Women's & Men's Health (WMHP) Provider Update : Issue 8, March 2026

Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services sent this bulletin at 03/03/2026 02:56 PM CST

WMHP Mission: Ensure Nebraska women and men have access to cancer
screening and prevention resources.

WMHP Vision: Nebraska Women and Men Living Healthy and Cancer Free Lives

WMHP QUICK MONTHLY READS

Provider Updates, Highlights, & Prevention Insights

Issue 8: March 2026

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month

With increased media attention, you may see more patient questions about colorectal cancer screening. This is a great opportunity to reinforce screening recommendations.

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends colorectal cancer screening for adults ages 45 through 74. Screening remains the most effective way to prevent colorectal cancer.

Getting Patients to Participate in Colon Cancer Screening Tests:

Make the case
Give choice
Educate

Colon Cancer Screening:

Can find lesions and polyps that can be removed before they become cancerous
Can detect early stage cancer when it is easiest to treat
Good treatment available for colon cancer
Nebraska has the 7^th highest mortality for colon cancer in the nation

A single colonoscopy is more sensitive than a single FIT test. However, screening outcomes depend on patient participation, which is typically much higher with the less invasive FIT.

Colonoscopy requires prep, sedation, time off work, driver
Strong evidence shows an organized, repeated FIT screening
program—with high participation—can achieve similar results in
cancer detection and reduced mortality compared to a
one-time colonoscopy

Major medical organizations recommend both tests as valid colorectal cancer screening options for average-risk individuals 45-74 years of age.

The BEST test is the one that gets done!

PATIENT RESOURCES

Free screening is available for eligible Nebraska residents through:

Every Woman Matters (EWM) - eligibility requirements for Federal Program
Nebraska Colon Cancer Screening Program (NCP) - must meet age restrictions and live in Nebraska
Healthy Lifestyle Questionnaire (HLQ) - enrollment into Every Woman Matters and Nebraska Colon Cancer Screening Programs
Community FIT Kit Request Form - FREE FIT Kit
Instructional videos on how to do a FIT Kit - English / Spanish

Do you have patients in your clinic that are losing or are changing their insurance coverage?

If you have women in your practice who are losing or dropping insurance coverage, remember that Every Woman Matters (EWM) may be able to assist with
well-woman visits.

Early prevention saves lives!

Enroll them today into Every Woman Matters!

bit.ly/EWM-NCP-HLQ

Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services

Questions? Contact Us

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