Program Outcomes from a Novel Outreach Network to Increase Breast Cancer Screening Uptake in Washington, DC

Authors: Hannah Safron, Shayla Scarlett, Claudia Campos Galvan, Julie E Bauman, Sherrie Flynt Wallington, Jacqueline Beale, Bettye Muwwakkil, Mandi L Pratt-Chapman

After COVID-19, many women from minority communities delayed breast cancer screening. To address this, the GW Cancer Center trained local residents to become Neighborhood Health Ambassadors who completed CHW training and a practicum, then carried out outreach and education in their own neighborhoods. Over one year, these ambassadors reached more than two thousand people across 108 events. The team also worked with community organizations to connect Hispanic/Latina and African immigrant women to mammograms, covering costs for those without insurance. The project showed that building a local CHW network can boost screening, though it takes time, while partnering directly with trusted community groups helps women get screened more quickly.