The Marion County Public Health Department has been awarded funding through the State of Iowa’s Rural Health Transformation Program to lead a statewide effort focused on reducing cancer-related disparities in rural Iowa, according to a press release from the department.
As the lead contractor for the grant, Marion County Public Health is partnering with 67 local public health agencies across Iowa to implement a coordinated, evidence-based approach to cancer prevention, screening, early detection, and access to care. The initiative now provides coverage across all rural Iowa counties.
Through the program, Marion County Public Health and its partners will deliver targeted cancer awareness messaging, expand access to screening and early detection services, reduce lung cancer risk through radon testing and mitigation, strengthen the rural radon mitigation workforce, and improve access to cancer-related health services through telehealth and financial assistance.
A statewide social media campaign focused on cancer prevention resources, screening opportunities, and radon education is currently in preparation. Requests for proposals for dermatoscopes and radon test kits are also expected to be released soon as part of the program’s implementation.
Iowa continues to have one of the highest cancer incidence rates in the nation. The initiative is funded through a financial assistance award from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services totaling more than $209 million, with 100 percent of funding provided by CMS and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
For more information, contact the Marion County Public Health Department at (641) 828-2238 or publichealth@marioncountyiowa.gov.
