The following email news update was shared with NCCRT members and partners on Tuesday, November 28th, 2017. Sign up to subscribe to our regular email updates. 

Webinar Today, November 28th on Colorectal Cancer Screening in American Indian & Alaska Native Communities
Join us today at 2:00pm ET for an NCCRT webinar, in which we will explore CRC screening in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. This webinar will provide a brief overview of the NCCRT and ACS’s April 2016 summit on CRC and AI/AN communities and describe ACS’s recent grants to increase screening for AI/AN-serving primary care clinics. We will also hear from two AI/AN-serving organizations that are implementing innovative strategies to increase CRC screening in the communities they serve. Speakers will include: Laura Makaroff of ACS, Jessica Deaton of the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic, and Richard Mousseau of the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board. Registration is now open.

The webinar is open to NCCRT members, 80% by 2018 partners, CDC grantees, ACS Health Systems and Communications staff, and new partners interested in getting engaged in colorectal cancer screening efforts. You must be registered to join the webinar.

Join ACS on Thursday, November 30th Webinar on Employer Strategies to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening
Join us on Thursday, November 30th at 2:00pm ET for an ACS webinar on how employers can impact their employees’ health through colorectal cancer screening interventions. The webinar will begin with a brief introduction to steps employers can take to increase screening rates at their company and then feature three corporate partners who have implemented effective strategies. Speakers will include presenters from Ameren, AT&T, and Progressive Insurance. Advance registration is not required. Save the date and follow this link to join the webinar via Webex on November 30^th.

The webinar is open to ACS staff, NCCRT members, 80% by 2018 partners, CDC grantees, and new partners interested in getting engaged in colorectal cancer screening efforts.

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!

Action Needed:  2017 NCCRT Task Group Webinars Replays
As a reminder, those attending the task group meetings at the 2017 Annual Meeting are required to view a short webinar to bring you up to speed on the task group you will be attending. The webinar replays are listed below for your convenience. This new requirement is in response to last year’s annual meeting evaluation, in which attendees felt there was not enough time in the task groups for discussion. These webinars are intended to briefly bring you up to speed about the work of the task group you will be attending, in order to allow more time for discussion.

• Evaluation and Measurement >>>
• Community Health Centers >>>
• Public Awareness and Social Media >>>
• Professional Education and Practice Implementation >>>
• Policy Action >>>
• Family History and Early Age Onset CRC – Webinar to be held tomorrow, Wednesday, November 29 – 12 to 12:30 p.m. EST

And thank you to all NCCRT task group chairs and members who have participated in these webinars!   We have thoroughly enjoyed the discussion, as well as the engagement and enthusiasm.  Also, if you are unable to attend the Annual Meeting, these webinars serve as a great way to learn about the current and ongoing projects of the NCCRT and find opportunities for participation in task group activities. Please send any questions, comments, or feedback to caleb.levell@cancer.org.

NCCRT Annual Meeting Workshop Selection Due by December 1^st, 2017
For those of you coming to the NCCRT Annual Meeting next week, we have many great choices for workshops at this year’s meeting of the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable. During the workshops, members have an opportunity to learn about new tools, resources and emerging trends. To accommodate everyone at this year’s meeting, please take a moment to select your top choices for workshops by 5:00 PM ET Friday, December 1^st.

If you do not make any selections, selections will be made for you. If you are not coming to the NCCRT meeting, no action is needed.  Many thanks to those of you who have already made your selections!

NCCRT Member Organizational Reports are Due December 1^st, 2017
It’s that time of year!  We know our members are doing great work, and we want to hear about it!  In preparation for this year’s annual meeting of the NCCRT, members are requested to provide a brief summary of organizational activities focused on colorectal cancer screening since the last NCCRT meeting.  New this year, we will be posting the reports to nccrt.org (with your permission), so please plan accordingly.  We will only be accepting forms through the online form, but please let us know if you would like a Word copy to help organize your response.  Only one response is needed per organization, so please coordinate with your colleagues who are also active in the NCCRT.

These reports will be shared with all members to allow us to see activities underway that contribute to our shared life-saving mission. Please fill out the report online no later than close of business Friday, December 1st.

NCCRT Recognizes National Family Health History Day with New Blog
The NCCRT Family History and Early Age Onset Task Group co-chairs, Drs. Dennis Ahnen and Paul Schroy, recognized National Family Health History Day on the 80% by 2018 Blog this past Thanksgiving. The U.S. Surgeon General has declared Thanksgiving as National Family Health History Day since 2004, and the NCCRT joined this initiative to encourage everyone to take time to discuss and document our colorectal cancer family history. In addition to the blog, the NCCRT participated in the #FamilyHealthHistory Thunderclap on Twitter.

Our family’s history of colorectal cancer and screening has important implications about our own disease risks and can substantially change screening recommendations. We encourage the practice of talking about family health history and then sharing what is learn with healthcare providers to better prevent, predict, and treat any potential disease. While National Family Health History Day was this past Thanksgiving, this blog post includes information and resources useful for sharing throughout the holiday season as families are gathering.

Clarification from CMS on Coverage for Anesthesia Services Furnished in Conjunction with Colonoscopy
CMS has issued a clarification that for anesthesia services furnished in conjunction with a screening colonoscopy, Medicare will waive both the deductible and copay, when coded according to CMS guidance, starting January 1, 2018.  Unfortunately, if the screening colonoscopy becomes a diagnostic colonoscopy, according to their definition, only the deductible will be waived for the anesthesia services. See this brief for specific details.    Many thanks to Dr. Joel Brill for bringing this to our attention.

New Messages From the Colon Cancer Coalition Urging Young People Not to Ignore Symptoms
The Colon Cancer Coalition has launched an effort to educate adults under 50 about the signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer. Now through January 15, 2018, the symptoms of colorectal cancer are being highlighted in Times Square, New York City.  The video message proclaims: BLOOD IN YOUR STOOL, Not Normal. UNEXPLAINED WEIGHT LOSS, Not Normal. Don’t Ignore Colon Cancer Symptoms.  Visit this link for more information. Thank you to Becky Siegel for bringing this to our attention.  Congratulations to the Colon Cancer Coalition for their work on this effort.

Dak Prescott PSA
With football season upon us, you may want to link to this PSA from Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Dak Prescott.  Dak knows how it feels to lose to #coloncancer. It took his mom in 2013.  His message for you: Get Screened. It could save your life. #AttackingCancer  Many thanks to the 70 by 20 Coalition, Mississippi State University and the American Cancer Society for their work on this video.

Relevant Journal Articles

Here is a recent relevant article that may be of interest:

• A CDC study appeared in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine that examined cancer screenings, including colorectal cancer screening, among U.S. adults by health insurance status.  Compared with adequately insured adults, underinsured and never insured women were 3% and 47% less likely to receive colorectal cancer screening, respectively; underinsured and never insured men were 6% and 52% less likely to receive colorectal cancer screening, respectively. Compared with adults with employer-based insurance/Medicare (aged ≥65 years), women and men with self-purchased plans were less likely to receive colorectal cancer screening; however, men with other public insurance were more likely to receive colorectal cancer screening. Congratulations to the study authors on this publication.

The following email news update was shared with NCCRT members and partners on Friday, November 17th, 2017. Sign up to subscribe to our regular email updates. 

Registration is Open for Tuesday, November 28th Webinar on Colorectal Cancer Screening in American Indian & Alaska Native Communities

Join us on Tuesday, November 28th at 2:00pm ET for an NCCRT webinar, in which we will explore CRC screening in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. This webinar will provide a brief overview of the NCCRT and ACS’s April 2016 summit on CRC and AI/AN communities and describe ACS’s recent grants to increase screening for AI/AN-serving primary care clinics. We will also hear from two AI/AN-serving organizations that are implementing innovative strategies to increase CRC screening in the communities they serve. Speakers will include: Laura Makaroff of ACS, Jessica Deaton of the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic, and Richard Mousseau of the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board. Registration is now open.

The webinar is open to NCCRT members, 80% by 2018 partners, CDC grantees, ACS Health Systems and Communications staff, and new partners interested in getting engaged in colorectal cancer screening efforts. You must be registered to join the webinar.

Today at 11:00am ET:  Learn More about NCI Funding Opportunities: Accelerating Colorectal Cancer Screening and follow-up through Implementation Science

As we previously shared, NCI has released two companion funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) associated with the Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot^SM Initiative intended to accelerate cancer research:

(1) Accelerating Colorectal Cancer Screening and follow-up through Implementation Science (ACCSIS) (UG3/UH3) [RFA-CA-17-038] and

(2) Accelerating Colorectal Cancer Screening and follow-up through Implementation Science (ACCSIS) Coordinating Center (U24) [RFA-CA-17-039]. 

The FOA will promote research in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, follow-up, and referral-to-care among target populations for whom screening rates are below national standards. This research will provide an evidence base for multilevel interventions that increase rates of CRC screening, follow-up, and referral-to-care, and best practices for how multilevel interventions can be scaled-up to reduce the burden of colorectal cancer on the United States (U.S.) population.

A pre-application webinar is scheduled for today, Friday, November 17th at 11:00am ET. Registration is required.  Application Due Date: January 18, 2018 by 5:00pm local time of applicant organization. Many thanks to Sarah Shafir for bringing this webinar to our attention!

Tell us What you Think About 80% by 2018

The NCCRT has launched a brief survey to get advice on where the 80% by 2018 colorectal cancer screening initiative goes from here.  As we move into 2018, we are as committed as ever to acting with urgency to do what it takes to achieve an 80% colorectal cancer screening rate.  To help us reach our goals, we need your help!  We’d like your thoughts and input on the initiative and your recommendations for where to go from here. To take the survey, visit the NCCRT Beyond 2018 FAQ web page and click on the orange button.

Let us know what you think – and please encourage your partners and colleagues to do the same. The survey will close on Monday, Nov. 27.

Welcome to New NCCRT Members!

We are pleased to announce the addition of three new NCCRT Member organizations: Montana Primary Care Association, which will be represented by Courtney Buys; HeathPartners, which will be represented by Anne Book; and the American Association of Medical Assistants, which will be represented by Donald Balasa and Deborah Novak.  Please join me in extending a warm welcome to these new NCCRT Members!

New Resource on Coalition Branding from the Comprehensive Cancer Control National Partners:

A new resource on Cancer Coalition Identity and Branding from the Comprehensive Cancer Control National Partnership is now available.  This brief is designed to present actions that can be taken by a cancer coalition to garner the attention and support of the public.  The brief provides guidance in developing a unique identity, creating a strong brand, and preparing clear marketing messages.  Embedded within the document is a link to a related webinar.   Congratulations to Lorrie Graaf and Sarah Shafir for their work on this new resource!

Call for 80% by 2018 Manuscripts!

The American Journal of Gastroenterology has issued a call for manuscripts for their upcoming special issue, “80% by 2018 Colorectal Cancer Initiative:  Did We Make It?”  As you all know, in 2014, we proposed an ambitious national goal to screen 80% of all eligible U.S. adults for colorectal cancer (CRC) by 2018. Well, 2018 is just about here. Did we make it? Where did we succeed and what can we still improve? The American Journal of Gastroenterology requests your original research and insightful reviews about the current state of colorectal cancer screening and prevention.  The manuscript deadline is January 15^th, 2018.  Visit this flyer for more information.

NCCRT Annual Meeting Invitations are Out!

By now, NCCRT members should have received a personalized invitation to this year’s NCCRT Annual Meeting, which will be held on Dec. 6^th, 7^th and 8^th in Bethesda, MD at the DoubleTree Hilton.  The invitation should have arrived in an email from the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable.  If you did not receive this invitation, please check your spam filter, and then email Dionne.Christopher@cancer.org.  You can review the 2017 NCCRT annual meeting agenda here.  Pre-conference activities, including the Task Group meetings, will occur on Dec. 6^th.  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 as soon as possible.   We look forward to seeing you there!

NCCRT Member Organizational Reports are Due December 1^st, 2017

It’s that time of year!  We know our members are doing great work, and we want to hear about it!  In preparation for this year’s annual meeting of the NCCRT, members are requested to provide a brief summary of organizational activities focused on colorectal cancer screening since the last NCCRT meeting.  New this year, we will be posting the reports to nccrt.org (with your permission), so please plan accordingly.  We will only be accepting forms here, but please let us know if you would like a Word copy to help organize your response.  Only one response is needed per organization, so please coordinate with your colleagues who are also active in the NCCRT.

These reports will be shared with all members to allow us to see activities underway that contribute to our shared life-saving mission. Please fill out the report online no later than close of business Friday, December 1st.

Join ACS on Thursday, November 30th Webinar on Employer Strategies to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening

Join us on Thursday, November 30th at 2:00pm ET for an ACS webinar on how employers can impact their employees’ health through colorectal cancer screening interventions. The webinar will begin with a brief introduction to steps employers can take to increase screening rates at their company and then feature three corporate partners who have implemented effective strategies. Speakers will include presenters from Ameren, AT&T, and Progressive Insurance. Advance registration is not required. Save the date and follow this link to join the webinar via Webex on November 30^th.

The webinar is open to ACS staff, NCCRT members, 80% by 2018 partners, CDC grantees, and new partners interested in getting engaged in colorectal cancer screening efforts.

Relevant Journal Articles

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

• A CDC study appeared in Preventive Medicine that estimates the health benefits and cost-savings for achieving the Healthy People 2020 objective of reducing invasive colorectal cancer.  Achieving the HP2020 objective of reducing invasive CRC incidence by 15% by year 2020 would potentially save nearly 150,000 life-years and $624 million on healthcare costs.  Congratulations to the study authors on this publication!
• A study published in Gastroenterology, reinforces the importance of equitable health insurance coverage to mitigate the black-white survival disparity in colorectal cancer. For the study, investigators, focused on the impact of access to care on black-white survival disparity. They found the absolute 5-year survival difference between black and white CRC patients in the entire cohort was 9.2% (57.3% vs 66.5%). That difference was cut almost in half, to 4.9%, after matching for insurance status. Tumor characteristics also played a large role. The survival difference dropped to 2.3% after tumor characteristics matching.  Congratulations to the study authors for this important article.
• Fight Colorectal Cancer (Fight CRC) and the Cancer Research Institute (CRI), published A Blueprint to Advance Colorectal Cancer Immunotherapies in the November 2017 issue of the journal Cancer Immunology Research. Study authors propose a framework for research to identify immunologic factors that may be modulated to improve immunotherapy for CRC patients, with the goal that the biomarkers and treatment strategies identified will become part of the routine management of CRC.  Thank you to Danielle Burgess for bringing this article to our attention, and congratulations to our Fight CRC friends Andi Dwyer, Nancy Roach, Anjee Davis, Keavy McAbee, Sharyn Worrall, as well as to the other authors.
• A new study, Comparing cancer screening estimates: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System and National Health Interview Survey paper is now available in Preventive Medicine.  The paper states that each survey has a unique and important role in providing information to track cancer screening utilization among various populations, and that awareness of these differences and their potential causes is important when comparing the surveys and determining the best application for each data source.Thank you to Stacey Fedewa for sharing this article with us, and congratulations to NCCRT friends, Ann Goding, Becky Siegel, and Stacey Fedewa, as well as the other authors!

Colon Cancer Alliance is Now the Colorectal Cancer Alliance

NCCRT member, the Colon Cancer Alliance, has a new name: the Colorectal Cancer Alliance.  The name change reflects an intention to address the needs of those affected by colon and rectal cancer alike — to provide support services, to raise awareness of preventive measures, and to inspire efforts to fund critical research.  Visit their website for more information.

Awards and Honors

80% by 2018 Recognized by MM&M.  Our own Dr. Richard Wender received an award last month from Medical Marketing & Media for Outstanding Contribution to Healthcare for leading the national 80% by 2018 campaign. Here’s a link to learn more: http://www.mmm-online.com/mmm-awards/platinum-award-outstanding-contribution-to-healthcare-in-2017/article/696165/   Congratulations to Dr. Wender!

Award Winning Evaluation Team Recognized by CDC.  An evaluation team from CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control was given the 2017 award for “Best Evaluation, Peer Reviewed” at CDC in September. The team won for an evaluation of a patient navigation program that was pioneered by a Colorectal Cancer Control Program grantee, the New Hampshire Colorectal Cancer Screening Program (NHCRCSP). The multi-year evaluation showed that patients in the navigation program were, among other things, 11 times more likely than non-navigated patients to complete a colonoscopy. The team worked with NHCRCSP to write a manual showing other organizations how to put patient navigation in place for their screening programs.  Congratulations to Amy DeGroff and our other CDC friends for this outstanding recognition! Additionally, Lynn Butterly of NHCRCSP will be leading a workshop on the manual at the NCCRT meeting next month!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!  Many thanks to all of you for the good work you do!

The following email news update was shared with NCCRT members and partners on Thursday, November 2nd, 2017. Sign up to subscribe to our regular email updates. 

NCCRT Annual Meeting Invitations are Out!

Today, NCCRT members should have received a personalized invitation to this year’s NCCRT Annual Meeting, which will be held on Dec. 6^th, 7^th and 8^th in Bethesda, MD at the DoubleTree Hilton. The invitation should have arrived in an email from the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable. If you are an NCCRT member and you did not receive this invitation, please check your spam filter, and then email Dionne.Christopher@cancer.org. You can take a view the NCCRT annual meeting agenda here. Pre-conference activities, including the Task Group meetings, will occur on Dec. 6^th. 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 as soon as possible. Please note that while members are expected to cover the cost of their own travel, we do have a few travel scholarships available for those members for whom travel costs would prohibit them from attending the meeting. Please email mary.doroshenk@cancer.org for a scholarship application form, if needed. We look forward to seeing you there!

NCCRT Member Organizational Reports are Due December 1^st, 2017

It’s that time of year! We know our NCCRT members are doing great work, and we want to hear about it! In preparation for this year’s annual meeting of the NCCRT, members are requested to provide a brief summary of organizational activities focused on colorectal cancer screening since the last NCCRT meeting. New this year, we will be posting the reports to nccrt.org (with your permission), so please plan accordingly. We will only be accepting forms through our online form, but please let us know if you would like a Word copy to help organize your response. Only one response is needed per organization, so please coordinate with your colleagues who are also active in the NCCRT.

These reports will be shared with all members to allow us to see activities underway that contribute to our shared life-saving mission. Please fill out the report online no later than close of business Friday, December 1st.

New Blog Interview with AT&T, 80% by 2018 Partner

A new 80% by 2018 Blog is now live, featuring the work of AT&T, one of the largest organizations to make a commitment to advancing our shared goal to regularly screen 80% of adults ages 50 and over. Learn about AT&T’s innovative approach to increasing colorectal cancer awareness and screening among employees, including the important role of employee work groups and leadership, and how they were able to work with their health plan to track their screening rates. Special thanks to Ben Jackson and Monica Shadden of AT&T for sharing their incredible work with us, and to their ACS staff partner Steven Lange, who supported their work.

If you or your colleagues would like to share on social media, you are welcome to use our shortened URL (http://ow.ly/WL2dI) and/or to retweet/repost the messages we are sharing through @NCCRTnews and facebook.com/coloncancerroundtable.

Newly Updated Brief: What Can Employers Do To Advance the 80% Screening Goal?

Also published today is a new update to our brief on what employers can do to advance the 80% screening goal. Special thanks to Jessica Berger, Durado Brooks, Noel Huebner, Shelley MacAllister, Sarah Shafir, Gregg Walker, and Tracy Wiedt for their feedback on this new resource.

NCI Funding Opportunities: Accelerating Colorectal Cancer Screening and follow-up through Implementation Science (ACCSIS)

NCI has released two companion funding opportunity announcements (FOAs) associated with the Beau Biden Cancer Moonshot^SM Initiative intended to accelerate cancer research:

• Accelerating Colorectal Cancer Screening and follow-up through Implementation Science (ACCSIS) (UG3/UH3) [RFA-CA-17-038]
• Accelerating Colorectal Cancer Screening and follow-up through Implementation Science (ACCSIS) Coordinating Center (U24) [RFA-CA-17-039]

This purpose of this FOA is to promote research in colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, follow-up, and referral-to-care among target populations for whom screening rates are below national standards. This research will provide an evidence base for multilevel interventions that increase rates of CRC screening, follow-up, and referral-to-care, and best practices for how multilevel interventions can be scaled-up to reduce the burden of colorectal cancer on the United States (U.S.) population.

A pre-application webinar will be held on November 17th at 11:00am ET. Registration is required.

Application Due Date: January 18, 2018 by 5:00pm local time of applicant organization

Harvard Business Review, Sanford Health & 80% by 2018

Harvard Business Review published an article featuring Sanford Health, titled “Using Technology to Improve Rural Health Care,” and mentions their goal setting on 80% by 2018.  Among EMR platforms, Integrated depts., and telemedicine, they call out data transparency as a way to improve rural health care – including reaching 80% screening rate for colorectal cancer in 10 clinics.    Thank you to Angie Rolle and Durado Brooks for bringing this article to our attention.  You can visit the full article here. Congratulations to the team at Sanford Health!

Comparison of FIT and High Sensitivity Guaiac Tests for CRC Screening

A new study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology compared the performance characteristics of the HS-gFOBT Hemoccult II SENSA and two FITs (InSure FIT and OC FIT-CHEK) for detecting advanced colorectal neoplasia.  Visit this link to learn more.  Congratulations to NCCRT friends Jean Shapiro, TR Levin, Marion Nadel, David Lieberman, Ann Zauber, Djenaba Joseph and the other study authors!

Ask the Expert Article on the Trend of Increasing CRC Rates in Younger People

In the September issue of ASGE Connection, several of the top experts in CRC screening and prevention discuss the trend of increasing CRC rates in younger people.   NCCRT Members Mark Pochapin, Doug Rex and Anjee Davis are among the experts who provide comment.  Thank you to Gina Steiner of ASGE for sharing this article with us.

CDC’s Vital Signs Issue Focuses on the Association between Obesity and Cancer

CDC’s Vital Signs series focused last month on the association between overweight and obesity and at least 13 types of cancer, including colorectal cancer. Around 55% of cancers diagnosed in women and 24% of cancers diagnosed in men are overweight- and obesity-related cancers. About 2 in 3 occur in adults 50-74 years old.  The rate of non-overweight- and obesity-related cancer in the United States is going down, but increasing in overweight- and obesity-related cancers (except colorectal cancer). This Vital Signs details these facts and shows how everyone can work together to reduce cancer risk.

Participate in CMS Field Testing of Episode-Based Cost Measures Including for Colonoscopy by November 15

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is conducting a field test for eight episode-based cost measures before consideration of their potential use in the cost performance category of the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) of the Quality Payment Program, including for colonsocopy. During the field test, clinicians may access confidential feedback reports with information about their performance on these new measures. All stakeholders are also invited to comment on the measures and supplemental documents.

The field test is a voluntary opportunity for stakeholders to comment on the measure specifications and the report template for the eight measures in their current stage of development. This feedback will be considered in refining the measures and for future measure development activities.  Please provide comments through this online survey by 11:59 PM ET on November 15, 2017.

You may refer to the fact sheet or FAQs document for additional information. If you have any questions, please contact QPPCostMeasureTesting@ketchum.com.

Save the Date for Tuesday, November 28th Webinar on Colorectal Cancer Screening in American Indian & Alaska Native Communities

Join us on Tuesday, November 28th at 2:00pm ET for an NCCRT webinar, in which we will explore CRC screening in American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. This webinar will provide a brief overview of the NCCRT and ACS’s April 2016 summit on CRC and AI/AN communities and describe ACS’s recent grants to increase screening for AI/AN-serving primary care clinics. We will also hear from two AI/AN-serving organizations that are implementing innovative strategies to increase CRC screening in the communities they serve. Speakers will include: Laura Makaroff of ACS, Jessica Deaton of the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic, and Richard Mousseau of the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board. Save the date. Registration will be available soon.

The webinar is open to NCCRT members, 80% by 2018 partners, CDC grantees, ACS Health Systems and Communications staff, and new partners interested in getting engaged in colorectal cancer screening efforts. You must be registered to join the webinar.

Save the date for Thursday, November 30th Webinar on Employer Strategies to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening

Join us on Thursday, November 30th at 2:00pm ET for an ACS webinar on how employers can impact their employees’ health through colorectal cancer screening interventions. The webinar will begin with a brief introduction to steps employers can take to increase screening rates at their company and then feature three corporate partners who have implemented effective strategies. Speakers will include presenters from Ameren, AT&T, and Progressive Insurance. Advance registration is not required. Save the date and follow this link to join the webinar via Webex on November 30^th.

The webinar is open to NCCRT members, 80% by 2018 partners, CDC grantees, ACS Health Systems and Communications staff, and new partners interested in getting engaged in colorectal cancer screening efforts.

Post-2018 “Listening Tour”

We want to hear from you!  As was previously announced, we want your input on what comes after 80% by 2018!  Please complete this brief survey to provide feedback on what you would like to see.

The following email news update was shared with NCCRT members and partners on Monday, October 23rd, 2017. Sign up to subscribe to our regular email updates. 

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 caleb.levell@cancer.org

• 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 emily.edelman@jax.org 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, (caleb.levell@cancer.org) 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 Mary.Doroshenk@cancer.org 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.

The NCCRT, the American Cancer Society, Fight Colorectal Cancer, Stand Up To Cancer, the Mayo Clinic, the Entertainment Industry Foundation, Exact Sciences and many other partners were recognized over the weekend with the 2017 SCOPY (Service Award for Colorectal Cancer Outreach, Prevention and Year-Round Excellence) Spirit of Collaboration Award for the awareness event held in New York City’s Hard Rock Café on March 1.

If you recall, our Countdown to 2018 event featured Katie Couric, whose first husband died of colon cancer at age 42, and actor Luke Perry, whose best friend’s wife was diagnosed with the disease, interviewing lots of impressive people involved in the fight against colon cancer, including Richard Wender, MD, NCCRT chair and ACS chief cancer control officer.

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. Details of all the award winners can be found here.

Emily Bell, associate director of NCCRT, and Danielle Burgess, director of communication for Fight Colorectal Cancer, accepted the award on behalf of the partner organizations at an award ceremony on Sunday in Orlando, Florida.

“The 2017 SCOPY Award Winners deliver yet another class of extraordinary initiatives, meeting the high bar established in past years,” said Jordan J. Karlitz, MD, FACG, chair, ACG Public Relations Committee and associate professor of Clinical Medicine, Section of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Tulane Cancer Center, New Orleans, LA. “Many projects exhibit zeal and a fervent, ongoing commitment to community service, public health, and the national screening goal of 80% of eligible adults by 2018.”

Twenty-one projects were selected by a panel of three judges that included Dr. Karlitz; Patricia L. Raymond, MD, FACG, ACG Public Relations Committee, assistant professor of Clinical Internal Medicine, Eastern Virginia Medical School; and Eugenia Tsai, MD, GI Fellow, Tulane University School of Medicine.

“Year after year, the GI community demonstrates its remarkable dedication to support colorectal cancer (CRC) prevention,” said ACG President Carol A. Burke, MD, FACG. “The passion and dedication of ACG members to communicate the critical message of CRC screening and prevention is evident in every submission,” she added.

The following email news update was shared with NCCRT members and partners on Tuesday, October 3rd, 2017. Sign up to subscribe to our regular email updates. 

We have been thinking of our colleagues in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and now Las Vegas, and hope this email finds you and your loved ones safe.  Our work goes on, but please know, we are thinking of you.

Today 1:00pm ET 80% by 2018 Progress Webinar
Just a reminder to register for today’s webinar 80% by 2018 Progress, which will feature NCCRT Chair and ACS Chief Cancer Control Officer, Dr. Richard Wender.  The webinar will be held at 1:00pm ET today.  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.  This webinar will be open to NCCRT members, ACS staff, 80% by 2018 pledgers, CDC grantees and others interested in the effort.  You must be pre-registered to join the webinar.

NCCRT’s new website is now live!
Starting today, www.nccrt.org has a fresh new look with new features to make it even easier for you to find the tools and resources you need to support your work to increase colorectal cancer screening. New features include interactive maps that allow you to explore the partners that have pledged 80% by 2018 in each state; a new Resource Center, which is a searchable database that will allow you to identify and select evidence-based innovations and tools to help you in your work; and ways to share your signature tools and resources with our community. Watch this video (http://bit.ly/2hJxaGC) to take a guided tour of the new features. We also encourage you to share with your partners! You can adapt this message and retweet/repost the messages we’re sharing on @NCCRTnews and facebook.com/coloncancerroundtable.

A huge thank you to the many NCCRT friends who helped get the site where it is, including Melinda Baker, April Barry, Barry Berger, Heather Dacus, Anjee Davis, Andi Dwyer, Stacey Fedewa, David Greenwald, Heather Hampel, Djenaba Joseph, Elizabeth Mendes, Angela Moore, Lauren Rosenthal, Jennifer Sienko, Michael Sola, Tamar Wallace and especially, Emily Bell!

2017 Task Group Webinars  – Save the Date!
In preparation for this year’s NCCRT meeting we are making a few changes regarding our task group meeting structure for the 2017 Annual meeting (December 6^th, 7th, and 8th, 2017 at the DoubleTree Hilton in Bethesda, MD).  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 save the date for your task group’s webinar!

• Evaluation and Measurement – Monday, October 23 – 12 to 1 p.m.
• Community Health Centers – Friday, October 27 – 1 to 2 p.m.
• Family History and Early Age Onset CRC – Wednesday, November 1 – 12 to 1 p.m.
• Public Awareness and Social Media – Friday, November 3 – 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
• Professional Education and Practice Implementation – Thursday, November 9 – 1 to 2 p.m.
• Policy Action – TBD

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. We invite and encourage all NCCRT members to join us for these task group sessions, which we know will be lively and productive conversations on how we continue to advance our work. We hope you will be able to join us! Please email caleb.levell@cancer.org with questions or for more information.

Newly Revised Clinician’s Reference: Stool-Based Tests For Colorectal Cancer Screening
An updated version of the popular Clinician’s Reference resource on stool-based testing is now available. The resource is designed to introduce (or reintroduce) clinicians to the value of stool-based testing for colorectal cancer. It explains the different types of stool-based tests available—Fecal Immunochemical Tests (FIT), High-Sensitivity Fecal Occult Blood Tests (HS-gFOBT) and FIT-DNA testing—and provides guidance on implementing high quality stool-based screening programs. The resource now includes information on sensitivity and specificity for many of the most commonly used tests.

Special thanks to the following individuals, many from the NCCRT Professional Education and Practice Implementation Task Group, for reviewing past and current versions of this resource and contributing to this work: James Allison, Kim Andrews, Durado Brooks, Gloria Coronado, Debbie Kirkland, Theodore Levin, Dorothy Lane, Laura Makaroff, Marion Nadel, Kerstin Ohlander, Mike Potter, Robert Smith, Emily Bell and Richard Wender. We’d also like to thank the Comprehensive Cancer Control Program National Partners for providing funding support.

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, (caleb.levell@cancer.org) with your suggestions or with any questions related to the RFP. The deadline to email notification of intent to apply and ask questions is due October 20, 2017. The proposal due date is October 27, 2017. All questions and answers will be posted to this webpage.

CRC Screening Message Goes Viral!
Many of you may recall Dr. Andrew Albert with Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, our 80% by 2018 award winner from earlier this year. This past weekend, Dr. Albert started a social media campaign asking people anywhere/everywhere to put a sign on their backs to help raise awareness and wanted you to know about the campaign as well. Check out his facebook page for posts of individuals sharing their messages.  #backoffcoloncancer  See the coverage he has gotten on CBS Chicago. Congratulations to Dr. Albert for his work raising awareness!  View this video to learn more.

Catch It in Time Video
You may also enjoy this new video, Catch It In Time, featuring NCCRT Steering Committee Member, Dr. Dennis Ahnen. In the video, Dr. Ahnen shares his story of how his colorectal cancer was prevented. Thank you Dr. Ahnen for sharing your story!

Op Ed on Colonoscopy Copay Issue
An American Gastroenterology Association member recently was able to place an op-ed in the Philadelphia Inquirer about the colonoscopy cost-sharing issue. Congratulations to Dr. Shazia M. Siddique, who is with the division of gastroenterology at Penn Medicine and is a fellow at Penn’s Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, Center for Healthcare Improvement and Patient Safety.  Thank you to Kathleen Teixeira for sharing this Op Ed with us!

The following email news update was shared with NCCRT members and partners on Tuesday, September 21st, 2017. Please email nccrt@cancer.org to subscribe to our regular email updates.

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, (caleb.levell@cancer.org) with your suggestions or with any questions related to the RFP. The deadline to email notification of intent to apply and ask questions is due October 20, 2017. The proposal due date is October 27, 2017. All questions and answers will be posted to this webpage.

Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage month kicked off on September 15^th!  If you are conducting any initiatives related to the month, we encourage you to consider the advice and resources available in the NCCRT Hispanics/Latinos and Colorectal Cancer Companion Guide. The Companion Guide includes:

◾Perceptions about colorectal cancer and barriers to screening among unscreened Hispanics/Latinos

◾Recommendations for reaching unscreened Hispanics/Latinos

◾Spanish language tested messages

In addition, you may find this infographic with key messages, developed by the American Gastroenterological Association, useful to share with providers and public health professionals who are looking to reach this priority audience.   Many thanks to Hannah M. Herrington, Senior Patient Communications Manager for sharing this resource with us.

Coming Soon….nccrt.org is Getting an Update!
Starting October 3^rd, www.nccrt.org will have a fresh new look with new features to make it even easier for you to find the tools and resources you need to support your work to increase colorectal cancer screening.  New features will include interactive maps that allow you to explore the partners that have pledged 80% by 2018 in each state; a new Resource Center, which is a searchable database that will allow you to identify and select evidence-based innovations and tools to help you in your work; and ways to share your signature tools and resources with our community. Visit www.nccrt.org on October 3^rd to start exploring the new site!   A huge thank you to the many NCCRT friends who helped get the site where it is, including Melinda Baker, April Barry, Barry Berger, Heather Dacus, Anjee Davis, Andi Dwyer, Stacey Fedewa, David Greenwald, Heather Hampel, Djenaba Joseph, Elizabeth Mendes, Angela Moore, Lauren Rosenthal, Jennifer Sienko, Michael Sola, Tamar Wallace and especially, Emily Bell!

Success Story:  New Blog on Systems of Support to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening
Dr. Bev Green at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute wrote a blogpost about her work that was previously mentioned in CRC news.  Please feel free to share the link with others who might be interested. (Kaiser Permanente is @KPWaResearch on Twitter and Facebook.)   Many thanks to Dr. Chris Tachibana, Scientific Editor, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute for sharing the blog with us.

The 2017 80% by 2018 Partner Survey is Open
Our third annual 80% by 2018 Partner Survey should have arrived in your inbox last week by way of an email from NCCRT Chair Dr. Richard Wender. The survey is designed to help us better understand how the organization you represent is advancing colorectal cancer screening and how we can better support those efforts. We’re especially eager to get your feedback this year since it will help inform how we double down on our efforts in the last 16 months of the 80% by 2018 initiative and begin to plan our work beyond 2018. We would greatly appreciate it if you would complete the survey, using your personalized link included in the email, by Friday, September 29th.

Register for 80% by 2018 Progress Webinar, to be held on Tuesday, Oct. 3^rd at 1:00pm ET:
Just a reminder to register for a special upcoming webinar 80% by 2018 Progress, which will feature NCCRT Chair and ACS Chief Cancer Control Officer, Dr. Richard Wender.  The webinar will be held at 1:00pm ET on Tuesday, October 3^rd.  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.  This webinar will be open to NCCRT members, ACS staff, 80% by 2018 pledgers, CDC grantees and others interested in the effort.  You must be pre-registered to join the webinar.

National Hispanic Heritage Month is September 15th to October 15th!  If you are conducting any initiatives related to the month, we encourage you to consider the advice and resources available in the NCCRT Hispanics/Latinos and Colorectal Cancer Companion Guide. The Companion Guide includes:

◾Perceptions about colorectal cancer and barriers to screening among unscreened Hispanics/Latinos

◾Recommendations for reaching unscreened Hispanics/Latinos

◾Spanish language tested messages

In addition, you may find this infographic with key messages, developed by the American Gastroenterological Association, useful to share with providers and public health professionals who are looking to reach this priority audience. Many thanks to Hannah M. Herrington, Senior Patient Communications Manager for sharing this resource with us.

The following email news update was shared with NCCRT members and partners on Tuesday, September 12th, 2017. Please email nccrt@cancer.org to subscribe to our regular email updates.

The 2017 80% by 2018 Partner Survey Launches Today
Our third annual 80% by 2018 Partner Survey will arrive in your inbox later this afternoon by way of an email from NCCRT Chair Dr. Richard Wender. The survey is designed to help us better understand how the organization you represent is advancing colorectal cancer screening and how we can better support those efforts. We’re especially eager to get your feedback this year since it will help inform how we double down on our efforts in the last 16 months of the 80% by 2018 initiative and begin to plan our work beyond 2018. We would greatly appreciate it if you would take the time to complete the survey. Please watch for the email from Dr. Wender, which will include your personal survey link.

Register for 80% by 2018 Progress Webinar, to be held on Tuesday, Oct. 3^rd at 1:00pm ET:
Please register for a special upcoming webinar 80% by 2018 Progress, which will feature NCCRT Chair and ACS Chief Cancer Control Officer, Dr. Richard Wender. The webinar will be held at 1:00pm ET on Tuesday, October 3^rd. 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. This webinar will be open to NCCRT members, ACS staff, 80% by 2018 pledgers, CDC grantees and others interested in the effort. You must be pre-registered to join the webinar.

Change at this Year’s Meeting of the NCCRT – Task Groups will Meet on Wednesday, December 6^th from 5:00pm to 6:30pm.
Please note – there will be a change to the scheduling of the NCCRT Task Group meetings at this year’s NCCRT annual meeting, to be held December 7th and 8th in Bethesda, MD. This year, the Steering Committee is recommending that the Task Group meetings be held during the pre-conference session on Wednesday evening, December 6th from 5:00pm to 6:30pm.

The reason for this change is that as the NCCRT meeting attendance continues to grow, there is an inevitable influx of new attendees, including to the task group meetings. We believe that by moving the Task Group sessions to the pre-conference session, the attendees who self-select to come to the task group meetings will be more interested and motivated to participate in task group work, both at the meeting and year round.

Further, Task Group meeting attendees will be required to participate in (or watch a replay of) a short task group webinar, the dates of which will be announced in the next CRC News. 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.

These changes have been made after careful review of the 2016 year meeting evaluations. We will, of course, evaluate how this new format is received and will continue to make changes to try and ensure that you each feel you have a productive and engaged task group with which to work year round. Please plan for this new time accordingly. We hope you will be able to join your task group on December 6^th! Please email caleb.levell@cancer.org with questions or for more information.

Welcome to New NCCRT Members!
We are pleased to announce the addition of two new NCCRT Member organizations, UT Southwestern (UTSW)/Moncrief Cancer Institute (MCI), which will be represented by Dr. Keith Argenbright and Stacie Miller, as well as the University of Chicago’s Center for Asian Health Equity, which will be represented by Dr. Karen Kim and Fornessa Randal.  Please join me in extending a warm welcome to these new NCCRT Members!

Relevant Journal Articles

• A new study published in Gastroenterology found that a financial incentive resulted in modestly higher screening colonoscopy uptake. Study authors performed a randomized controlled trial of 2245 employees of a large health care system to determine whether an email containing a phone number for scheduling (control), an email with the active choice to opt in or opt out (active choice), or the active choice email plus a $100 incentive (financial incentive) increased colonoscopy completion within 3 months. Higher proportions of participants in the financial incentive group underwent screening (3.7%) than in the control (1.6%) or active choice groups (1.5%). They found no difference in uptake of screening between the active choice and control groups. The $100 conditional incentive modestly, but significantly increased colonoscopy use. According to the article, previous data suggest that some patients become motivated to undergo colorectal cancer screening by financial incentives, which may be reasonable given the cost-effectiveness of screening.  Congratulations to study author, Dr. Chyke Doubeni, as well as to the other authors.  Thank you to NCCRT Steering Committee member, Dr. Heather Hampel for sharing this article with us.
• A new CDC study published in Preventing Chronic Disease examined the feasibility of using practice facilitation to assist federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in increasing colorectal cancer screening rates in North Carolina.  Overall, the percentage of eligible patients with a documented colorectal cancer screening recommendation increased from 15% to 29%. The percentage of patients up to date with colorectal cancer screening rose from 23% to 34%. Key informants in all 3 clinics said the implementation support from the practice facilitator was critical for initiating or improving office systems.  The study concluded that practice facilitation is a feasible, acceptable, and promising approach for supporting universal colorectal cancer screening in FQHCs. A larger-scale study is warranted.  Congratulations to study author, Dr. Catherine Rohweder, as well as to the other authors.  Thank you to Randy Schwartz for bringing this article to our attention.

New Public Use Database Covers 100% of U.S. Population
CDC has released a public use research NPCR and SEER Incidence – United States Cancer Statistics database that provides cancer data from all 50 U.S. states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. This is the first time combined data from the CDC’s National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR) and NCI’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program have been made available in this format.

New Preventive Services Tool for Providers and Practices from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
This new educational tool from CMS provides the following information on Medicare preventive services: Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS)/Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes; International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) diagnosis codes; coverage requirements; frequency requirements; and Medicare beneficiary liability for each Medicare preventive service.

Watch the CMS Provider Minute: Preventive Services video for pointers to help you submit sufficient documentation when billing for certain preventive services.  Many thanks to Barry Berger for bringing this resource to our attention!

Congratulations to the 22 State Teams that Attended our July and September 80% by 2018 Forums!
Congratulations to twenty-two (22) state teams that attended one of two 80% by 2018 Forums held in Atlanta, GA earlier this summer.  All teams include six (6) organizations/key members.  Selected teams for the July forum were: Arkansas, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, and Rhode Island.  Selected teams for the September Forum were: Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, North Dakota, South Carolina, Washington, Illinois, Kansas, Montana, Ohio, and West Virginia.  The forums were sponsored by CDC, the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, the NCCRT, NACDD, NACHC, HRSA and other national partners.  Participants received training on topics such as reaching out to partners and stakeholders, enhancing patient navigation systems, and communication strategies for clinics and health systems, all while working toward development of a state colorectal cancer screening action plan.  Special thanks to the many experts who served as speakers, facilitators, planning committee members and subject matter experts.  It was an incredible effort with many hands helping!

15th Annual How Do You Measure Up? Report – American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
Some of you may be interested in this report from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, which was released last month, How Do You Measure Up?  The report is now live on acscan.org where you can download the full version. The report is an annual snapshot of key state policies, particularly important as the nation is looking toward more state-driven solutions to address chronic disease prevention and access to health coverage.  There is a special two page section in the report on 80% by 2018 and features a CRC screening legislative success story from Arkansas.  Congratulations to our friends in Arkansas!

Community Health Centers Receive Recognition from the American Cancer Society
In honor of last month’s National Health Center Week, the American Cancer Society (ACS) recognized outstanding achievement among community health centers with the ACS’s first-ever national community health center awards. These national awards recognize the best CHCs in seven categories: health screening, public housing, homeless, agricultural worker, consumer board, and children’s health.  Please join me in congratulating all the winners, including:

• Peoples Community Health Clinic, Waterloo, IA
  Award category: health screenings (colorectal cancer screening)
• Legacy Community Health, Houston, TX
  Award category: health screenings (colorectal cancer screening)
• Hudson River HealthCare, Peekskill, NY
  Award category: consumer board member (winner: Alan Steiner, HRH Board of Directors chair for support of colorectal cancer screening)

Read more about the awards, as well as the other winners in this blog from Dr. Richard Wender.