November 12, 2009

Regional Cancer Center Earns Wisconsin Cancer Council Award

ProHealth Care's Regional Cancer Center has earned a 2009 Community Service Award from the Wisconsin Cancer Council (WCC). The center earned the award for providing free colorectal, skin and prostate cancer screenings to 1,123 community members in 2008. The Regional Cancer Center was also recognized for providing free screenings to 10,000 community members since 1997.

The WCC's Community Service Awards recognize organizations for their exemplary outreach efforts in one or more of the areas of 1) cancer prevention; 2) screening and detection; 3) treatment; 4) quality of life/survivorship; 5) palliative care; and 6) data collection and reporting. Nancy Freeman, WCC's executive director, indicated this was the first time the award had been given to a health care organization.

The WCC is a coalition of 71 organizations dedicated to the development and coordination of a cancer control program in Wisconsin. Other members include the Medical College of Wisconsin, Aurora Health Care, Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare, Gundersen Lutheran, the American Cancer Society, the Wisconsin Departments of Health Services and Public Instruction, and the Wisconsin Medical Society, among others.

Other 2009 WCC award recipients include Wisconsin state senators Fred Risser and Michael Ellis for their leadership in promoting the smoke-free Wisconsin law that takes effect in 2010, Wisconsin state Rep. Jennifer Shilling for her leadership in advancing the cancer research bill, and the Tobacco Free Dane County Coalition and Fond du Lac County Tobacco Control Coalition for their promotion of tobacco control programs.