The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #49696

Mona Sarfaty, MD, Prevention and Community Health, George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services and the Primary Care Coalition of Montgomery County, MD, 8757 Georgia Avenue, 10th Floor, Bethesda, MD 20817, 301-628-3413, mona_sarfaty@primarycarecoalition.org

To achieve the "Health Goals 2010" vision of “healthy people in healthy communities” and eliminate disparities, health departments must extend their reach beyond the core functions--assessment, data collection, assurance. Disease management programs targeting specific conditions and populations are needed to achieve "2010’s" objectives. Such programs place health departments in the position of supporting private and public delivery systems without directly offering clinical services. Montgomery County, Maryland is an affluent suburban county adjacent to Washington, D.C. with a large diverse population. It has the largest Latino population of any jurisdiction in the area. Significant disparities exist for the African American and Latino populations. The county developed a disease management program for colorectal cancer as part of the Maryland statewide cancer program which includes education, screening, treatment and is funded from the tobacco settlement. The program includes the four disease management components: patient education, defined protocols, an organizing authority, and data collection for outcome analysis. The full program is offered only to low income uninsured residents; education and referral are offered to all residents. The county department of health and human services (DHHS) established a formal coalition to work together, including hospitals, minority initiatives, and community non-profits. In six months, by January 2002, 1717 people were directly educated, 84 uninsured individuals (more than 50% minorities) were scheduled for colonoscopy, 10 had polyps removed; 1 colon cancer was removed. The program is growing rapidly and is expected to reduce incidence, mortality, and disparities in colorectal cancer.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to list accepted screening recommendations for colorectal cancer.
• Participants will recognize that colorectal cancer is preventable.
• Participants will be able to list the components of a disease management program.
• Participants will be able to discuss the merits of a public health disease management program as an approach to eliminating disparities.

Keywords: Community Collaboration, Disease Management

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.