Community CARES is an in-depth training program that was designed to empower health care professionals to confidently promote evidence-based, community-focused cancer prevention and screening to their patients, clients, and community members. Launched in February 2023, this series was administered monthly from February to December (except November). Community CARES provided resources that aligned with cancer and health awareness months, empowering partners to adapt and provide the content to the communities they serve. In 2023, 629 professionals participated in one or more training sessions, and 58% of participants report positive changes to their practices because of the Community CARES trainings.

Using videoconference technology, brief lecture presentations, and case-based learning, it fosters a bi-directional “all learn, all teach” approach between experts and peers. Project ECHO has been recognized globally as a successful approach to improving patient care outcomes. To date, 374 unique health care workers have participated in Project ECHO.

CHECoE has launched four Project ECHO initiatives:

• Noyollo Project ECHO Program: This Spanish language program is for community health workers and promotoras. It is a five-module series aimed at reducing cancer-related morbidity and mortality among Latino immigrants.
• NJCEED Project ECHO Program: This program was launched as a monthly session for CDC-funded New Jersey Cancer Education and Early Detection (NJCEED) agencies’ staff to improve their knowledge and practice around cancer prevention and screening topics.
• ScreenNJ Project ECHO: Exclusive to ScreenNJ partners, this six-part series offered sessions led by local providers that focused on promoting evidence-based, community cancer prevention and screening.
• Norwescap: The Northwest Community NJ Action Program provided monthly ECHO sessions to healthcare professionals that promoted the availability and access of screenings, and highlighted wellness and preventative cancer care.

Within the first full year of 2022-2023, LCS grew to include 180 professionals from 20 states with most participants working in New Jersey. The goals of this group were to: convene professionals working in New Jersey and beyond with a focus on lung cancer screening navigation, facilitate peer-to-peer discussions, problem solve, and foster and enhance lung cancer screening efforts. The monthly working group identified common areas where lung cancer screening navigation improvement was needed as in-person health services were re-opening. While disseminating resources and education, the Lung Screening Group enhanced professional knowledge of navigation approaches, highlighted best practices, and provided learning opportunities from specialists and expert speakers. The group assisted members in updating navigation practices aligning with USPSTF and CMS guidelines, accelerating insurance adoption/coverage of screening under the new guidelines, and providing essential peer support to professionals who are often isolated in their facilities. The peer-to-peer element of this group served a critically important positive outcome for the transition into post-COVID 19 healthcare.

Pilot Study Impacts Lung Cancer Screenings

CHECoE has launched four Project ECHO initiatives:

Inspira Health System, one of ScreenNJ’s partners since program inception, partnered with ScreenNJ and Rutgers Senator Walter Rand Institute for Public Affairs for a multi-level improvement study. The study was designed to increase the number of LDCT screenings of high-risk, eligible patients at selected clinical sites of Inspira Health System.

The goals of this study were three-fold:

1. To investigate whether or not evidence-based training would increase providers’ knowledge and understanding of lung cancer screening eligibility
2. To see if providing education to providers and support staff would result in improved workflow processes and increased lung cancer screening and Quit Center referrals
3. To test the effectiveness of a lung navigator on improving lung cancer screenings

Serving as a pilot study, it evaluated the effectiveness of process improvement initiatives that were implemented to increase lung cancer screenings of eligible patients and smoking cessation referrals at six of Inspira’s clinical sites. Provider and staff educational sessions focused on the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) expanded lung cancer screening guidelines; referral processes for the Inspira Lung Cancer Screening Program; and referral processes for the Inspira Quit Center (smoking cessation program).

This project evaluated the impact of lung cancer screening procedures for both the patient and the practitioner. The goal of this evaluation was to collect and assess quantitative data to understand and disseminate Inspira’s existing process of cancer screening and screening education in relation to screening rates and outcomes.