Breast Cancer Demonstration Project
Founded in 1998, the HANYS Breast Cancer Demonstration Project (HANYS BCDP) has a goal of making breast cancer care better for women in New York State. The HANYS BCDP Advisory Board helps us accomplish this goal. The Advisory Board consists of partners who represent nine hospitals and health care systems, as well as health care agency members and organizations offering breast cancer services throughout New York State. Participants in the HANYS BCDP Advisory Board include nurses, physicians, hospital and health care administrators, patient navigators, outreach workers, consumers, and community advocates.
The foundation for our breast services model rests on four structural components: increased access, decreased barriers, enhanced quality of care, and improved quality of life for breast cancer patients. Project products and information are shared with hospitals throughout New York State and many are publicly available on the HANYS BCDP Web site. We are grateful to the New York State Assembly and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for their generous funding of this work.
Why was the Project developed?
Recognizing that New York State has the second highest rate of breast cancer in the country and that breast cancer is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer in women, HANYS sought to better understand how breast cancer services are provided. As both a chronic and acute care disease, breast cancer requires care and services from multiple clinicians and organizations. Patients have reported that they feel a lack of continuity and coordination among their caregivers. Furthermore, cultural, community, and personal obstacles can stand in the way of women's access to services or create gaps in care. HANYS created the Project to develop a coordinated method of caring for patients with breast cancer.
What are the Project's goals?
- To help health care providers develop effective strategies that provide the best breast care to patients and their families; and
- to work in partnership with hospitals and health care systems throughout New York State to increase access to care, improve coordination of care, share best practice strategies, and promote patient information support and quality of life.
Questions?
Please contact Kathleen Ciccone, Vice President, Quality and Research Initiatives, at (518) 431-7658, or at kciccone@hanys.org.
