DC Goes Blue – For Men’s Health (DCGB)
DCGB is a collaboration between the Community Wellness Alliance and other community partners. Because men are less likely to seek preventative care and health education, the goal of DCGB is to promote education and awareness for Men’s Health issues, especially in the District’s underserved communities, including Wards 7 and8. DCGB will be an ongoing campaign that will seek to empower men to take control of their health and health-related issues. The campaign will be comprehensive in its approach, encompassing:
- Awareness
- Community Outreach
- Referrals
- Communications (TV, Radio, Media, printed materials, speakers, etc.)
- Education Workshops
- Navigation
DC Goes Pink (DCGP)
DCGP is a collaboration between the Community Wellness Alliance and the DC Department of Health. DC has the highest breast cancer death rate in the country, according to the American Cancer Society’s Breast Cancer Facts & Figures 2011-2012. To address this alarming issue, The Community Wellness Alliance implements DC Goes Pink – a collaborative program between the CWA, the DC Cancer Consortium and the DC Department of Health to increase breast cancer awareness and reduce the incidence of breast cancer among women residents in the DC area by providing annual mammogram screening reminders and offering monthly breast health education workshops. CWA distributes reminder cards throughout Washington, DC through its many partners where women aged 40-74 can sign up to be reminded annually that it is time to schedule their regular mammogram screening test. Women will also be able to sign up for these annual mammogram reminders online at www.dcgoespink.org. Once entered in the database, women will receive a reminder call, e-mail or letter one month prior to their screening due date. The DC Cancer Consortium’s Cancer Control Plan for Washington, DC has documented that the highest breast cancer deaths rates in DC are in Wards 5, 7 and 8. Therefore, special emphasis will be made to promote the mammogram reminder system and offer breast health education workshops in Wards 5, 7 and 8.
DC Tobacco Free Holy Grounds
DC Tobacco Free Holy Grounds (DCTFHG) is a faith-based initiative led by Community Wellness Alliance, in collaboration with the DC Tobacco Free Coalition and other partners, to educate DC residents and the faith community about healthy, tobacco-free living. Faith-based organizations, which include churches, monasteries, mosques, temples, synagogues and other houses of worship, are safe places for people in need of support and prayer. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has found that for many people who use tobacco, faith leaders are a natural resource to help them beat their addiction. Read more about the DC Tobacco Free Holy Grounds initiative >
LATINO (Let’s Act Together Initiating New Opportunities)
LATINO provides community outreach and conducts culturally appropriate workshops educating the District’s Hispanic population about healthy nutrition using the Latino Food Pyramid; teaches them about low and no-cost cancer screening and treatment services; and identifies methods to reduce stress and increase exercise. LATINO began in 2013.
DC MAMMOGRAPHY SURVEILLANCE PROJECT
To improve breast cancer death rates linked to a lack of education, mammograms and follow-up treatment, CWA stakeholders began piloting a program with Georgetown and Howard University Hospitals in 2012. This effort aims to capture information from patients to better understand how they receive breast health education and to identify gaps in service.
CAPACITY-BUILDING TRAINING
CWA provides a comprehensive skill-building program for community-based organizations that play a role in reducing the burden of chronic disease in the District. Workshops include: sharing lessons learned, best practices, outreach strategies, strategic development, grant writing, social marketing and budget forecasting.
DC QUITLINE
The DC Tobacco Free Quitline (1-800-QUIT-NOW) is a hotline for DC residents who want to quit smoking. By contacting the Quitline, residents can receive free nicotine replacement therapy products and smoking cessation counseling. This hotline has served over 3,000 callers; counseled more than 2,000 people and provided nicotine replacement therapy for nearly 2,000 people.
