COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- March is Colon Cancer Awareness Month, and colorectal cancer remains the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), early detection can be a game-changer, significantly improving survival
rates.
A team of physicians and medical students at Ohio State University is working to break down barriers to care, ensuring that anyone in need of a colonoscopy can receive one, regardless of their ability to pay.
To ensure that everyone has access to a potentially life-saving procedure, several physicians came together to create the Free Colonoscopy Clinic.
Many of the patients are referred by the Columbus Free Clinic, which is run by volunteers and medical students. Not only are patients given education on the importance of a colonoscopy, but they are also provided a virtual demonstration and then the supplies they need to prepare like the solution and medical guidance. They are sometimes provided with more to ensure they are able to prepare and recover safely and comfortably.
“Our patient population, their expenses have to go to basic things, basic tenants of living,” Dr. Samuel Akinyeye, a gastroenterologist with Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, said. “So, when you talk about a colonoscopy, the average cost is $1,200 to $4,500, so it’s a huge cost, so being able to remove that cost, remove that stress of figuring out a way to cover that is very huge for our patient population.”
According to those behind the program, nearly seven out of 10 patients had polyps that required intervention and nearly every patient demonstrated the inability to pay.
Since 2022, the organization has provided 134 colonoscopies and recommended follow up care all free of charge.
For more information, visit the clinic’s website by clicking here. ...read more read less
