The Thought Leader Engagement Strategy Action Group has been working on Objective 4 of Cancer Plan MN 2025. This group of lung cancer leaders (Thought Leaders) met in April to review the Cancer Plan and identify action steps to improve lung cancer screening numbers. Twenty-four individuals from 13 different organizations, from all over the state attended the meeting.
At the meeting, the group identified barriers to getting more people screened. Some areas of need that were identified include: identifying primary care partners, using EMR software to identify eligible patients, developing a business model for new screening programs, and underreporting or fear of being screened due to stigma. Although the group identified many needs, they also identified many successes. This meeting provided a chance for organizations to work together and discuss ideas for improving screening throughout the state. Some meeting attendees stated:
“This is the first time that all of these different organizations have been brought together to discuss lung screening in Minnesota”
“Thank you for inviting me to present at this excellent meeting!”
“Very good discussions. Got great ideas on how to improve our program.”
Moving forward, this group has identified areas for future work which will help address strategy 4.1 of the Cancer Plan. A Breath of Hope Lung Foundation, the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association, and partner organizations will continue to meet to plan another meeting in September. For more information about this group or to get involved, please contact Amanda Pederson Strand at amanda@abreathofhope.org.
