The recipient entity's physical address:
           4950 Essen Lane
Baton Rouge, LA 70809

The recipient entity's mailing address (if different):
           4950 Essen Lane
Baton Rouge, LA 70809

Type of Entity (for instance, a nonprofit corporation):  Non-Profit Corporation

If the entity is a corporation, list the names of the incorporators:
          Brett Furr
Todd Stevens

The last four digits of the entity's taxpayer ID number:  0520

What is the dollar amount of the request?  $250,000

What type of request is this?  General Appropriation

Is this entity in good standing with the Secretary of State?  Yes

Provide the name of each member of the recipient entity's governing board and officers:
           Thomas J. Adamek
Stonehenge Capital Company
236 3rd Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70801
Cordell Haymon
Petroleum Service Corporation, Retired

John Boyce,
James Walker, Retired

Kyle France
Louisiana Business Advisory Group
3421 N. CAUSEWAY BLVD., STE 105
METAIRIE, LA 70002

Laurie L. Aronson
Lipsey’s
7277 Exchequer
Baton Rouge, LA 70809


Mark K. Dearman
Rubicon, LLC
P.O. Box 517
Geismar, LA 70734

Art E. Favre
Performance Contractors
9901 Pecue Lane
Baton Rouge, LA 70810

Kevin Gardner
Hub International Gulf South
235 St. Ann Drive, Suite 3
Mandeville, LA 70471

Catherine S. Giering
Keogh, Cox & Wilson, Ltd.
701 Main Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70801

Gerald T. Goss
Goss Wealth Management, LLC 6300 Corporate Boulevard, #120
Baton Rouge, LA 70809

Vanessa O. Graham
VGraham, LLC
P.O. Box 85324
Baton Rouge, LA 70810

Alice Greer
Community Volunteer

Rose J. Hudson
Louisiana Lottery
555 Laurel Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70801

Eric R. Lane
Gerry Lane Enterprises
10945 Reiger Road
Baton Rouge, LA 70809

Matthew L. Mullins
Alexander Sides
4232 Bluebonnet Boulevard
Baton Rouge, LA 70809

Anthony O’Connor
BXS Insurance
4041 Essen Lane, Suite 400
Baton Rouge, LA 70809

John F. Smith
333 Third Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70801

Todd D. Stevens (President and CEO)
Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center
4950 Essen Lane
Baton Rouge, LA 70809

Mawuena Takyi
Dent Asset Management
301 Main Street, #1502
Baton Rouge, LA 70801

Charles G. Wood, M.D.
Southeast Louisiana Radiation Oncology Group
4950 Essen Lane
Baton Rouge, LA 70809

Provide a summary of the project or program:
           As a community service, Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center has delivered no cost, community-based screenings to the medically underserved since 2002 in an effort to address the high mortality rate from cancer. We screen for five cancer types (breast, colorectal, skin, oral cavity and prostate) on our mobile medical clinics that drive into high needs neighborhoods identified through the Community Needs Index. We provide a patient navigator for each participant with an abnormal finding to ensure adequate follow-up until resolution of any finding.
MBPCC’s program targets adults who lack access to cancer screenings including vulnerable communities and low-income residents who have barriers to healthcare such as lack of transportation, irregular sources of medical care, low health literacy and irregular work hours. Often because this population lacks access to cancer screenings, they do not receive the recommended screenings and cancers are detected too late for long-term survivorship. Louisiana has some of the highest cancer mortality rates in the nation, although our incidence rate is similar to that of other states. Much of this is attributed to the late stage of the disease at diagnosis – which is most often seen in our targeted population.
The screening program utilizes evidence-based practices aligned with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) Cancer Prevention and Control’s The Community Guide. Our average time between identification of an abnormal finding and resolution of the finding is 10 days, which is much less than the national standard of care of 60 days. Each screening event also focuses on education about cancer risks, screening guidelines and healthy lifestyles. Our outreach staff also participates regularly in health fairs and community events to educate community members about recommended screening guidelines, healthy lifestyles, and free screening events scheduled in both rural and urban neighborhoods in the area.
Utilizing two mobile medical clinics designed with three exam rooms each and built on a truck chassis, clinical and community outreach staff drive into medically underserved neighborhoods to offer screenings at times and locations convenient to the medically underserved in Louisiana. A clinician attends each screening event, to meet with each screening participant for individual exams on the mobile clinic.
The patient navigators also provide support to participants for all types of cancers screened who have an abnormal finding on the day of the screening event as a result of the physician’s examination. For those participants whose screening comes back later with a finding (for instance, from the FIT Kit), the navigator contacts the screening client, explains the results of the screening exam and “next steps,” including help making appointments, referral paperwork, and follow up phone calls until the finding is resolved. The navigator or staff at partnering providers completes paperwork or referrals for those with a cancer diagnosis or with need for further testing. Patients with insurance are referred for treatment by their providers to the cancer center of their choice. If they do not have insurance, our patient navigators assist the participants with receiving treatment through the public system.
Of the thousands of adults screened in 2020, 33 percent had never been screened before, 35 percent had no insurance (57% of breast cancer participants did not have insurance), 41 percent were racial/ethnic minorities (who are historically characterized as having health disparities), and 14 percent had an abnormal finding that needed follow up tests, also provided through our program if a participant was uninsured or unable to pay.

What is the budget relative to the project for which funding is requested?:
          Salaries. . . . . . . . . . . . . $0
          Professional Services. . . $0
          Contracts . . . . . . . . . . . $0
          Acquisitions . . . . . . . . . $0
          Major Repairs . . . . . . . $0
          Operating Services. . . . $250,000
          Other Charges. . . . . . . $0

Does your organization have any outstanding audit issues or findings?  No

If 'Yes' is your organization working with the appropriate governmental agencies to resolve those issues or findings?
          Not Applicable

What is the entity's public purpose, sought to be achieved through the use of state monies?
          The factors that create barriers to primary care are much more complex than the lack of a convenient medical clinic. Hours of clinic operation may be inconvenient for shift workers or the working poor. Rural and even urban communities lack transportation resources. Language, culture, under-education, and poverty are frequent barriers to primary healthcare, which includes regular, age-appropriate screenings for cancer. Even when cancer screening is available in a community hospital or clinic, under-resourced patients may face barriers by the long wait for an appointment, by the lack of weekend and evening hours, or by the multiple forms that must be completed before seeing a clinician. Our approach addresses each of these factors and is identified in annual work plans and logic models that guide our activities and support a design that is replicable.
Our program is an effective, no-cost program for the medically underserved focused on saving lives by finding cancer in early stages, when there is greater chance for a cure or long-term survivorship. We improve the health of disparate populations within the communities we serve through education as well as early detection.
Based on data from the American Cancer Society, cancer patients pay roughly $4 billion annually in out-of-pocket costs nationwide. Cancer also represents a significant portion of U.S. healthcare spending. Roughly $87 billion is spent on cancer related healthcare. These costs are paid by employers, insurance companies and taxpayer funded public programs like Medicare and Medicaid, as well as by the cancer patients and their families (The Cost of Cancer Addressing Patient Care Costs, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, April 2017). Detecting cancer early greatly reduces cancer’s financial impact; not only is the cost of treatment much less in cancer’s early stages, but people can also continue to work and support their families if they can access to effective treatment in time.

What are the goals and objectives for achieving such purpose?
          Our goal is to reduce Louisiana’s inordinately high cancer mortality rate. Objectives include include: (1) providing no-cost cancer screenings for five different types of cancer – breast, prostate, oral cavity, skin and colorectal – for the medically underserved; (2) providing patient navigation for 100% of participants with an abnormal finding; and (3) increasing cancer prevention and early detection education to residents. By providing these services, we strive to detect cancer in its earliest stages, which is essential to effective treatment and long-term survivorship.

What is the proposed length of time estimated by the entity to accomplish the purpose?
           1 year

If any elected or appointed state official or an immediate family member of such an official is an officer, director, trustee, or employee of the recipient entity who receives compensation or holds any ownership interest therein:
     (a) If an elected or appointed state official, the name and address of the official and the office held by such person:
                 N/a
    
     (b) If an immediate family member of an elected or appointed state official, the name and address of such person; the name, address, and office of the official to whom the person is related; and the nature of the relationship:
                 N/a

     (c) The percentage of the official's or immediate family member's ownership interest in the recipient entity, if any:
                 n/a

     (d) The position, if any, held by the official or immediate family member in the recipient entity:
                  n/a

If the recipient entity has a contract with any elected or appointed state official or an immediate family member of such an official or with the state or any political subdivision of the state:
(a) If the contract is with an elected or appointed state official, provide the name and address of the official and the office held by such person: 
               N/a

(b) If the contract is with an immediate family member of an elected or appointed state official:
          Provide the name and address of such person:
               N/a

          Provide the name, address, and office of the official to whom the person is related:
                N/a

          What is the nature of the relationship?  N/a

(c) If the contract is with the state or a political subdivision of the state, provide the name and address of the state entity or political subdivision of the state:
                 Louisiana Department of Health
28 N. 4th Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70802

(d) The nature of the contract, including a description of the goods or services provided or to be provided pursuant to the contract:
               We provide no cost, community-based cancer screenings to the medically underserved for five different types of cancer – breast, prostate, colorectal, skin and oral cavity.


Contact Information
name:  Renea Duffin 
                                       address:  4950 Essen Lane
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
                                       phone:  225-215-1227
                                       fax: 
                                       e-mail:  rduffin@marybird.com
                                       relationship to entity:  Employee