For several years, this healthcare system struggled to find a sustainable program to perform outreach to patients with outstanding orders for lung, breast, and colon cancer screenings.
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For several years, this healthcare system struggled to find a sustainable program to perform outreach to patients with outstanding orders for lung, breast, and colon cancer screenings. A financial analysis of associated expenses, reimbursement, payer mixture, and downstream revenue of these screening efforts demonstrated positive net return on investment, allowing for expansion and implementation of the Population Health Support Services team to perform this task. In 2022, 12 outreach specialists scheduled visits that accounted for 38% of completed lung cancer screenings and 15% of completed breast cancer screenings for this healthcare system.
Michael Gieske, MD
Medical Director, Lung Cancer Screening
St. Elizabeth Cancer Center
"We’ve demonstrated through a financial analysis of our screening programs that colon, breast, and lung cancer screening definitively have a net positive revenue. There’s a return on investment for every lung cancer screen we do, for every mammogram we order, for every colon cancer screening we do. The more [screening] you do, the more volume is generated, and the better business case you make for supporting a screening program."
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The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author(s)/faculty member(s) and do not reflect the official policy or position of their employer(s) or the Association of Cancer Care Centers.
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At the 2026 ASCO Annual Meeting, the Louisiana Oncology Society received the ASCO Jeffrey C Ward Affiliate Advocacy Award for advancing critical advocacy priorities that have translated into meaningful legislative victories. The Iowa Oncology Society and Washington State Medical Oncology Society were also recognized for their advocacy efforts in 2025 at the meeting, receiving second place awards.
