Cancer Community Outreach
Mount Sinai and The Tisch Cancer Institute provide ongoing cancer educational and preventative programs to our surrounding communities, including East and Central Harlem and other locations throughout New York City. Programs focus on identifying gaps in care and work in consultation and partnership with community residents and local organizations.
Mount Sinai Screenings and Education Programs
Ongoing programs include:
Breast Cancer
Breast Health Resource Program
The breast health resource program regularly offers free clinical breast screenings and education on breast cancer.
Breast and Cervical Cancer
- Witness Project of Harlem
The Witness Project of Harlem offers breast and cervical community-based education and referrals for African Americans.
- Esperanza Y Vida
The Esperanza Y Vida program provides culturally sensitive breast and cervical cancer education and referrals to the Latina population.
Colorectal Cancer
Free colonoscopies are regularly offered through the Division of Gastroenterology and the Department of Oncological Sciences, in conjunction with the New York City Department of Health, for un- and under-insured New Yorkers.
Liver Cancer
Hepatitis Outreach Network (HONE) is a viral hepatitis prevention, screening, and link to care study focused on minority groups in New York City who are at high risk for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) and chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV), diseases that have been linked to liver cancer.
The Primary Care Hepatitis C program at Mount Sinai is part of the medical center’s Internal Medicine Associates (IMA) primary care clinic located at 17 East 102nd Street. At the IMA Primary Care Hepatitis C Program, an inter-disciplinary staff of doctors, nurse practitioners, a social worker, clinic psychologist, registered dietician and bilingual patient navigators offer a variety of services and support to patients. A support group, led by the program’s clinical psychologist, is also available to all patients and is held once per month at 17 East 102nd Street.
- Assistance for Uninsured Individuals with Hepatitis C
The Primary Care Hepatitis C Program at Mount Sinai as an official enrollment site for the HepCAP program. This program provides coverage for Hepatitis C evaluation and treatment-related costs to uninsured New York State residents with chronic Hepatitis C.
- Free Hepatitis C Testing and Education
The Primary Care Hepatitis C Program also includes H.E.A.L.S, an outreach component which provides free Hepatitis C testing and free Hepatitis C educational workshops for community-based organizations, social services agencies and other community settings throughout New York City. For more information on any of the resources listed above, please email the Primary Care Hepatitis C team at HEALS@mountsinai.org.
Prostate Cancer
The Barbara and Maurice Deane Prostate Center, housed within Mount Sinai’s Department of Urology, offers prostate cancer screening events several times a year.
Skin Cancer
The Department of Dermatology provides free skin cancer screenings on a regular basis at a variety of locations throughout the city.
Other Community Outreach Events
In addition to the above ongoing programs, one-time events have been (and continue to be) held both on-site and off-site, such as:
Onsite:
- Oral cancer screening & education – Held onsite in support of Head and Neck Cancer awareness week, this free event provided educational materials and information about oral care, HPV vaccinations and free oral exams.
- Melanoma Now – This free event held at Mount Sinai provided information to people with early stage through advanced melanoma, and included a panel of experts including a dermatologist, medical oncologists, social worker, and nutritionist.
Off-site:
- Wellness Festival at CUNY (City University of New York) – Representatives from Mount Sinai attended this wellness festival in East Harlem to provide information about resources for HPV vaccination, smoking cessation, healthy eating, weight loss and exercise programs
- American Cancer Society Survivors Day – Mount Sinai participated in this event held in Riverbank State Park in upper Manhattan and provided information and literature about the Cancer Prevention and Control Program, social support services, and other resources.
TOTAL = 6,283 (not including off-site, non-diagnosis specific activities)*
*Please note, some outreach programs provided services for more than one disease site simultaneously.
ACOS Accreditation
In 2012, The Tisch Cancer Institute received accreditation from the ACOS (American College of Surgeons) Commission on Cancer. This award recognizes the full range of medical services along with the multidisciplinary team approach to patient care available at Mount Sinai. The community outreach program meets the ACOS standards and continues to develop and expand outreach efforts.