St. Luke’s offers free colon cancer screening kits

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Posted on 15th March 2011 by Ken Dey in Boise |Cancer

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BOISE, Idaho – Colon cancer is the third leading cause of death in the United States, but is also very preventable if people follow screening guidelines.

In recognition of March as colon cancer awareness month, St. Luke’s Mountain States Tumor Institute (MSTI) is offering free at home screening test kits for colon cancer.

The home screening test detects hidden blood in the stool, which can be an early warning sign of colorectal cancer and other conditions such as ulcers, polyps, colitis, and diverticulitis. The test is easy to use and is performed in the privacy of your own home. To receive a free test kit, visit www.stlukesonline.org/freekit.

The home screening kits are only a starting point to determining if someone is at risk for colon cancer. Accurately detecting colon cancer requires a screening colonoscopy, which is recommended every 10 years after age 50. Those with a family history of colon cancer should consult with their doctor, who may recommend screening begin before age 50.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as many as 60 percent of colorectal cancer deaths could be prevented if all men and women 50 years or older were screened routinely. In most cases, colorectal cancer develops from precancerous polyps (abnormal growths) in the colon or rectum.

Screening tests can find precancerous polyps, so that they can be removed before they turn into cancer. Screening tests also can find colorectal cancer early, when treatment works best. Some studies have also shown that increased physical activity and maintaining a healthy weight may decrease the risk for colorectal cancer.

The free screening kits are made possible through funding provided by proceeds from the Brian Olson Memorial Golf Tournament. The 11th annual tournament will be held this June.  Since its inception, the tournament has raised more than $300,000 for St. Luke’s MSTI. Money from the tournament pays for programs such as awareness campaigns, screening kits and financial assistance for colonoscopies.

The tournament is named for Brian Olson a devoted father, community citizen, and 15-year HP employee who died at age 39 from complications of colon cancer in November 2000.  In Brian’s honor, a volunteer committee comprised of Hewlett-Packard employees established the Brian Olson Memorial Golf Classic with the goal of raising awareness of colon cancer.

About St. Luke’s Mountain States Tumor Institute

Founded in 1969, St. Luke’s Mountain States Tumor Institute (MSTI) has treated nearly 60,000 patients and has become one of the Northwest’s most respected cancer care centers providing the region’s most advanced cancer care therapies with the added benefit of allowing most patients to remain close to home. St. Luke’s MSTI is one of only 30 cancer centers nationwide asked to participate in the National Cancer Institute National Community Cancer Centers Program (NCCCP). To find out more about St. Luke’s MSTI visit www.stlukesonline.org

For More Information, Contact: Ken Dey, Senior Public Relations Coordinator, (208) 381-2894 or deyke@slhs.org.

St. Luke’s Partners with Mexican Consulate to Open Health Window

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Posted on 3rd December 2010 by Ken Dey in Boise

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BOISE, Idaho – St. Luke’s Health System has is partnering with the Mexican Consulate in Boise to provide a “Health Window.”

The Health Window is an information desk with the goal of providing not only the Mexican Community, but the community in general, information regarding health institutions and programs in Idaho that any person can use regardless of place of origin or socioeconomic status.

In order to bring this service to the Idaho community, the Consulate of Mexico in Boise and St. Luke’s Hospital signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in order to establish the Health Window program at the Consulate’s facilities and at the St. Luke’s Center for Community Health located in Hailey, Idaho. The partnership also helps St. Luke’s further the goals of its designation as a Community Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute.

This will allow the building of a close, direct partnership that allows the linkage of client referral and health education amongst the local Mexican Consulate, local health departments, community health organizations, and the major health institutions in Mexico.

The Health Window is an opportunity for everyone that is interested in having access to health information that will help them prevent diseases.

The Health Window is managed by a bilingual, bicultural and highly trained health promoter whose responsibility is to provide referrals to available health services. Advocates assess users for eligibility to health insurance programs and other primary care services.  The Health Window is located at the Mexican Consulate, 701 Morrison Knudsen Dr., Ste. 102, in Boise.  For more information call (208) 343-6228.

In 2002, the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs in Mexico inaugurated the “Health Window” program (Ventanilla de Salud) in two Mexican Consulates in the United States located in San Diego and Los Angeles, California. Since then, 42 Health Windows have been established throughout the Mexican consular network in the United States and Canada.