The Connecticut Early Detection and Prevention Program, a statefunded effort to promote prevention and early detection of cancer and other health issues overseen by the Hartford HealthCare Cancer Institute’s Outreach Program, has been recognized for “going above and beyond” in performance standards by the state Department of Public Health and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The program offers services for women 21 and over who are either uninsured or meet income eligibility guidelines across the state, providing preventive services including pap smears, clinical breast exams, mammograms, pelvic exams and other services at no cost. The program also features preventive services known as WISEWOMAN, offering women 30 and over with cardiovascular disease screenings including blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, BMI and height and weight. All women who are a part of the program are provided with health counseling by a certified dietician or health coach.
Any patient who has abnormal results or alerts in either breast or cervical cancer screenings or WISEWOMAN programs is referred to a health system navigator and clinical navigator for care. The program is being recognized for operating under budget constraints to implement the WISEWOMAN program and finding creative ways to meet patients in their communities. For example, the
program partnered with Women’s Health Connecticut and Hartford Hospital Mobile Mammography to hold a Women’s Wellness Day at Windham Hospital where women received all services they were due for, and were screened and counseled through the WISEWOMAN program in the same day.
The Connecticut Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program-Community, Family and Health Equity Section for the Public Health Initiatives Branch of the state Department of Public Health asked the program to provide a presentation Nov. 2 on its team-based approach.