| Working Together...Quarterly
Montana Cancer Control Coalition
August 2011
Fall Edition
The first five people to read the newsletter will receive a free MTCCC coffee/tea mug! Just find the hidden code within the newsletter and send an email to cancerinfo@mt.gov with the code in the subject line. You will receive a confirmation email whether or not you have won! |
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Cheryl Hackett 2011 Bette Bohlinger Award Winner | |
Cheryl Hackett, a clinical nurse educator with Benefis Education Services in Great Falls was awarded the 2011 Bette Bohlinger Leadership Award at the Montana Cancer Control Coalition (MTCCC) Statewide Meeting in May.
Lt. Governor John Bohlinger presented the award to Hackett. The award was created by the Montana Cancer Contol Coalition in memory of Bette Bohlinger to honor someone who encourages and inspires others in the group. Award recipient Cheryl Hackett has been part of the MTCCC since its founding in 2003.
"It means a lot to me because it just shows that anybody can step up and work within the cancer arena and we can all work to increase awareness and knowledge and decrease the burden of cancer for Montanans," says Hackett.
As immediate Past Co-Chair, Cheryl communicates the vision and mission of the MTCCC and also is effective in empowering the Steering Committee and Teams to strive to achieve and recognize early success. She is a quiet leader and a good listener as she develops and works alongside her colleagues in Cancer Control.
Cheryl has served on the Early Detection and Communications teams. She has a long involvement with local cancer screening efforts and has led the development of several local screening clinics.
Cheryl is active on the American Cancer Society Advisory Board and the Great Falls Cancer Control Coalition. She recognizes and supports the strong partnerships provided to MTCCC and works to identify potential collaborations with other organizational partners.
Sue Warren who nominated Cheryl for the award states "Cheryl's leadership over the past two years has helped our Implementation Teams and Coalition as a whole reach completion of our 1st Cancer Control Plan and carefully positioned us for success for the next 5 years."
Congratulations Cheryl and thank you for your commitment to the Montana Cancer Control Coalition.
Terry Egan
Communications Committee |
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Upcoming Conference on Survivorship Care Plans | |
One goal currently being addressed by MTCCC members who are focused on Quality of Life is to promote survivorship care planning for oncology patients, and increase the number of CoC-accredited cancer centers that offer survivorship care planning in Montana. This is important in the life of a cancer survivor. Following treatment, patients are left with many feelings and unanswered questions - a feeling of loss as they "step into the world" as a cancer survivor, questioning what happened to them, what they need to be concerned about, and experiencing ambiguity about what the next steps are to find a sense of health. A Survivorship Plan is a document that is given and explained to the patient following treatment that outlines all these concerns.
In order to help facilitate this, Cancer Centers need tools to determine how to design an effective Plan, ways to deliver it so it can be heard and understood by the patient, as well as how to get it reimbursed and implemented effectively within the Cancer Treatment setting. Our strategy is to collaborate with physicians and other practitioners to share survivorship care plan template options that follow Institute of Medicine standards. To do this, we have planned to implement a conference on November 9, 2011 in Helena, in coordination with the MTCCC statewide meeting, and invite representatives from all 6 CoC centers to attend. We will provide education and equip them with tools and best practices for offering survivorship care plans. The agenda and speakers are being developed and invites will be sent no later than September 15.
Working together, Montana can be a leader in providing comprehensive cancer care to all patients.
Becky Franks, Executive Director
Cancer Support Community Montana
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Administrative Board: Beginnings and Endings | July 2011 officially kicks off the beginning of the 2011-2016 Montana Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan (CCC Plan). It is so exciting to see how all of you have embraced the new plan and have begun moving forward on this first year's priority objectives. As we begin this new chapter of cancer control efforts in Montana, however, we also are saying goodbye to an advocate and visionary that has been an integral part of our journey. Dr. Barb Lloyd has chosen to resign her position as MTCCC Co-Chair and pursue other interests in her retirement.
As most of y ou know, Dr. Lloyd was a general surgeon with an active practice and a passion for treating cancer. She and a small group of others within the state initiated the cancer control movement as national partners began to work on this important topic. She helped to bring the right players to the table to get cancer control efforts to the forefront of healthcare in Montana, and was a leading voice and visionary in the drafting of the first 5 year Montana CCC Plan. When she retired from her clinical practice, she took an even larger role with the MTCCC as a Medical Consultant for the Cancer Control Section at the MT DPHHS. In 2006, she was awarded the first ever Bette Bohlinger Leadership Award- an award created in honor of Bette Bohlinger to honor exceptional individuals or organizations that encourage, inspire, and lead others in cancer control in Montana. For the past year and a half, Dr. Lloyd has served as the Co-Chair of the MTCCC, and has helped lead us through the writing of the current MT CCC Plan. Full time retirement, however, has called to Dr. Lloyd. The vision, commitment and expertise that she has dedicated to the MTCCC are indisputable. I know I speak for all of us when I express my heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Lloyd for all that she has done and helped us to accomplish.
Barb, we wish you health and happiness in your retirement! Thanks so much for everything you have done!
Betsy Smith Ginny Furshong
MTCCC Co-Chair Cancer Program Manager |
Top Ten Reasons to use the MTCCC Toolkit.... | | 10. Find out what the MTCCC is.
9. Plan a cancer prevention or detection event
8. Look for a cancer control poster or brochure
7. Get ideas for a cancer presentation
7. Highlight the MTCCC at a community event
6. Get materials to advocate and ask others to Get Involved in the MTCCC
5. Learn what to say about the MTCCC
4 Find your regional Cancer Coordinators
3. Address a local media call and submit a Public Service Announcement
2. It's Available 24-7 and............
1. It's FREE and EASY to access!
Go to: www.mtcancercoalition.org and click on "promotional toolkit" in the Main menu.
Communications Committee |
Early Detection Members Making Strides Across Montana | | We are off and running with many both old and new members of the team for Early Detection of Cancers in Montana and our new cancer control plan objectives! I apologize in advance for the limits of space and time that prevent me from mentioning all of the team members, as every one of them are actively involved in multiple events that are invaluable to our efforts us as a team.
Holly Horan, Graduate Research Assistant in the Montana Disability & Health Program at the University of Montana Rural Institute in Missoula, along with Meg Ann Traci, Project Director of the Montana Disability and Health Program (MTDH) of the University of Montana Rural Institute in Missoula are EDIT team members who direct the Right to Know and Every Woman Matters (RTK/EWM) program for our state, which has so far been extremely successful in promoting breast cancer screening programs and awareness for women with disabilities. With the assistance of our EDIT team, MTDH is also adding colorectal cancer screening guidelines to their widely successful program. Their first event that included colorectal screening guidelines and information took place in Glasgow, August 12-13th at the Relay for Life, with assistance from EDIT team members Penny Paul (to provide the ACS animated colonoscopy video) and Jean Raw, who has put them in touch with the Comprehensive Cancer Control Coordinator of Glasgow county, DeAnna Starcer. DeAnna generously agreed to be present at the event to distribute information regarding colonoscopy screening recommendations, and to provide the colonoscopy video for the booth. She was present to answer clinically directed questions that added to the general screening information provided by the MTDH program. In the future, we hope to provide training to lay persons affiliated with the MTDH that will enable them to answer some of these clinically directed questions at specific events.
Jean Raw, Comprehensive Cancer Control Program Coordinator of the Central Montana Health District in Lewistown, participated in the Relay for Life July 9-10th in Central Montana. She distributed information about colorectal, breast and cervical cancer recommended screening guidelines, as well as the promoted other programs of the American Cancer Society that are meant to increase awareness of cancer and work towards prevention, early detection and quality survivorship. Jean was also involved in the Tough Enough to Wear Pink event prior to, and during the Central Montana Fair & Rodeo. The proceeds will be donated to the Cancer Screening Program in Region 10 to assist with screening and treatment of those who may not qualify for the State CSP. At the Senior Center in Winnett, Petroleum County, in July 14th, Jean presented information about the MTCCC Program & MCCP. She partnered with the Director of Area II Agency on Aging, Karen Erdie, to do a short presentation on MTCCC. She used the MTCCC's trifold brochure (given to us at the MTCCC meeting in May and available on the MTCCC website). She has found it to be an effective tool for increasing awareness of the MTCCC & MCCP and their goals: to increase cancer awareness, and work across the cancer continuum, from prevention and early detection, to treatment, quality survivorship, and research. She has made her own copies of the trifold, with a sticker on the back with "Central Montana Cancer Programs" and her name and contact information. She will use these at other presentations at Senior Centers/Council on Aging sites, and at churches for the ministerial association. Her partnership with Karen Erdie (who is a strong advocate for the MTCCC) will continue to develop a Wellness Group within her central office in Roundup this year. Karen has suggested that our MCCP partner with the state AARP to incorporate cancer control messages into their program, such as promoting cancer screenings. We will be pursuing this more in the coming years as we move into our five year plan.
Penny Paul, Community Health Education Specialist, City-County Health Department, Great Falls, will be participating in "What Women Want" with our Montana Cancer Screening Program coordinator at the Four Seasons Arena in Great Falls, October 7 and 8, 2011, to provide information for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening. They will be teaching the self breast exam, and will also have the animated DVD put out by the American Cancer Society featuring (you guessed it) colonoscopies! Their booth features a Wellness Wheel with questions regarding cancer, nutrition and physical activity. They will see over 500 people in the course of this event.
Through the City/County Health Department, Penny will also be participating in the health screening events for the employees of the City of Great Falls and Cascade County. She will have a table of information that will include screening recommendations for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers, and she will speak with employees 50 and older to see if they have had their colorectal cancer screening. Penny will also be able to update them on their insurance coverage for screening colonoscopies, which are now paid for after a $25 co-pay for the City employees, and a $40 co-pay for Cascade County employees. Penny is a strong advocate for preventive screening in this part of our state, and considers it as "one of the best ways to receive return on investment for your health care" dollar (for both employers and employees).
Natalie Gonzales
Early Detection Team |
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4H Members Receive Sun Safety Education | |
Summer in north central Montana means a couple of things - sunshine, farming, and the fair. The Toole County Health Department and the Region 5 Cancer Control Program partnered with 4H to promote sun safety at the four county Marias Fair. 4H is a large presence at the four county fair; many 4H'ers spend five days, or more, at the fair attending a number of events, many of which are outdoors. Posters were hung explaining the importance of sun safety and free sunscreen was advertised and provided at the outdoor events, from the horse show to the water fight on the last day. The Region 5 Cancer Control Program will continue to partner with Toole County 4H to provide education to 4H'ers about sun safety at their club meetings this fall, in support of the Prevention Objective 2.2 in the Montana Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan, which is to increase the number of Sun Wise or SunAWARE education programs in the state.
Kristi Aklestad
Prevention |
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