07/08/2020
Greenwood Leflore Hospital was awarded a grant of $728,770.00 from the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation to optimize outcomes for breast cancer patients in the Mississippi Delta.
The Cancer Center at Greenwood Leflore Hospital offers quality care and state-of-the-art equipment often only available in larger markets. Dr. Roderick Givens and his staff have been working together for over 15 years. According to Dr. Givens, “Our goal remains the same today. We continue to make accessible and close to home cancer care of the highest quality to the residents of Greenwood and surrounding areas.”
The new linear accelerator installed in 2017 offers daily CT image guidance for accuracy and reduces treatment time. The Cancer Center at Greenwood Leflore Hospital delivers nearly 5,000 radiation treatments annually using this form of treatment, and is one of only twelve locations in the U.S. that offers Breast Microseed Treatment® which is implant radiation therapy for breast cancer patients.
Breast cancer death rates in some states, including Mississippi, are as much as 60% higher for vulnerable population members who suffer from poverty and a lack of health insurance. Risk factors and access to screening and treatment, which are influenced by socioeconomic factors and proximity to medical services, also play a role in the disparities in outcomes among our vulnerable population.
The age at diagnosis is predominantly between 50 and 79 years for breast cancer patients at The Cancer Center at Greenwood Leflore Hospital, which puts them at a much higher risk of mortality than if they had been screened and diagnosed earlier. Cancers that have gone undiagnosed for a longer period are generally more aggressive and advanced than those identified via early screening and early intervention. There is a great need for addressing early screening and intervention.
This grant will enable The Cancer Center at Greenwood Leflore Hospital to address early screening and intervention and improve outcomes through strategies which will include:
- Education as to the importance of early screening and diagnosis
- Retention of patients in care through nurse navigation and coordinated care
- Assistance in elimination of economic barriers
- Transportation to treatment
- Utilization of the most sophisticated technology to assess and define tumor characteristics
- Recovery support
- Utilization of targeted Breast Microseed Treatment®
This project is innovative in that it utilizes a coordinated care navigation model which includes a nurse and support staff to help navigate patients through their care plans; extensive physician support; and transportation. Because of this model, the doctors and staff at The Cancer Center of Greenwood Leflore Hospital will get input from actual survivors who will share what actually worked for them. From early detection to timely treatment delivery, the program is designed not only to make it easier on patients, but also provide better outcomes.
For additional information, please contact Wilson Gaillard, Director of the Cancer Center at Greenwood Leflore Hospital, at 662-459-7133.
Click this link for video footage of Dr. Givens: