The BC Cancer Excellence Awards provide an opportunity to shine a light on the inspiring people and teams who help ensure that British Columbians receive world-class, patient-centred cancer screening, treatment and support, and benefit from new discoveries that are helping change the face of cancer.
The Cervix Screening HPV Pilot Implementation Team has received a 2022 BC Cancer Excellence award in the category of Innovation and Discovery in Action, for their work in introducing a new method of cervix screening aimed at increasing access and improving health outcomes.
Offering a self-screening method that detects the presence of HPV, this pilot project addresses numerous systemic barriers to cervix screening, including discomfort with Pap tests, trauma, not having a health care provider and lack of time to visit a health provider. Through self-screening, those who need to screen can do so wherever and whenever they feel the most comfortable.
The team made this new type of screening accessible though developing patient friendly screening kit packaging, a comprehensive website, educational videos, patient and provider education materials. Work was undertaken to set up the laboratory and program systems to report and receive this new test and to send invitations, reminders and results protocols to patients and providers. In addition, they collaborated with Divisions of Family Practice to identify innovative ways to offer screening for unattached patients and to offer kits by mail or through providers to offer patients choice about how they access screening.
The Pilot aims to improve access to under-screened and vulnerable populations who may not be up-to-date with Pap testing. This includes a mailing campaign to under and never screened people, a collaboration with Trans Care BC to offer cervix self-screening for Two-Spirit, trans and gender diverse people and working with the First Nations Health Authority and several clinics or Friendship Centres serving Indigenous people.
The work of this pilot project team is one of the first of its kind, and well represents innovation and discovery in action.
Team members recognized for this award include Laura Gentile, who leads the team as operations director, cancer screening programs, as well as Jennifer Bailey-Nelson, Shan Bains, Rachel Berns, Amy Booth, Dmitriy Bykov, Joanne Calinisan, Ester Chan, Amber Chen, Kathleen Creamer, Sarah Dhamrait, Edwin Khoo, Alison Kong, Javis Lui, Mary Nagy, Gina Ogilvie, Alisha Pillay, Lily Proctor, Jennifer Siemens, Brenda Smith, Laurie Smith, Amir Taykandy, Dirk Van Niekirk and Sandy Zhang.
Congratulations to the Cervix Screening HPV Pilot Implementation Team, on receiving this year's team innovation and discovery award.
Laura Gentile, operations director, cancer screening programs and Dmitriy Bykov, manager, data & analytics, cancer screening, prevention and HCP receiving their Excellence Award on behalf of the Cervix Screening HPV Pilot Implementation Team, from Dr. Kim Chi and Heather Findlay at the 2022 BC Cancer Summit.
