The Colon Screening Stimulus
50 Free Integrated Virtual Colonoscopy Screens provided to Economically-disadvantaged individuals during March--National Colon Cancer Awareness Month
A Philadelphia-area GI physician group, in partnership with two national organizations, will be offering 50 free colon screenings for qualifying individuals during the month of March--National Colon Cancer Awareness month. Hoping to raise awareness for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, Mid-Atlantic GI Consultants (MAGIC), a nine-provider GI group in New Castle County, DE, will offer 50 free "Integrated Virtual Colonoscopy" screenings for economically-disadvantaged individuals in the region during the month of March. The screenings will be performed at the group's GI imaging facility, Colon Health Center of Delaware, in Newark, DE.
To Apply for the Program: please download and complete two forms: Financial Eligibility and Clinical Questionnaire and fax to 302-225-8063 or email to schedule@colonhealthcenters.com. Please contact us for further assistance.
What is Integrated VC?
Virtual Colonoscopy (VC--aka CT Colonography) has now been approved and recommended in national professional guidelines for colon cancer screening. Integrated Virtual Colonoscopy is a progressive new method, offered by some gastroenterologists, for colon cancer screening. The method brings together the non-invasive, sedation-free, highly sensitive, Virtual Colonoscopy scan and the opportunity for a same-day polyp removal procedure via traditional colonoscopy when necessary. Only about 15% of average-risk individuals who undergo VC screening will require removal of polyps. Therefore, with Integrated VC, the vast majority of individuals (85%) can be screened non-invasively, without the need for an IV or sedation. These patients can immediately drive, return to work, and resume all normal activities. Those individuals found to have polyps (15%), may still undergo an immediate, same-day invasive colonoscopy for polyp removal.
For more information, visit Colon Health Center of Delaware.
Who is Sponsoring the Program?
- The Colon Cancer Alliance--the oldest and largest national patient advocacy organization dedicated to ending the suffering caused by colorectal cancer.
- Colon Health Centers of America--a Delaware Valley-based company that partners with GI physician groups enabling them to add Integrated VC screening to their CRC screening options.
- Mid-Atlantic GI Constultants (MAGIC)-- a nine-provider, GI specialty group based in New Castle County, DE. MAGIC physicians specialize in all aspects of GI medical care, with particular expertise and interest in colon cancer screening. MAGIC owns the Colon Health Center of Delaware, the first center dedicated to Integrated Virtual Colonoscopy screening in the nation, and Mid-Atlantic Endoscopy Center, a state-of-the-art, Medicare-accredited endoscopy
Why are they doing it?
Two reasons:
- To raise awareness of colon cancer and life-saving screening options during National Colon Cancer Awareness Month, and
- To assist individuals in challenging financial circumstances or suffering from the economic downturn.
Who is Eligible to Receive Free Screening?
Free Integrated VC screenings will be offered to up to 50 individuals who meet the following 3 criteria:
- They meet criteria for Colon Cancer screening: Age 50 or older (45 or older for African-Americans)
- They have no health insurance, or have insurance with no screening benefit, and
- They are either unemployed or have a total household income below 300% of the Federal poverty level ($66,200 for a family of 4).
Individuals will be asked to fill out a brief application and to show proof of meeting these qualifications. Members of the three organizations will confidentiallly review all applications to ensure that the applicant meets the qualifications. Meeting the criteria does not ensure that the free screening will be offered to the individual.
How do I apply?
To apply, download and complete the clinical questionnaire (.pdf) and the financial eligibility form (.pdf) and fax to 302-225-8063 or email to schedule@colonhealthcenters.com. For assistance in completing or sending the two forms, please call 1-866-97-COLON.
Where are the Screenings Performed?
The screenings are performed at the Colon Health Centers of Delaware GI imaging facility in Newark, DE, near Christiana Hospital (map & directions »).
Visit Colon Health Center of Delaware ColonHealthDelaware.com
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