at the latest CRC screening measures and discuss what they tell us about our progress and challenges, discuss the urgency needed over the next 15 months and share plans for the transition to the next phase of our colorectal cancer screening work.

Launch of the Post-2018 “Listening Tour”

We want to hear from you!  As was mentioned during the webinar, we want your feedback on the initiative that comes after 2018!  Please complete this brief survey through which you can provide feedback on what you would like to see.

Coming Soon:  Registration for the 2017 NCCRT Annual Meeting!

Next week, NCCRT members will be receiving their personalized registration link for the 2017 NCCRT Annual Meeting in an email from the American Cancer Society.  The meeting will be held on Dec. 7^th and 8^th at the DoubleTree Hilton in Bethesda, MD.  Pre-conference activities, including the Task Group meetings, will occur on Dec. 6^th.  You can take a peek at the NCCRT annual meeting agenda here.  Note that members are responsible for their own travel and lodging costs, but members are able to reserve a room in the rooming block during the registration process.  If you would like to request a room in the block, we suggest registering sooner rather than later.   Learn more here.

And a big shout out to those organizations that have agreed to sponsor the NCCRT Annual Meeting: American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, Bracco Diagnostics, Inc., the Center for Colon Cancer Research – USC, Colon Cancer Alliance, Colon Cancer Coalition, Epigenomics, Fight Colorectal Cancer, Medial EarlySign, Medtronic GI Solutions, Inc., the National Colorectal Cancer Prevention Foundation, Polymedco, and Quest Diagnostics. We are also pleased to recognize individual contributions from Amy Manela, Tom Imperiale and Rich Wender.  We are incredibly grateful to you for your support!

We look forward to seeing you there!

2017 NCCRT Task Group Webinars

In preparation for this year’s NCCRT meeting we are making a few changes regarding our task group meeting structure for the 2017 NCCRT Annual meeting.  New this year, task group meeting attendees will be required to participate in (or watch a replay of) a short task group webinar.  During these webinars the task group co-chairs will recap the work of the task group, in order to ensure that we don’t spend valuable face-to-face meeting time getting the group up to speed.  Rather, the intention is that the in-person time can be used to advance key issues and projects. Webinar dates and times are included below (all times are Eastern). While we have held one hour blocks, each session will likely last for 20 to 30 minutes.  Please RSVP to [email protected]

• Evaluation and Measurement – Monday, October 23 – 12 to 1 pm EST
• Community Health Centers – Friday, October 27 – 1 to 2 pm EST
• Family History and Early Age Onset CRC – TBD (Previously announced time needs to be rescheduled).
• Public Awareness and Social Media – Friday, November 3 – 1:30 to 2:30 pm EST
• Professional Education and Practice Implementation – Thursday, November 9 – 1 to 2 pm EST
• Policy Action –November 16, 1 to 1:30 pm EST

And just a reminder, as was announced previously, at this year’s NCCRT annual meeting, the Task Groups will meet on Wednesday, December 6th from 5:00pm to 6:30pm.

In Search of Primary Care Practices Focused on Risk Assessment and Early Onset CRC

The NCCRT, ACS, and The Jackson Laboratory are collaborating to develop a toolkit for primary care providers to help implement best practices in colorectal cancer risk assessment, screening, and early detection for early-onset, familial, and hereditary cancers. As part of this initiative, we are looking to learn from primary care providers and practices that have implemented such programs.

Do you know of a primary care practice that has been focusing on quality improvement efforts in one or more of the following areas?

• Cancer family history collection
• CRC risk assessment
• Identification of candidates for earlier CRC screening in young adults
• Identification of high-risk families for referral to genetics
• Detecting early signs and symptoms of CRC in young adults

If so, please refer them to us! Contact Emily Edelman at [email protected] with suggestions, or provide contact information through this survey.

Participation will include telephone interviews with individual members of the practice. Participants will be offered a $50 gift card as honoraria.

This activity is being conducted as an IRB-approved study through The Jackson Laboratory. The purpose is to identify the educational and clinical needs of primary care providers regarding risk assessment and screening for familial colorectal cancer. Study participation is voluntary.

NCCRT Request for Proposals:

The NCCRT is pleased to announce a request for proposals to develop a new resource that will improve our understanding of the role that state Medicaid agencies can play in advancing colorectal cancer screening amongst the populations they serve. This project follows previously commissioned work, overseen by the NCCRT Policy Action Task Group, which conducted a state by state assessment of colorectal cancer control activity among Medicaid programs. The report found a wide range of colorectal cancer control activity among Medicaid agencies, ranging from no activity to extensive colorectal cancer activity. The purpose of this current scope of work is to analyze more thoroughly the ten states identified as having extensive colorectal cancer activity, thus unveiling activities other Medicaid agencies should consider for replication in order to advance screening.

Please email Caleb Levell, NCCRT Program Manager, ([email protected]) with your suggestions or with any questions related to the RFP. The proposal due date is Friday, October 27, 2017. All questions and answers will be posted to this webpage.

Relevant Journal Articles

Here are recent relevant articles/studies that may be of interest:

• A study that appeared in the Preventive Medicine finds that workers at organizations with fewer than 25 employees are less likely to have been screened for colorectal cancer and two other cancers, as were people working in certain occupations. Using National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data, ACS investigators examined screening rates for cervical, breast, and colorectal cancer by occupational characteristics in 2010, 2013, and 2015.  Disparities in cancer screening by occupational characteristics were mostly attributed to lower socioeconomic status and lack of insurance. Congratulations to study authors Stacey Fedewa, Rebecca Siegel and the other authors!
• A systematic review of Interventions to Improve Follow-up of Positive Results on Fecal Blood Tests was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.  The review found that patient navigators and giving providers reminders or performance data may help improve colonoscopy rates of asymptomatic adults with positive fecal blood test results. Current evidence about useful system-level interventions is scant and insufficient.  Thank you to Dennis Ahnen for bringing this article to our attention.  Congratulations to NCCRT friends, Kevin Selby, TR Levin, Chyke Doubeni, Ann Zauber and the other authors!
• A study in the Journal for General Internal Medicine sought to compare the effectiveness of different forms of reminders for a direct-mail fecal immunochemical test (FIT) program. The data suggest that FIT reminders that included a live call were more effective than reminders that relied solely on written communication (a text message or letter).  Thank you to Anna Hassan for bringing this article to our attention.  Congratulations to NCCRT Steering Committee member and study author Gloria Coronado, as well as the other authors!

Newly Revised Clinician’s Reference: Stool-Based Tests For Colorectal Cancer Screening

In the last email, we shared an updated version of the Clinician’s Reference resource on stool-based testing. Some of you noted that the link was down, so we wanted to resend, as the link is now working again.

Call for NCCRT Steering Committee Nominations

We are currently seeking nominations for the NCCRT Steering Committee.  The NCCRT Steering Committee provides strategic guidance to the NCCRT through participation in Steering Committee meetings, calls, and the NCCRT Annual Meeting.  Steering Committee responsibilities include strategic planning, membership  approval, oversight of NCCRT projects and general leadership.  The term of service is for two years beginning December 2017 and is renewable for one term.  The names of nominees are submitted to the Nominating Committee, which reviews the nominations and selects the slate of Steering Committee candidates.  The slate of candidates will be presented by email to the NCCRT membership prior to the Annual Meeting to be voted on at the Annual Meeting, which is on December 6^th, 7^th and 8^th in Bethesda, MD.

Self-nominations are accepted.  Traditionally, the Nominating Committee has preferred candidates who have a history of engagement with the NCCRT.  Representatives from our Corporate Associates may not serve on the Steering Committee, but  they may nominate other candidates.  Please note that nominees are not guaranteed a spot on the Steering Committee, as this can be a competitive process.  Having said that, we are grateful to all individuals who are willing to put themselves forward as nominees.  Serving on  the Steering Committee is a big commitment, and Steering Committee members play a vital role in the work of the Roundtable.

If you are interested in submitting your name to the Nominating Committee for consideration or would like to nominate someone, please email [email protected] by Friday, October 27^th.  Nominees will be asked to submit a Statement of Interest (1,000 word maximum) along with a CV.

80% by 2018 Event in NYC Wins SCOPY Award!

Fight Colorectal Cancer, the NCCRT, the American Cancer Society, Stand Up To Cancer, the Mayo Clinic, the Entertainment Industry Foundation, Exact Sciences and many other partners were recognized earlier this month with the 2017 SCOPY (Service Award for Colorectal Cancer Outreach, Prevention and Year-Round Excellence) Spirit of Collaboration Award for our awareness event held in New York City’s Hard Rock Café on March 1. SCOPY awards are given each year by the American College of Gastroenterology to honor the most innovative and impactful community education programs aimed to raise awareness of colorectal cancer.  Danielle Burgess, director of communication for Fight Colorectal Cancer, and Emily Butler Bell, MPH, associate director, NCCRT went to Orlando to receive the award earlier this month.  You can read more about the award here.