As people emerged from the pandemic in 2022, Chicago Family Health Center was startled to see more patients coming in with advanced cancer.
“We're also concerned that we were seeing younger population, especially in the in the colorectal area,” said Susan Oyetunde, the chief medical director for Chicago Family Health Center
The community health center started pushing to get at-home colorectal cancer screening kits, called FIT tests, into more hands and that effort just got a big financial boost from Bank of America, in the form of a four-year initiative called “Collaboration for Equitable Health.”
Chicago-based community relations manager Julie Chavez said the initiative will distribute $25 million to community-based organizations in 11 cities, including Chicago.
“There's a lot of people that that really are trying to reduce the various aspects of health inequities for our communities of color, Black and Latino communities in Chicago,” Chavez said.
In Chicago, the focus is on cancer and the American Cancer Society is working with Sinai Chicago, Lawndale Christian Health Center and Chicago Family Health Center to fight colorectal cancer.
“They've been working for many years on these various issues, but how can we elevate the work that they're doing to bring education, awareness, prevention,” Chavez said.
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The collaboration aims to meet people where they live and work, removing barriers that would prevent someone from not just getting screened, but getting the proper follow-up care as well.
“We don't want these patients waiting if they don't have to. Fortunately, Sinai Chicago has a new facility that we can refer the patients to, they can turn them around and get them appointments within a couple of weeks,” said Loraine Moreno, director of women's health for Chicago Family Health Center.
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A breast cancer survivor herself, Moreno knows timely access to care and regular screenings can make all the difference.
Since the launch of the colorectal screening initiative, Chicago Family Health Center has seen colorectal cancer screening rates go from 17% of the population to 25% and it continues to trend upward.
“We're very happy to see that. And we are fully committed to continue to do this, because we've seen that the early diagnosis actually improves the outcome for the patients,” Oyetunde said.
