Welcome to the latest edition of CRC News, the American Cancer Society National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable (ACS NCCRT) periodic newsletter for ACS NCCRT members working toward our shared goal to reach 80% in Every Community.

Nominations Open for the ACS NCCRT’s National Achievement Awards! 

Awards Highlight Exemplary Efforts to Increase CRC Screening 

The ACS NCCRT is pleased to announce our annual call for nominations for the 80% in Every Community National Achievement Awards, a competitive recognition program that seeks to highlight colorectal cancer screening success stories by recognizing individuals and organizations who are dedicating their time, talent and expertise to advancing the shared goal to reach colorectal cancer screening rates of 80% and higher in communities across the nation. 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.  

Each award winner receives a monetary award to support continued efforts to increase CRC screenings, as well as having their work highlighted throughout the next year by the ACS NCCRT on a national stage. Submissions are open until Monday, November 20, 2023, at 11:59pm ET.  

Nominate yourself or other outstanding partners—multiple nominations are accepted!—for the ACS NCCRT’s 80% in Every Community National Achievement Awards and highlight their hard work to increase CRC Screening! 

Updated Agenda Now Available:

Register for the 2023 ACS NCCRT Annual Meeting by November 8th

We hope you are planning to join us at the 2023 ACS NCCRT Annual Meeting on November 15-17, 2023 in Houston, Texas! We are pleased to share that an updated working agenda is now available to view on the meeting webpage. We are excited to welcome so many esteemed researchers, public health practitioners, and policy leaders to our program, with ample opportunity for our members to discuss and engage with their peers.  

Be sure to complete your registration before registration closes on November 8 at 11:59 PM PT. Plus, hotel rooms are filling up fast! Follow the link in the registration website to book your hotel stay in our room block. 

To register, look for your email invitation from “The NCCRT Team” in your inbox or spam/junk folders. Visit the meeting webpage to view the working agenda and learn about sponsorship opportunities. 

Opportunity to promote upcoming events and recently released resources: If you are attending the annual meeting as and ACS NCCRT member and would like to promote an upcoming no-cost event or recently released (2023) resource that is directly relevant to colorectal cancer screening, please prepare a single, widescreen PowerPoint slide and email it to [email protected] by end of day Monday, October 30. Slides will be shared in a rotating deck during the networking lunch on Thursday, November 16th. 

Strategic Priority Team Name Change 

Learn about Changes to ACS NCCRT’s Community-Focused Strategic Priority Team 

We are again excited to host six Strategic Priority Team (SPT) workshops at this year’s ACS NCCRT Annual Meeting. The SPTs are incredibly vital to our success, as they identify emerging issues and critical opportunities surrounding colorectal cancer, and ultimately propel the goals of the 80% in Every Community campaign. 

To better serve our members and align our objectives, we will be changing the name of the Professional Education & Practice Implementation, Community Stakeholders SPT, often referred to as “PEPI-Community” to “State-Based Initiatives.” 

Lead by Katie Bathje, Strategic Director, Comprehensive Cancer Control Initiatives at the American Cancer Society (ACS), and Nikki Hayes, Chief, Comprehensive Cancer Control Branch, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we hope this change will help make the intentions and focus of the group clearer. We feel this is an opportunity for ACS NCCRT to better support community-level activities by learning from and engaging more closely with state coalitions, roundtables, their partners, and state screening programs. The focus of this group will be to identify opportunities to leverage our national-level campaign with state-based coalitions and programs through proactive communication, networking, and development of resources to improve colorectal cancer screening and awareness in communities. 

If you already registered under the previous group name, you will be automatically registered for the group under the new name. If you’re not sure which group you registered to attend or want to change your selection, let us know by emailing [email protected].  

Vice Chair Nomination Process Update:

Contribute to Our Search for a New ACS NCCRT Vice Chair

The ACS NCCRT is continuing to seek nominations for a new Vice Chair to serve with ACS NCCRT Chair, Dr. Steven Itzkowitz. This important role for the Roundtable helps establish national colorectal cancer control priorities, provides guidance to ACS NCCRT staff, and supports the development and dissemination of ACS NCCRT resources. Nominees can be self-selected or nominated by a colleague, preferably from a participating ACS NCCRT member. 

If you are interesting in submitting a nominee, or would like to self-nominate, please complete the following form or reach out to Kaitlin Sylvester at [email protected] for more information. Interest can be submitted at any time. Nomination materials—CV and statement of interest—must be received by December 5th at 12:00pm ET. 

The ACS NCCRT Nomination Committee will convene to prepare a nomination slate and a new Vice Chair will be selected through a virtual voting process in early 2024. 

In Case You Missed It:

New ACS NCCRT Resource on Tailoring CRC Screening Messaging

Do you promote colorectal cancer screening in the communities you serve? While the recent ACS NCCRT guide, “Tailoring Colorectal Cancer Screening Messaging: A Practical Coalition Guide”, is aimed at coalitions as the key audience, any organizations that promotes screening can learn from this resource. This resource shares tips and lessons learned from five diverse organizations that have recently completed a colorectal cancer screening tailored messaging campaign. The step-by-step guide provides practical tips and strategies as well as successful case studies to walk organizations through the process. 

Welcome to Our Newest ACS NCCRT Members!

We are pleased to announce the addition of four new ACS NCCRT member organizations and corporate associates: 

• Cheeky Charity
• DC Health
• Grail  
• Iowa Primary Care Association
• Minnesota Association of Community Clinics
• University of Arkansas Medical Center Office of Health Initiatives and Disparities

Please join us in extending a warm welcome to these new members! Interested in applying for membership? Visit our website to learn about criteria for membership and to apply.  

Many thanks for the great work you do!

The NCCRT Team

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