Project 3 - Community Health Improvement Project
Community Outreach
Liberty and Galveston counties have been involved in community-based interventions that animates the community to effectively address priorities for reducing or eliminating cancer health disparities
- The Liberty County Cancer Awareness Network (CAN) designed a book mark summarizing key cancer facts and promoting screening for use as a community penetration strategy.
- Developed a bilingual, low literacy seven module cancer education program adapted from the very successful prototype used in the Piney Woods Project.
- Completed three rounds of training of community volunteers, including prominent leaders in faith-based organizations in the Hispanic and African American Communities and among civic leaders in the Non Hispanic White Communities.
- Formed a partnership with The Rose (a non-profit organization to provide breast cancer prevention and control services to low income women) to provide screening mammography and follow-up services in Liberty County. The Rose started to provide these services to Liberty County women this year.
- Developed and made a formal presentation on March 2, 2006 for the Liberty County Commissioner’s Court to influence budget allocations for indigent screening and follow-up care for the upcoming fiscal year. This request is winding its way through the budgetary planning process.
- Obtained $18,000 of Liberty County financial support to improve the transportation system inside and around the county to improve access to cancer screening and treatment facilities.
- Conducted a three-wave community survey with nearly six hundred respondents that assess facets of cancer knowledge, utilization pathways, barriers to cancer screening utilization, such as insurance, transportation, etc.
- We have disseminated preliminary findings through oral and poster presentations at national meetings including the American Public Health Association. Two articles, representing more complete studies, are currently under review and several more are in preparation.
