Preventing cancer and improving outcomes
Dr. Gray and his team have screened more than 130 uninsured and underinsured men and women for colorectal cancer since 2015 and have removed numerous precancerous polyps, each time preventing a cancer from happening. “Each person we see is one more cancer that can be prevented or caught earlier,” Dr. Gray says. A person’s chances at survival change depending on how easily a person can access the healthcare system, he adds. But accessing the healthcare system is not always simple.
The Ohio State Center for Cancer Health Equity works across the region to bring health care to people who might not otherwise receive it. “Many of the people we serve have not been previously engaged in the healthcare system, and they are now getting screenings that could be lifesaving,” Dr. Gray says. “This can’t happen without donor support.”