AHS Honored by ACS for Advancing Health Equity in Cancer Care

阿拉米达医疗系统（AHS）的综合乳腺癌护理团队在今年的美国癌症协会（ACS）东湾晚会上获得了荣誉，以表彰他们在帮助减少我们所服务的患者和社区的乳腺癌护理差距方面所做的杰出努力. The Gala took place Thursday, October 7, 2021.

美国癌症学会表彰了该团队在抗击癌症和促进健康平等方面的模范工作. In addition, 美国癌症协会控制小组和大使委员会提名美国癌症协会获得一笔赠款，以进一步治疗和预防癌症.

作为解决癌症种族差异项目的一部分，提交了118份资助提案, a collaboration between the ACS and Pfizer Inc., AHS was the only health care organization on the West Coast selected to receive a $400,000 grant for addressing disparities in diagnostic delays for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer.

“The grant is a testament to the collective work of our outstanding medical oncologists, cancer surgeons and radiologists, 致力于改善我们多样化和服务不足社区中所有患者的护理和治疗质量,” said Dr. Kevin Knopf, chairman of the Oncology Department and a leading architect of the breast cancer program at AHS.

According to Knopf, 赠款的部分资金将用于关键优先事项，包括缩短从乳腺癌诊断到患者初始治疗的时间，并确保每位患者的乳腺癌治疗是适当的和具有成本效益的.

Also, continuing to build the cancer database will be a major focus of the funding. “关于乳腺癌和每种癌症的完整详细的数据收集是了解这种复杂疾病的关键，特别是在服务不足的社区,” shared Knopf.

The AHS cancer database records the symptoms people have, how their cancer is diagnosed, how they respond to treatment and how their own cancer progresses over time. It can help identify patterns of breast cancer in different patient populations. For example, 这些信息可以用来寻找一段时间以来的趋势，并找到有色人种的乳腺癌模式，这有助于确定最佳的治疗方案.

Ultimately, Knopf和AHS的目标是继续建立一个世界级的乳腺癌治疗诊所，为所有人服务. The building process began more than three years ago when Dr. Knopf and Dr. Khoury sat down to brainstorm ideas about how AHS might improve breast cancer care. “这只是开发项目和癌症服务以提高质量和数据收集的漫长过程的开始,” he said.

Joining the effort was a core team including Dr. Amal Khoury, Dr. Annie Tang, Patient Navigator Zhonnet Harper, Physician Assistant Karina Powell-Hal and Dr. Louise Troung. Collectively, 他们致力于创建一个乳腺癌项目，专注于减少差异，并为每位患者提供尽可能最好的护理.

他们开始了一系列的会议来确定和采用最好的护理模式然后开始在AHS-Highland医院规划乳腺癌诊所.  “我们的乳腺癌患者一直是这项工作的中心，并指导我们为他们做得更好, said Knopf.

在为美国癌症协会提供世界级乳腺癌治疗的旅程中，该团队的第一站是位于华盛顿特区的乔治华盛顿大学癌症中心.C. 它为以患者为中心的倡议和健康公平提供专业的卫生保健教育.

团队成员在GW癌症中心参加了为期一周的项目，参加了研讨会和互动研讨会，旨在解决从不良筛查到治疗后癌症存活的乳腺癌护理连续体中患者的不同需求.

For Harper, 该项目的主要收获是加强了作为医疗保健提供者的责任，以解决和消除我们医疗保健系统中的不公平现象.  “在AHS，每个病人在接受治疗时都面临着不同的挑战，有独特的需求，无论是情感上的, financial, healthy food, transportation or family support,” she said.  健康和种族不平等是额外的障碍，可能使患者护理进一步复杂化和减少，从而导致更差的健康结果. “As a breast cancer Patient Navigator, I must be aware of those additional barriers to ensure our patients receive equitable treatment,” says Zhonnet. In 2020,  美国癌症协会在第11届东湾年度庆典“庆祝健康平等英雄”上表彰了Zhonnet的成就，以表彰她在减少东湾医疗保健差距的同时增加了医疗服务的可及性.

In addition, 该团队将GW癌症中心的最佳实践带回了AHS，并继续制定和完善乳腺癌项目，直到今天这项工作仍在继续. This collective effort is what led to the ACS award and corresponding grant.  “与这个敬业的团队一起工作，进一步减少癌症患者的医疗保健差距，这是一种荣幸,” said Knopf.

The event was a timely opportunity to bring awareness during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October, and the importance of maintaining breast health.

“来自美国癌症协会的荣誉对我来说意义重大，因为我是该团队的一员，在帮助建立美国癌症协会乳腺癌项目方面做出了不懈的努力和奉献,” said Powell. “It’s the support from medical assistants, patient navigators, oncologists, 整形外科医生和放射科医生让我们能够继续前进，为我们的病人提供他们应得的荣誉和尊重,” she said.

这是美国癌症协会的乳腺癌团队连续第二年获得美国癌症协会东湾联欢会的认可. In October 2020, Patient Navigator, Zhonnet Harper, was honored as a Health Equity Champion.  这些连续的荣誉真正证明了乳腺癌团队的奉献精神和辛勤工作.

美国国家安全协会的拨款由美国国家安全协会基金会管理，该基金会致力于为美国国家安全协会的优先事项筹集私人和企业基金会以及个人捐助者的支持. Over the years, 美国癌症协会基金会与美国癌症协会的乳腺癌小组密切合作，为患者导航服务和癌症治疗期间的患者紧急援助争取资金.

For more information on cancer risks, signs and prevention visit:

The American Cancer Society: http://www.cancer.org/

The National Cancer Institute (NIH): Https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention

To support AHS Foundation’s efforts to raise funds for AHS’s priorities visit: http://give.classy.org/ahsfoundation