Biden’s Reignited Cancer Moonshot First Anniversary

The Health Resources and Services Administration doubles its investment in a first-of-its-kind initiative to accelerate access to cancer screening and connection to follow-up treatment, including patient navigation support services, in underserved communities

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) (@HHSGov), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) (@HRSAgov), awarded nearly $11 million to 22 HRSA-funded health centers to improve access to life-saving cancer screenings and early detection services for underserved communities. These awards double support for an initiative launched last year by the Biden-Harris Administration through which HRSA-funded health centers are working to close the cancer screening gap and decrease the impact of preventable cancers.

“At HHS, we are doing all we can to make cancer prevention and screening services accessible to everyone in the United States,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. “Today’s investment in health centers is another step towards reducing disparities in cancer screenings across races, ethnicities, genders, and incomes—which is essential to realizing the President’s goal of ending cancer as we know it. This is also the latest action HHS is taking to address the estimated 9.5 million cancer screenings missed during the pandemic.”

One year ago, President Biden reignited the Cancer Moonshot and set new national goals to cut the death rate from cancer by at least 50% over the next 25 years and improve the experience of people and their families living with and surviving cancer.

“Early identification and early treatment are essential to meeting the President’s goal of slashing the cancer death rate. Yet, many families living in underserved communities face challenges in getting life-saving cancer screenings and treatment. We have to remove these obstacles and make it easier not only to get screened but to get connected to care,” said HRSA Administrator Carole Johnson. “That’s why HRSA is proud to double our investment in partnerships between our community health centers and National Cancer Institute-Designated Cancer Centers to expand lifesaving screenings and early detection services and make early intervention easier for those who live in underserved communities. Today’s investment is a critical down-payment on reaching the Cancer Moonshot’s goals.”

Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the United States, with approximately 600,000 deaths annually. Appropriate screening and timely follow-up care help to detect and prevent cancer. Yet, significant disparities continue to exist in cancer screening and follow-up care, including disparities based on an individual’s income, insurance status, and race or ethnicity.

The $11 million in 2023 awards doubles HRSA’s investment in the Accelerating Cancer Screening Program from $5 million in 2022. The program focuses on leveraging outreach specialists and patient navigators to conduct patient outreach in underserved communities served by health centers to promote early detection of cancer, connect patients to screening services, and provide hands-on assistance with accessing high quality cancer care and treatment as needed. Today’s awardees, listed below, join HRSA’s Fiscal Year 2022 Accelerating Cancer Screening Program health center awardees from Virginia, Texas, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Kansas, Florida, and California.

Locate a HRSA-supported health center.

See the full list of the Fiscal Year 2023 Accelerating Cancer Screening awardees announced.

View a list of the Fiscal Year 2022 Accelerating Cancer Screening awardees.