Aerial Photo of Loaves and Fishes Grocery Pickup
Finding cancer early saves lives, and screening can catch cancer before symptoms even appear. Yet, some members of our community still face challenges accessing potentially life-saving screening services. At UVA Health University Medical Center, we are committed to understanding and tackling barriers like these as we strive to cultivate healthy communities.
This week I want to shine a light on how UVA Health Cancer Center's Community Outreach and Engagement (COE) team addresses cancer disparities through a special partnership with the local nonprofit, Loaves and Fishes.
This collaboration began when Outreach Navigation Specialist Keyri Lopez-Godoy connected with Loaves and Fishes after a Latino Health Initiative event in Southwood. Recognizing our shared goals, the Cancer Center team started joining monthly food distribution events to provide tailored cancer education and distribute a Cancer Screening Checklist. The checklist helps individuals identify the screenings they need, while navigation specialists offer support with financial aid, transportation, and other resources to overcome personal barriers.
Since the partnership launched in January 2024, the impact has been promising:
- 161 community members received Cancer Screening Checklists.
- 128 sought help to complete at least one cancer screening.
- 1 in 5 who sought screening successfully completed a screening.
Building on this success, Loaves and Fishes received a Cancer Center Community Grant to enhance food security, promote healthier food options, and educate on nutrition to reduce cancer risks. Working together on this prevent-and-defense approach fills me with a great deal of hope for the future of our community’s battle against cancer.
By helping make early detection accessible and affordable for anyone who needs it, our COE team is breaking barriers in earlier detection. To anyone involved, whether through your work, volunteering, or by spreading the word, thank you for enhancing our community's health and well-being.
I’d love to hear your ideas about connecting with members of our community to better understand how we can work together to address barriers to healthcare. Please share your thoughts through the Be Heard Suggestion Box!
Take care and be well,
Wendy