Buffalo will become the first city in the nation to unite local government and competing health systems around the shared goal of fighting colorectal cancer in Western New York.
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown and Erie County Health Commissioner Gail Burstein are expected to announce Tuesday the region's commitment to the "80% by 18" campaign, a national initiative driven by the American Cancer Society and the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable to increase colorectal screening rates to 80% by 2018.
Competing health systems Kaleida Health, Catholic Health System, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, CCS Healthcare, Erie County Medical Center, the VA Western New York Healthcare System, Catholic Medical Partners, and UBMD have all committed to participating, along with insurers Independent Health and Univera Healthcare.
This public health effort is expected to save more than 200,000 lives and avert 280,000 new cancer diagnoses by 2030.
