Mainline Health Systems Inc. Receives $55,000 Arkansas Cancer Coalition Grant
October 14th, 2024 by Submitted
Jeni Barham, RN, Chief Quality/Compliance Officer (left) and Katie McDougald, RN, Clinical Quality Director (right).
Mainline Health is proud to announce that it has been awarded a $55,000 grant from the Arkansas Cancer Coalition for “Operation Prevent & Detect.” This generous grant will be instrumental in advancing the quality and efficiency of our department’s efforts to reach more patients and promote the importance of cancer screenings.
The grant funds will be specifically allocated to increasing the accessibility and awareness of screenings for breast, colon, and cervical cancer. These types of cancers can be effectively managed and treated when detected early, and Mainline Health is committed to encouraging our community to take proactive steps in their health care.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Arkansas Cancer Coalition for their support,” said Jeni Barham at Mainline Health. “This grant will allow us to improve our outreach and education initiatives, ensuring that more individuals are informed about the importance of regular screenings and can access these life-saving services.”
Mainline Health plans to utilize the grant to enhance department operations, streamline patient outreach, and ultimately increase breast, cervical, and colon cancer screening numbers. By increasing screening participation rates, particularly in underserved populations, Mainline Health aims to make a significant impact on early detection and cancer prevention in the community.
About Arkansas Cancer Coalition
In 1992, the Arkansas breast cancer control program began, and one year later, the Arkansas Cancer Control Coalition formed to support and monitor the state’s breast cancer control plan. This coalition joined forces with the Arkansas Department of Health’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program to initiate a five-year agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide services for early detection of breast and cervical cancer. Through partnerships with YWCA EncorePlus, the American Cancer Society, The Witness Project and the Arkansas affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Arkansans were given access to early detection in 1995.
The coalition led the way for the passage of The Breast Cancer Act of 1997. This act appropriated $4 million in state general revenue with backup funding from a tobacco tax to provide breast cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment and research. The state funding complemented CDC funds to ensure a timely diagnosis and treatment for eligible Arkansas women.
In 1998, Arkansas was selected to participate in a case study of cancer prevention and control conducted by Battelle Centers for Health Research and Evaluation, a contractor of CDC. Arkansas was selected based on previous attempts at comprehensive cancer planning, the degree of centralization of public health functions, presence of a cancer registry and resources available to support cancer planning activities. Later that year, Arkansas submitted a Comprehensive Cancer Control grant application and was designated a CDC planning state but did not receive funding. Following the release of the Battelle report in September 1998, ADH formed an internal taskforce for comprehensive cancer planning and began participating in monthly planning activities.
The first comprehensive cancer conference, the Arkansas Cancer Summit, took place in September 2000 and later that year the framework for a statewide comprehensive cancer control plan began to emerge. By the end of 2000, the Arkansas Cancer Control Coalition and ADH’s comprehensive cancer planning taskforce merged to form the Arkansas Cancer Coalition. In November 2001, the Arkansas Cancer Plan: A Framework for Action was published and led the way for implementation funding from CDC.
Over the next decade the Arkansas Cancer Coalition grew to serve almost 1,000 members, more than doubled in dedicated staff and increased sustainability through acquisition of multiple grant awards.
About Mainline Health Systems
Since 1978, Mainline Health Systems has served the residents of Southeast Arkansas with a compassionate approach and a commitment to the highest standard of medical, dental, and behavioral health care. From its first office in Portland all those years ago, Mainline Health Systems has grown to 33 locations across Ashley, Bradley, Chicot, Cleveland, Drew, Grant, Lincoln, and Pulaski counties. To learn more about Mainline Health Systems Inc., visit their website at www.mainlinehealth.net.
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