Blog

Iowans Helping Iowans Through SafeNetRx’s Drug Donation Repository

By: Kenzie Harder, PharmD Iowa is leading the way in helping uninsured and underinsured cancer patients access medications through the Drug Donation Repository at SafeNetRx. Millions of Americans lack access to affordable care, a number that continues to grow. Twenty percent of the US population is medically underserved. This includes roughly 28 million uninsured persons¹…

Pancreatic Cancer Survivor Mike Zeglin on Finding Joy and Connection

By: Kelly Hendershot, LMSW, LSW “Pancreatic cancer is an ugly cancer,” said Mike Zeglin, a 68-year-old man from Rock Island, Ill. “I tell myself it’s tolerable and not so bad, but I lie to myself a little bit.” Doctors first diagnosed Mike with stage b (meaning it had already spread to nearby lymph nodes) pancreatic…

Importance of Flu Vaccination

By: Shelly Jensen RN, BSN Vaccines are one of public health’s greatest achievements. Because of routine immunizations, we are able to protect children, adults, and entire communities from the devastating and potentially life-threatening effects of vaccine preventable diseases. Vaccination can prevent certain cancers. The CDC estimates that vaccination of children born between 1994 and 2018 in the…

COVID-19 Doesn’t Stop School Radon Teams

By Julie Weisshaar, MS According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. The EPA considers Iowa to be a high-risk zone for radon gas and recommends that all schools test for radon. Energy Association of Iowa Schools (EAIS) created the School Radon Training & Support…

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

By: Michele West, PhD; Kristin Weeks, MD/PhD candidate; Bridget Toomey, MS, CPC; and Mary Charlton, PhD It’s September, which also means it is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month! Help us spread the word about ovarian cancer by wearing teal, the ovarian cancer awareness color, throughout the month of September and by sharing the signs and symptoms…

Cancer Clinical Trials in Iowa

By: Sneha Phadke, DO In the last 30-40 years, mortality and morbidity from cancer has decreased substantially. Improvement in curative intent therapies is a large reason for this shift. Prior to being used in regular clinical care, these therapies were tested in clinical trials. Our ability to continue offering the best cancer care is dependent…

Abigail McCarthy’s Cancer Journey

By: Abigail McCarthy My name is Abigail McCarthy. I am a senior at The University of Iowa College of Public Health. I am from Sioux City, Iowa, and am 21 years old. Currently, I am an intern at the Iowa Cancer Consortium and am loving every minute of it. In this blog post, I will…

A Public Health Professionals Guide to Evidence-Based Cancer Control Interventions (EBIs)

Written by Rachel Schramm, Program Manager, Iowa Cancer Consortium Updated Feb. 22, 2024 As public health practitioners, we are constantly assessing community needs and staying up-to-date with lessons learned from our peers. Especially in times of outbreaks or emergencies, this allows practitioners to start along a path and have others follow them – adapting and…

Meet Our Intern: Introducing Abigail McCarthy

Hello, I am Abigail McCarthy, a fourth-year student at the College of Public Health at the University of Iowa. I am grateful to be interning at the Iowa Cancer Consortium this summer. Here, I plan to grow my experience and knowledge within the cancer world. Diagnosed with thyroid cancer my freshmen year of college, I…

Adapting Colorectal Cancer Screening to a Post-COVID-19 World

By: Rob Marko-Franks COVID-19 has upended projects, conferences, and strategic plans for healthcare providers all over the country. As staff are redirected toward COVID-related work like testing and contact tracing, patients with other conditions could be left behind. For those with chronic conditions, this could be disastrous. COVID-19 also distracts from preventive work that providers,…