Michigan Cancer Consortium - Awards by Year

Every year since 2001, the Michigan Cancer Consortium has presented its highest honor — the MCC Spirit of Collaboration Award — to member organizations that have done outstanding collaborative work to significantly move comprehensive cancer control activities forward in our state. During the 2003 MCC Annual Meeting, the following organizations were presented with 2003 MCC Spirit of Collaboration awards in recognition of their exceptional work leading collaborative efforts on behalf of the MCC Initiative.

Clinical/Cost Database Linkage
MCC priority objective addressed: Clinical and Cost Data

Collaborative partners in the project:

Project description: Using existing sources of data, this group has worked to develop a more comprehensive information system for the evaluation of issues relative to cancer screening, cancer care, and cancer outcomes. Specifically, linked files of cancer registry data with Medicaid claims data have led to a series of groundbreaking studies on the cancer experience in Michigan's Medicaid population.

Work is also underway to expand the information relative to the Medicaid population and to develop similar data files of Michigan's Medicare population, as well as the fee-for-service portion of Blue Cross Blue Shield participants.

All of these activities are intended, on an ongoing basis, to determine the feasibility and value of this type of data file development for evaluation of cancer health care delivery, cancer costs, and cancer outcomes in Michigan.

Colorectal Cancer Awareness Network
MCC priority objective addressed: Colorectal Cancer

Collaborative partners in the project:

Project description: The mission of the Colorectal Cancer Awareness Network (CRAN) is to promote, through public education, colorectal cancer awareness and the importance of screening among all Michigan men and women.

The primary expected outcomes for the Network is an increase in the number of colorectal cancer public awareness activities being implemented, as well as facilitation of collaboration between participant organizations.

Desired long-term outcomes include an increase in colorectal cancer screening rates and, ultimately, a decrease in colorectal cancer mortality rates.

Improving Cancer Outcomes of African Americans in Michigan
MCC priority objective addressed: Clinical Trials

Collaborative partners in the project:

Project description: A collaborative, multi-site project was initiated among five African-American communities in Detroit, Flint, Lansing, Pontiac, and Saginaw. In each community, African-American leaders were identified to form Design Teams to assist in developing a plan to communicate the messages of: 1) cancer awareness and prevention; 2) early detection methods; and 3) cancer clinical trials.

Desired outcomes include: 1) greater community awareness and understanding of cancer, cancer prevention, and cancer clinical trials; 2) increased utilization rates of cancer screening programs; and 3) increased participation in cancer clinical trials among African Americans in Michigan.

Standardized Pathology Lexicon for Breast, Prostate and Colorectal Cancers
MCC priority objective addressed: Standardized Lexicons

Collaborative partners in the project:

Project description: In September 2003, a consensus on a standardized pathology lexicon was developed among pathologists from representative institutions and geographic areas of the state. More specifically, these pathologists agreed on the minimum and the optimal essential elements that should comprise a pathology report on a specimen of breast, prostate or colorectal cancer.

In addition, a consensus regarding formatting of the information in this group's report also will be obtained. The format will be compared to the elements required by tumor registrars in diverse institutions and areas of the state and by the tumor registry of the State of Michigan. The formatting also will be compared for compatibility and ease of data extraction and interpretation.

The desired outcome of this project is to facilitate the statewide adoption and use of the standardized lexicon.

Honorable Mentions
The Consortium also recognized the efforts of the following organizations with the presentation of 2003 MCC Spirit of Collaboration Honorable Mention Awards for their leadership of exemplary collaborative projects on behalf of the MCC Initiative and comprehensive cancer control efforts in Michigan.

Cervical Cancer Community Collaboration
MCC priority objective addressed: Cervical Cancer

Collaborative partners in the project:

Project description: The public health departments serving five Michigan counties (Berrien, Cheboygan, Gratiot, Luce, and Sanilac) that had been identified as having high cervical cancer rates, applied for, and received, funding from the Michigan Department of Community Health to address this problem in their areas.

The health departments established relationships and shared ideas regarding how they could address the high incident rate of cervical cancer in their respective counties. Programs and plans for each county were developed at this level.

Participants were able to complete a county needs assessment, increase community awareness of cervical cancer, form a community task force to address cervical cancer, and form a community group of key women to assist in this endeavor.

End-of-Life Professional Education at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Michigan Update Conference
MCC priority objective addressed: End-of-Life Care

Collaborative partners in the project:

Project description: In 2003, highlights from the national meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) were presented, for the seventh year, to practicing Michigan oncologists who were not able to attend the national meeting. This year, for the first time, end-of-life topics were included on the agenda

It is unlikely that this topic would have been considered without the MCC's defining belief of the importance of member organizations working together to address the priority objectives. Based upon participant evaluations, it is likely that end-of-life topics will be included in subsequent annual Michigan ASCO update conferences.

FREE2BE
MCC priority objectives addressed: Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer

Collaborative partners in the project:

Project description: The American Cancer Society, Great Lakes Division, collaborated with the Michigan Department of Community Health and the Meridian Advertising Co. on a promotional campaign to publicize Michigan's Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program (BCCCP). The campaign included mailings to potential BCCCP clients and providers, billboards, transit ads, and public service announcements.

The six-month campaign raised awareness of the need for breast and cervical cancer screening. The special ACS toll-free number received 2,850 calls, and 405 women were enrolled as new clients of the BCCCP.

Linking Women from Kent County Health Department Women's Health Network with Cancer Clinical Trials
MCC priority objectives addressed: Breast Cancer, Clinical Trials

Collaborative partners in the project:

Project description: The Kent County Health Department Women's Health Network and the Grand Rapids Community Clinical Oncology Program have joined forces to: 1) promote the importance of regular screenings for breast cancer; 2) explain the purpose of cancer clinical trials; and 3) enroll eligible women in the breast cancer prevention/Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene (STAR) clinical trial.

Since January 2003, dedicated efforts have been, and are continuing to be, made to ensure that every participant with the Women's Health Network Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program (BCCCP) has been told of the STAR clinical trial and offered risk assessments. A particular focus of this collaboration is the enrollment of more minority women into the STAR clinical trial.

last updated: 01/26/04


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