Hospital-based communiity health advocate and nurse navigator reduce cancer screening disparities in the Hispanic poulation in metro-Atlanta

This presentation demonstrates the  Northside Hospital Cancer Institute’s (NHCI) efforts in support of the American Public Health Association (APHA) theme, “Healthography: How where you live affects your health and well-being”, specifically in the Hispanic population of metro-Atlanta.  Over the last decade the Hispanic population in metro-Atlanta has grown exponentially.  Forsyth, Cherokee, Cobb, Clayton, Bartow and Gwinnett counties exhibit increases of 68, 78, 80, 100, 133, and 152 percent, respectively, whereas growth in the Hispanic population for the entire state of Georgia was 66 percent.  The aforementioned counties comprise the traditional service area of the NHCI, whose mission includes practicing evidenced-based medicine.  For breast cancer, screening is the best method for early detection, but Hispanic women are less likely to receive a mammogram and have breast cancer as the most common cause of death from cancer.  The NHCI utilized a multidisciplinary and multicultural approach to engage residents within these counties to reduce disparities in breast cancer screenings.   A hospital-based community health advocate (CHA) and nurse navigator were performed targeted community outreach and education, with special consideration of language and cultural factors.  A 200% increase in education and outreach to the Hispanic community yielded a 42% increase in breast cancer screening for Hispanic women over a three-year period.  Trust, access and knowledge of available resources are significant factors that affect screening rates in the Hispanic community.   Targeted approaches to these issues allowed the NHCI to engage residents and work towards improved health outcomes as it relates to early detection and screening.