RFA- North Carolina Partnership to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screenings Grant

RFA- North Carolina Partnership to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screenings Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS)
Last Updated: August 21, 2025

Summary

The North Carolina Partnership to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screenings aims to enhance screening rates for colorectal cancer among patients aged 45 to 75 at average risk. This initiative invites federally qualified health centers and health systems to implement evidence-based screening interventions, ensuring clinics collaborate with the NC PICCS team. Successful applicants will attend training and receive technical assistance to improve their quality improvement processes, ultimately leading to better health outcomes in the community.

Overview

Purpose The purpose of this Request for Applications (RFA) is to solicit applications from eligible federally qualified health centers (FQHC) and health systems to contract with the North Carolina Division of Public Health (NC DPH) to implement evidence-based colorectal cancer (CRC) screening interventions for eligible patients aged 45 to 75 at average risk of colorectal cancer resulting in improved screening rates. The successful applicants will work with the North Carolina Partnership to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screenings (NC PICCS) team consisting of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center (UNC), the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the NC DPH Cancer Prevention and Control Branch (CPCB). Participating clinics will attend the ACS Quality Improvement (QI) Boot Camp, Learning Collaborative meetings, and NC PICCS individual technical assistance (TA) monthly meetings. During the monthly TA meetings, the NC PICCS team and clinic staff work together through the QI process. Description NC PICCS support partnerships to implement evidence-based interventions (EBIs) and strategies recommended in The Community Guide to increase colorectal cancer screening rates and follow-up colonoscopies at participating NC PICCS clinics. The Community Guide sets national standards on evidence-based interventions to inform public health work. To achieve this purpose, applicants may apply for Strategy A and/or Strategy B listed below. Selecting more than one of the following strategies does not increase the likelihood that the application will score higher than those who select only one strategy. Projects proposed should be focused, realistic, wellplanned, detailed, and sustainable beyond the project period. Strategy A Capacity Building to implement EBIs and strategies recommended in The Community Guide to increase colorectal cancer screening rates and follow-up colonoscopies at new NC PICCS participating clinics. Strategy B Capacity Sustaining to assess and plan for sustainability. Create a strategic plan to sustain the capacity of the clinic's colorectal cancer program. The CPCB intends to implement evidence-based CRC screening interventions at primary care clinics for eligible patients aged 45 to 75 at average risk for colorectal cancer. EBIs to increase colorectal cancer screening may include patient reminders, provider reminders, reducing structural barriers, and provider assessment and feedback.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Applicants must:Be a federally qualified health center (FQHC) or FQHC Look-Alike Health System* with two or more primary care clinic locations capable of performing evidence-based colorectal cancer (CRC) screenings by a stool-based colorectal cancer screening test (referred to as a positive stool test). FQHC Look-Alike: Health systems with primary care clinics, FQHCs or other funded entities offering primary care services, and private entities providing primary care services are eligible. Primary care clinics are required to implement the proposed strategies and activities within individual clinics.Additionally, health systems that are comprised of several primary care clinics (hereafter referred to as health systems) should plan to implement program strategies and activities at the clinic level.Test results are verified either by Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) regulations on site or through a licensed reference lab. The FQHC or health system must have access to clinic level data as data submissions are mandatory.Have clinics with a CRC screening rate of less than 60%.Establish or have an existing quality improvement or project team within their FQHC/health system then designate a representative to serve as the primary liaison with the NC PICCS team. Applicants must have a team of at least three people to implement EBIs as described in The Community Guide, conduct quality improvement activities, implement improved patient navigation systems, and improve the quality of CRC screening data and reporting mechanisms.Have the ability to extract clinic-level data from their Electronic Health Records (EHR) and identify their patient population aged 45 – 75 at average risk for CRC who have not completed an appropriate CRC screening.Have or build a gastroenterology resource for positive screening exams and follow-up diagnostic services.Build systems of care with community networks, identify CRC screening champions, and establish referral sources for low cost or donated services for follow-up colonoscopies and cancer treatment if needed. Applicants shall utilize NCCARE360 to the extent possible to facilitate referrals. NCCARE360 is a statewide coordinated care network to electronically connect those with identified needs to community resources (https://nccare360.org/). Demonstrate the ability to document patient records and provide data from the EHR to the NC PICCS team.Track stool-based (e.g., fecal immunochemical test (FIT)/fecal occult blood test(FOBT)) tests given out, tests returned and results, case management and follow-up of abnormal CRC screening tests, including navigation to and through a follow-up colonoscopy, tracking of colonoscopy results, and to treatment, if indicated.Have the ability to devote time and effort to implement evidence-based interventions, participate in quality improvement activities, develop patient navigation systems, and identify community resources for colonoscopy for patients with positive stool tests.Participate in at least monthly hour-long Collaborative meetings and at least monthly hour-long technical assistance meetings with the NC PICCS team.Have the ability to participate in qualitative and quantitative evaluations of the program as required by the CDC.

Ineligibility

Local health departments are not eligible for this pool of funding.