Nevada Health Centers gets grant for cancer screenings

The American Cancer Society and National Football League have awarded a grant of $50,000 to Nevada Health Centers to safely increase cancer screenings during the COVID-19 pandemic. The grant funding was made possible through an ACS partnership with the NFL and the league’s Crucial Catch campaign.

This grant is part of ACS’s latest Community Health Advocates implementing Nationwide Grants for Empowerment and Equity program, which provides funding opportunities as part of the ACS’s commitment to reduce cancer disparities. Nevada Health Centers will receive the $50,000 over a 15-month period.

The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to decreases in breast, colorectal and cervical cancer screenings. These postponed screenings are creating a backlog that systems need to address as health care facilities gradually reopen for non-COVID-19 care. These funds will help support health centers as they create and adopt new processes and protocols to tackle this backlog and safely restart cancer screening.

“Nevada Health Centers’ Mammovan Program is honored to be a recipient of an American Cancer Society and National Football League grant to increase breast cancer screenings in Nevada, especially to those patients reluctant to get screened during COVID,” said Lisa Dettling, vice president of ancillary services for Nevada Health Centers. “These dollars will provide access to mammograms to women who would otherwise not obtain a screening as well as help patients feel safe and understand the importance of not delaying screenings during COVID. We are grateful for the opportunity to help support efforts to reduce cancer disparities.”