Community Outreach Report
Claxton-HepburnMedicalCenter
Cancer Committee
July 28, 2010
Submitted by: Michele Pelusi, Community Outreach Coordinator
Pink Ribbon Committee
The Pink Ribbon Committee continues to meet on a regular basis. In May, Claxton-Hepburn participated in the Gouverneur Business Women’s Annual Breast Cancer Walk. Members of the Pink Ribbon Committee raised over $1200 that was donated to the group at the event. CHMC received promotional recognition for the donation on all the advertising and giveaways from the event.
We have successfully sold over 200 CHMC pink ribbon shirts. The money raised will go towards our Pink Ribbon Walk and reception in October. T-shirts are still available in Community Relations for $10.
The Pink Ribbon Challenge is doing well. The program began November 1, 2009 and as of July 26, 2010, a total of 797 coupons have been turned in. Each month, one name is drawn from the coupons with the winner receiving a $25 gas card. In November, 2010, the final drawing will be held for a getaway weekend for two in AlexBay. Over Mother’s Day weekend, pink ribbon ads were placed in all local newspapers. Quarterly, the coupons are put in employee payroll checks.
At the end of the Challenge, we hope to see increase in the number of women with a history of not getting regular mammograms to becoming women who get annual mammograms.
Expansion of Services
Presently the CTC is working to recruit a third medical oncologist of physician assistant with an oncology background.
Since Dr. Gebert’s arrival last fall, the radiology oncology department has seen a dramatic increase of patients and treatments.
Public Access Infomercials
We are still trying to put together another BreastHealthCenterinfomercial with Kay Zimmer, patient navigator and Dr. Kiri Brandy and one that highlights the CTC, its staff and services. We anticipate this will be done in the 4th quarter of 2010.
An infomercial was done in the Radiology Department and Dr. Gharagozloo and his staff highlighted the many state-of-the-art diagnostic tools available at CHMC to aide in the detection and treatment of breast cancer. This video will run on public access during the month of August.
Health Fairs and Community Outreach
The CTC staff continues to participate in Health Fairs and community outreach events as they arise. In June some of the CHMC area health center held a free skin cancer screening. 62 people were screened with 40 having positive findings and were referred for follow-up.
CHMC sponsors Tobacco Cessation classes, held twice a month, in the evening in the auditorium. We continue to promote our tobacco free campus. All patients admitted that use tobacco, are offered tobacco cessation counseling and NRT products.
The CTC sponsored the 11th Annual Rainbow of Hope Celebration (Cancer Survivors Day). Over 400 survivors and their families were in attendance.
The CTC participated in the Ogdensburg Relay for Life, by having a team, and setting up a table with information and educational materials related to cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Franklin Street marketing began working on the new ad campaign for the CTC. The launch date will be in August. The campaign is a three-year long campaign.
The new website is well underway and will be launched in August. Cancer Care will be one of the highlights of the new website.
We continue to run CTC ads and news releases in local media and in the Living Well Magazine.
During the 4th quarter, a panel discussion on a cancer topic to be determined will be held for the public. The date is yet to be determined.
The Community Outreach Coordinator continues monthly meetings with the North Country Outreach Coalition, which included members from the Cancer Services Program. The focus of the group this year is to work to improve colorectal screening rates among local males. Several advertising campaigns have been launched.
The CTC physicians and Director continue to meet with area physicians to market the CTC.
In October, we will hold our second annual Pink Ribbon Walk ending with the human pink ribbon in the MOB parking lot, and a reception to follow.
Respectfully submitted,
Michele Pelusi
Community Outreach Coordinator