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Stephen Foster, M.D.
UAMS Receives $3.5 Million from CDC to Improve Colorectal Cancer Screening
| LITTLE ROCK — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently awarded more than $3.5 million to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) to lead a five-year statewide effort to improve the rate of colorectal cancer screening in the state.
Arkansas ranks fifth nationally for overall cancer mortality and sixth nationally for colorectal cancer mortality, making colorectal cancer screening a major public health concern statewide.
The grant will enable physicians and researchers at UAMS who focus on primary care health outcomes to establish and enhance partnerships with other entities in Arkansas who also have an interest in improving the screening rate, for the purpose of adopting integrated practices based on the best available science.
Called Promoting Resource and Outreach to Enhance Colorectal Testing for Arkansas (PROTECT-AR), the UAMS-led effort will include data monitoring and continuous quality improvements. Its goal is to enhance completion rates of all colorectal cancer screening regardless of which approved screening method is used.
“We are collaborating with several groups within UAMS, including the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, to implement new workflows for cancer screening navigation and follow-up, as well as the Institute for Community Health Innovation for evaluation and readiness activities,” said Stephen Foster, M.D., the principal investigator and a member of the Cancer Institute’s Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences research program.
“While the primary focus of this project is to improve colorectal cancer screening rates and follow-up within the UAMS Regional Campuses, the initiative will expand to include several Baptist Health clinics,” he added.
“This funding allows us to build the kind of statewide partnerships that can truly move the needle on colorectal cancer outcomes in Arkansas,” said Michael Birrer, M.D., Ph.D., director of the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute and a UAMS vice chancellor. “Colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable cancers when it’s found early, yet too many Arkansans are still not being screened. The reality is that we can’t have enough colorectal cancer screening opportunities to address the impact this disease is having on families and communities in our state.
Foster is an assistant professor in the UAMS College of Medicine Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, the medical director of Population Health for the UAMS Primary Care and Population Health clinical services, and the director of the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine’s Office of Digital Health. He thanked the grant team at the UAMS Institute for Digital Health & Innovation for their assistance with the grant submission process.
The funding is being dispersed in annual increments through Aug. 29, 2030. The first installment of $544,420 was awarded in late September.
UAMS leads sustained, statewide efforts to improve colorectal cancer screening and reduce colorectal cancer deaths. That work began with the launch of an education and screening initiative led by Ronda Henry-Tillman, M.D., a surgical oncologist who also serves as chief of breast surgical oncology. These longstanding efforts have continued to expand in recent years, including a 2025 partnership between the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute and Arcare to screen up to 80% of eligible patients at 11 Arcare clinics around the state.
“For more than a decade, UAMS has been a leader in colorectal cancer screening, treatment and research across Arkansas, with a clear focus on reducing disparities and saving lives,” said Jonathan Laryea, M.D., professor and chief of colon and rectal surgery at UAMS. “From supporting legislation to lower the screening age and ensure insurance coverage to building strong community partnerships, UAMS has remained committed to expanding access to high-quality screening and care. This CDC award further strengthens the statewide infrastructure needed to prevent colorectal cancer and improve outcomes for patients in every corner of our state.”
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,553 students and 902 medical residents and fellows. It is the state’s largest public employer with about 12,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.
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