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Breast & Colon Cancer Screening Project

Breast & Colon Cancer Screening Project


The Nebraska Physicians Cancer Screening Initiative was a collaborative two-year physician-led initiative to (1) bring additional public awareness to the importance of colon and breast cancer screening (2) and to help healthcare providers improve processes, measurements, and tracking to improve patient outreach. Taking this proactive approach measurably increased the number of people who have been screened since the project began. The initiative was in alignment with the National Colorectal Cancer roundtable target of increasing the number of Nebraskans who are adequately screened for these cancers to “80% by 2018”. 

Dr. Bob Rauner, and Lincoln physicians, Mike Rapp, and Brandon Webb developed the initiative and through their efforts, 32 primary care clinics representing more than 179 primary care providers joined the effort including physician members of The Physician Network, OneHealth Nebraska, SERPA ACO, Bryan Health Connect, the Lincoln Family Medicine Program, and Bluestem Health Center. Drs. Rauner, Rapp, and Webb created this project because Nebraska has a higher number of colon cancer cases than other states, yet lags behind in screening. While the project began as a Lincoln initiative, the project ultimately included providers in Grand Island, Omaha, Nebraska City, Gering, Columbus, and Norfolk.

The project's significant increase in screening rates garnered a national achievement award from the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable (NCCRT), an organization co-founded by the American Cancer Society and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for community leadership in the ongoing effort to save lives through early detection of colorectal cancer.

Colon Cancer Screening Data