Providence to Bring Preventive and Complementary Therapy Education to Rural Oregon Communities

Feb. 12, 2009

PORTLAND, Ore — Providence Cancer Center treats more cancer patients than any other Oregon health system – not just in Portland, but across the state. A key part of that treatment is Providence’s commitment to comprehensive integrated medicine. Now, a $110,000 grant from the Centers for Disease Control will enable Providence Cancer Center to expand its existing program to reach additional rural communities.

Providence’s Rural and Underserved Cancer Outreach Project will establish a self-sustaining network to provide cancer outreach services in targeted communities near cities where Providence has existing facilities or partnerships with health care professionals. Those sites include Milwaukie, Medford, Hood River, Newberg, Seaside, Bend, Klamath Falls, Ontario and Pendleton. The project will be coordinated through Providence Cancer Center’s Integrative Medicine Program.

“Residents in rural areas are often diagnosed at later stages of cancer and are more likely to die of their disease then their counterparts in more urban areas,” says Laurie Skokan, Providence Cancer Center, integrative medicine director. “We hope to address this disparity by giving rural residents access to information that may lead to a better lifestyle, earlier screening, and therefore greater likelihood of surviving cancer should they be diagnosed.”

The project will provide training and outreach through community classes, public forums and train-the-trainer workshops. The objectives include educating the community about overall cancer prevention, and demonstrating both safe and effective complementary therapies. Complementary cancer therapies, when appropriately combined with standard treatments, are an effective way to ease the suffering, enhance physical health and improve quality of life for cancer patients.

Quote from local Providence administrator.
Cancer has replaced heart disease as the leading killer of Americans under the age of 85. More than 476,000 Americans younger than 85 years old now die of cancer each year. Lifestyle choices – including a healthy diet and adequate exercise – can help prevent cancer. The program will also improve overall health of communities for general conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes by addressing diet and exercise.

In the face of significant state and local budget cuts, few health-orientated organizations are engaged in outreach of any kind. Providence Cancer Center is uniquely positioned to work with rural communities to reduce the disparities in cancer care which exist in many rural areas within the state of Oregon.