Packard Health Awarded Health and Human Services (HHS) Funding to Accelerate Cancer Screening

From Packard Health

Packard Health announced that they will be moving forward to accelerate cancer screenings and referrals within Washtenaw County thanks to $500,000 in funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration. The Grant allows Packard Health to partner with the University of Michigan (UM) Rogel Cancer Center, an NCI-designated Cancer Center.

This collaboration between Packard Health and the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center will align efforts to improve cancer screening rates and follow-up care for patients within the local service area, particularly in underserved communities of Washtenaw County.

In addition to longstanding affiliations with both the University of Michigan and Trinity Health/ St Joseph Hospital, Packard Health participates in the Michigan Community Health Network (MCHN), which is an integrated care network of HRSA-funded Health Centers in Michigan that provides care to over 600,000 Michiganders with Medicaid insurance. Therefore, Packard Health believes that this grant will potentially impact communities across the entire state.

The cancer screening and patient care grant was funded by The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), awarded nearly $11 million to 22 HRSA-funded Health Centers to improve access to life-saving cancer screenings and early detection services for underserved communities on the first anniversary of the Biden-Harris Administration Reignited Cancer Moonshot initiative.

The American Cancer Society estimates nearly 62,000 cancer diagnoses’ will be made in Michigan in 2023, with 21,000 estimated deaths. Cancer mortality in Michigan is the 13th highest in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

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About Packard Health

Packard Health is entering our 50th year serving community members who are looking for affordable and quality primary and mental health care services. We began 49 years ago because members of our community were underserved and uninsured and did not have adequate access to health care. External stresses such as poverty, lack of transportation, unemployment, and minority status put this community at a greater risk for chronic diseases and trauma. We are a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), 501(c)(3) non-profit organization governed by a board of directors. Packard Health has four locations across Washtenaw County with a team of board-certified physicians and family nurse practitioners fully committed to providing first-class medical care for you and your family. More information can be found at www.packardhealth.org.

About UM Rogel Cancer Center

The University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center seeks to reduce cancer burden and improve cancer outcomes through research, innovation and transdisciplinary collaboration. The University continues to be a leading health care research institute nationally and is committed to training the next generation of clinicians and researchers while supporting better health care outcomes for all patients served. More information at https://www.rogelcancercenter.org/about