$4.5 Million In Grants Awarded For Disease Prevention
Programs
September 25, 2006, DENVER – Five grants, totaling
$4.5 million, have been awarded to establish new and
expanded programs for the prevention and treatment of
cancer, cardiovascular and pulmonary disease. The grants are
funded by revenues from Colorado’s tobacco tax. The
programs include a colorectal screening program for the San
Luis Valley, a community-based, cardiovascular
disease-screening program and asthma treatment resources for
practices and patients in rural Colorado.
A 16-member committee appointed by the Colorado
Department of Public Health and Environment and the Colorado
Legislature reviewed applications for the funds and
recommended the grants, which cover the period from Nov. 1,
2006, to June 30, 2007. The Colorado Board of Health
approved the committee’s recommendations. The Department of
Public Health and Environment’s Cancer, Cardiovascular
Disease and Pulmonary Disease Competitive Grants Program
administers the program. The grants total $4,500,782.
Recipients include: The Children's Hospital, Denver,
$128,210
This grant will fund continuing medical education for health
care providers statewide to increase the use of inhalers by
children with asthma. Commitments to change approaches to
pediatric asthma will be obtained and ongoing learning
activities/resources will be offered to include: Web-cast
video, case-based simulations; library resource support; a
Children’s Breathing Line for immediate access to
information from asthma experts, including nurses and
pediatric pulmonologists; the Children’s Hospital system of
inpatient or outpatient care for asthma; and a
mini-residency in pediatric asthma at the hospital. Contact:
Dr. Robin Deterding, 303-861-6181. Denver Health, Denver,
$500,000
This grant will fund a community-based, culturally
competent, evidence-based program to provide screening,
cardiovascular disease risk assessment, health information
and education and referrals to primary care and other
resources for 3,600 residents in five Colorado communities
in Denver, Garfield, Kit Carson, Prowers and Pueblo
counties. All sites have selected hard-to-reach, underserved
populations for outreach via barber and beauty shops, senior
centers and other venues appropriate for each targeted
population. Individuals at moderate- and high-risk for
cardiovascular disease will be identified and linked to
primary care for evaluation and treatment at their local
community health centers. Contact: Elizabeth Whitley,
303-436-4070. National Jewish Medical and Research Center,
Denver, $432,991
This grant will fund Asthma Tool Kits for practices and
patients in rural eastern Colorado to improve the management
of asthma. The program will bring training and necessary
pulmonary assessment equipment to rural health care
providers to ensure that the assessment and treatment of
asthma in these communities is consistent with current
guidelines. It will bring education and behavioral
reinforcement to parents and patients with asthma to promote
effective, guidelines-based asthma self-management. The
program will proceed under the guidance of an advisory board
comprised of representatives from rural Colorado communities
and health care. Contact: Bruce Bender, 303-398-1697. San
Luis Valley Regional Medical Center, Alamosa, $439,581
This grant will fund regional resources for colorectal
screening, diagnosis and treatment for six counties in the
San Luis Valley and neighboring Hinsdale County. The
Carefree Colon Program will develop a public information
campaign appropriate for the valley’s population. The
program will increase awareness of the benefits of screening
and provide free screenings and treatment when needed for
uninsured residents with incomes below 250 percent of the
federal poverty level. Contact: Gwen Heller, 719-587-8052.
University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center
Cancer Center, Aurora, $3,000,000
This grant expands a current program that reaches the Denver
metropolitan area, Pueblo and selected community health
clinics throughout the state. The program provides
colorectal screening for uninsured Coloradans with incomes
under 250 percent of the federal poverty level, with the
overall goal of increasing adherence to the Colorado goal of
screening 75 percent of the population by 2010. The program
also includes a public information campaign to increase the
number of people who are aware of the need for screening.
Contact: Dr. Tim Byers, 303-724-1283.
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