206684 Focus on Worksite Wellness in New Jersey: Implementing the Camden City Cancer Initiative

Monday, November 9, 2009: 1:00 PM

Jean F. Mouch, MD, MPH , Medical Mission Sisters, Camden, NJ
Plyshette Wiggins, MPH, CHES , Director, Strategic Health Alliances, American Cancer Society, Cherry Hill, NJ
The American Cancer Society partnered with the Camden County Cancer Coalition (CCCC) to implement the Camden City Cancer Initiative (3CI). The Initiative was designed to address the unequal burden of cancer among medically underserved populations that live in or work in Camden City. The Initiative has one main goal—to increase cancer screening among two priority populations: the uninsured and underinsured populations and the insured populations at select worksites. The 3CI Worksite Wellness Committee aimed to improve cancer screening and smoking cessation availability through health benefits and to assist employers with programs to reach that objective.

NJ HMO performance report shows that 35% of HMO insured populations are not using their breast cancer screening benefits. The 3CI Worksite Wellness Committee aimed to examine breast, cervical, prostate and colorectal cancer-screening behaviors and smoking cessation services of insured groups at select worksites in Camden City. Participating employers requested grouped data about screenings from their insurance carriers. Only one partner was able to obtain this information. A second strategy asked employees at select worksites to self-report cancer screening behaviors. Six hundred and ninety seven (697) completed surveys were received from three worksites.

The 3CI results from the two strategies will be compared with the “Cancer Screening in US Workers” in AJPH January 2009. The 3CI efforts to help employers get their grouped-insurance data will be discussed. Employer's initial implementation strategies will be shared.

Learning Objectives:
1. Demonstrate effective partnerships for a local cancer control initiative, which implements the NJ Comprehensive Cancer Control Plan at the municipal level. 2. Identify how partnerships are strengthened for creating new ideas and approaches to common prevention issues e.g. cancer screening rates among insured workers. 3. Explain the appropriate use of data for setting a base-line to effectively evaluate, and to help Health Benefit Coordinators to monitor their outcomes & approaches for improving cancer screening rates and increased smoking cessation for their employees.

Keywords: Cancer Screening, Worksite

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: For five years I have led the Camden County Cancer Coalition as the Coordinator. In 2004 I assisted Camden County and four other South Jersey counties to complete their Cancer Care Capacity & Needs Assessment. Together with the coalition partners, commited to work with the special issues of Camden City, I have helped create the Camden City Cancer Initiative, and serve on the Camden City Healthy Futures Steering Committee as a resource for the City Council and for the Mayor's Office.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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