Hollings Annual Report 2023 FINAL - Flipbook - Page 24
Ford recognized
as top 25 diversity
leader for 2023
Community outreach efforts
at Hollings are led by Marvella
E. Ford, Ph.D. As a behavioral
scientist with expertise in cancer
disparities research, Ford is
nationally known for developing
novel and effective approaches to
reducing health disparities.
Dr. Ford was recognized by
Modern Healthcare as a Top 25
Diversity Leader in Healthcare for
2023. This recognition places Dr.
Ford in an elite group of leaders
who are implementing strategies
and practices to promote diversity,
equity and inclusion and truly
impacting the communities
they serve.
Among the programs she’s
developed are a train-the-trainer
cancer education program, a
prostate cancer education program
(SC AMEN, right), and a mobile
unit to provide HPV vaccines in
underserved communities.
Members of Bethel AME Church in Huger recently participated in an SC AMEN session.
Reducing disparities: SC AMEN focuses on
prostate cancer in the Black community
The South Carolina Prostate Cancer Screening Program for African American
Men (SC AMEN Program) is an innovative program from MUSC Hollings
Cancer Center to address prostate cancer disparities. The overarching goal
is to reduce these disparities by increasing prostate cancer screening rates
among African American men aged 40–69 in South Carolina through patient
education, navigation to screening, and follow-up.
In 2023, 227 prostate screening age-eligible African American men from 10
counties in South Carolina participated in the program, with 77% navigated to
prostate cancer screening.
Prostate cancer and Black men
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and second leading
cause of cancer death among African American men in South Carolina.
The incidence rate of prostate cancer in African American men in South
Carolina is almost two times higher than the incidence rate in white men.
The prostate cancer death rate is almost three times higher among African
American men than among white men in the state.
Overall, South Carolina ranks 24th in the nation for prostate cancer incidence
and 12th for prostate cancer deaths.
The program is generously supported by funding from the TD Charitable
Foundation, which aims to drive social, economic, health and environmental
impact in order to create more equitable health care outcomes for all.
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Hollings 2023 Annual Report
