Baptist Health's 100 Days of Service includes colon cancer education
Louisville, KY (Nov. 19, 2024) - Baptist Health staff brought the good news about colon cancer – about 90 percent of cases and deaths are treatable if caught early -- to nearly 1,800 people through screenings and health risk assessments.
Learning about early detection through screenings – and prevention – was a key element of the colon cancer education offered by Baptist Health hospitals as part of the health system’s 100 Days of Service during its centennial year. Awareness and early detection are among the best ways to get ahead of colon cancer which is more common in Kentucky than any other state in the nation. In Indiana, colon cancer is the third most common cancer.
“Increasing awareness of cancer prevention, and early detection through screenings, is very important, especially in our underserved communities where residents are less likely to seek preventive medical care,” said Abigail Byrnes, MD, Baptist Health Cancer Care service line chair. “Many also may not know that both private insurance plans started after Sept. 23, 2010 and Medicare cover the costs of colon cancer screening tests, including colonoscopy, without co-pays or deductibles.
“Through these events, we hope to educate people not only about cancer, but about how they can access cancer screenings,” the physician added.
Recommended is a colonoscopy at age 45 – or even younger for those with a family history of colon cancer, or a chronic gastrointestinal issue such as Crohn’s Disease.
Baptist Health hospitals and surgical centers performed more than 37,000 colonoscopies last year, Baptist Health was the first in the state to open a dedicated inpatient unit for cancer patients in 1977. That leadership continues, with about 1 in 5 cancer patients in Kentucky treated at a Baptist Health facility.
In 2024, Baptist Health celebrates its 100th anniversary, and will mark each month with a health-related “gift” to its communities.
The original Kentucky Baptist Hospital in Louisville opened its doors in November 1924 following years of rallying community support and fundraising. Baptist Health has since expanded to nine hospitals and more than 2,700 licensed beds, reaching nearly 75 percent of Kentucky residents and a wide swath of southern Indiana.