Doctors Community Hospital was awarded a $3.5 million grant from the Maryland Department of Health’s Center for Cancer Prevention and Control. This three-year grant will provide low-income, underinsured and uninsured Maryland residents with free education, screening and treatment services focused on colorectal, breast and cervical cancers.
“Cancer is among the top causes of death in Prince George’s County,” stated Robin Webb-Williams, vice president at Doctors Community Hospital Foundation. “That’s why providing free cancer screenings is so important, especially in areas that don’t have convenient access to care. This grant will help us reach more people who can truly benefit from these community health resources at no cost to them.”
One of the supported initiatives is the hospital’s Cancer Prevention, Education, Screening and Treatment (CPEST) Program. It provides free colorectal cancer screenings (colonoscopies) to Prince George’s County residents who have low incomes and are uninsured/underinsured. Offered to both men and women, the age criteria are 50 – 75, and 50 and younger for those who have family histories of colorectal cancer. In 2018, the hospital performed about 244 free colonoscopies that identified four cases of cancer.
Another supported initiative is the hospital’s Maryland Breast and Cervical Screening Program, which provides free education and screenings to women. Also, this program has a nurse navigator who helps diagnosed patients coordinate medical care and identify additional community resources. It is available to Prince George’s County residents who have low incomes, are uninsured/underinsured and are ages 40 – 64. In 2018, the program provided 647 mammograms and 116 cervical cancer screenings with a total of nine cases of breast cancer identified.
According to Terrie Trimmer, director of the Center for Comprehensive Breast Care and Women’s Wellness at Doctors Community Hospital, “Screenings are among the best ways to detect many types of cancer early and when they are often most treatable. We are proud to be able to provide these life-saving screenings in underserved areas of our wonderfully diverse community.”
Doctors Community Health System is a network of medical and surgical services provided throughout Prince George’s County and in Anne Arundel County. At the heart of this network is its flagship – Doctors Community Hospital in Lanham, Maryland. To complement the hospital’s high-quality and comprehensive services, the system has more than a dozen centers of care in Bowie, Camp Springs, Crofton, District Heights, Hyattsville, Lanham, Largo, Laurel, Riverdale and Temple Hills. Also, the hospital has been rated as a high-performing facility for heart failure by U.S. News & World Report in 2017-2018 and designated as a primary stroke center by the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems. The system has experienced physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals who specialize in:
- Ambulatory Surgery
- Bariatric and Weight Loss Program
- Breast Health
- Diabetes Education
- Digestive Disease Care
- Emergency Services
- Endocrinology Services
- Health and Wellness Center
- Imaging Services
- Infusion Care
- Orthopedic Services
- Primary Care and Family Medicine
- Radiation Oncology
- Rehabilitation Program
- Sleep Care
- Surgical Services
- Transitional Care
- Wound Care
For more information, visit DCHweb.org or call 301-DCH-4YOU (301-324-4968).
