During the 2001 MCC Annual Meeting, the following organizations
were presented with 2001 MCC Spirit of Collaboration awards in recognition
of their exceptional work leading collaborative efforts on behalf of the
MCC Initiative.
Improving
Breast Cancer Screening Rates in Managed Care Addressing:
Breast Cancer
Collaborative partners in the project:
Project description: HAP and the ACS joined forces
in February 2001 to improve screening rates for breast cancer within HAP,
a major managed care system affiliated with the Henry Ford Health System
in Detroit.
The intervention involved promotion by HAP of the ACS "Tell-a-Friend"
Program, which recruits women and asks them to "tell a friend" about the
benefits of getting a mammogram. These women not only keep track of their
own mammograms, but track on their family and friends' mammograms.
HAP serves 3,500 employer groups and more than 550,000 covered lives,
so the potential impact of this collaborative project is very large.
Michigan State University Program in Palliative Care
Education and Research (MSU)
Project description: MHPCO and MSU were honored
for their leadership of the Michigan Partnership for the Advancement of
End-of-Life Care.
The Partnership, which addresses the MCC priority objective regarding
end-of-life care, received a three-year, $450,000 grant from the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation to support its efforts. Led by MHPCO and MSU,
the Partnership is composed of 40 prominent Michigan organizations and
associations that further support the Partnership's goals with in-kind
contributions.
The Partnership has three major goals:
identify and address the end-of-life care educational
needs of medical, nursing, pharmacy, social work, and pastoral care
students;
develop guidelines for effective pain management and
end-of-life care in nursing facilities and facilitate their adoption;
and
develop community resources that support citizens'
ability to play an active role in their end-of-life care decision making.
Although only midway through its grant, the Partnership
has made considerable progress and expects to sustain its efforts and
create long-lasting outcomes.
Project description: MSHO was honored for its
leadership of the Michigan Working Group to Improve Cancer Outcomes, formed
to help increase participation in cancer clinical trials in Michigan by
securing full coverage by insurers for such trials.
Convened in April 2000 by MSHO, this working group includes 21 other diverse
organizations. To date, the group has produced a consensus document for
health care coverage of routine patient care costs associated with oncology
clinical trials that currently is in the process of being endorsed by
CEOs of all participating organizations.
The product from the significant efforts of this group will remove the
barrier posed by lack of insurance coverage for participation in cancer
clinical trials, thus benefitting cancer patients, providers, payers,
and researchers in the years to come.
Project description: HFHS and UofM CCC were honored
for their leadership of the Prostate Cancer Patient Survey Project.
Many of the organizations that developed the strategic plan for the Michigan
Cancer Consortium's prostate cancer priority are continuing to participate
in the current committee charged with implementing the Prostate Cancer
Action Plan.
The committee, composed of urologists, oncologists, nurses, researchers,
patient survivors, and representatives from the Michigan Department of
Community Health, with support from many other organizations, is currently
administering a survey to newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients to
determine the educational needs of such patients in order to enable them
to make informed decisions about their treatment options.
Each member of the committee either has contributed patients or has helped
to establish contacts within the diverse populations of the state of Michigan
with a focus on African American men. Survey results will be used to assess
existing and/or develop appropriate patient education materials.
The work of this committee is expected to create improved outcomes for
men diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Project description: The ACS, MPRO, and The
Detroit Free Press were honored for their collaborative partnership
to improve awareness and access to mammography facilities in Michigan
by developing and distributing Michigan Mammography Guide 2001. To develop this comprehensive guidebook to Michigan mammography facilities,
every Michigan mammography facility was contacted to determine its interest
in being included in the listings; most chose to be included.
Data was gathered through use of a survey requesting information on facility
location, costs, waiting times, participation with Medicare, availability
of extended hours, etc.
The guide has been distributed to Michigan mammography facilities, numerous
libraries, ACS offices, and others. A Web edition of the guide also is
available. Additionally, The Detroit Free Press published a 14-page
supplement of the guide, providing the publication to its one million-plus
subscribers.
Consumers looking for a mammography facility that meets their needs will
greatly benefit from this resource, as will providers who make referrals.