{"id":81335,"date":"2024-03-06T15:28:51","date_gmt":"2024-03-06T20:28:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/?p=81335"},"modified":"2024-04-17T12:38:55","modified_gmt":"2024-04-17T16:38:55","slug":"looking-to-get-screened-for-cancer-but-dont-have-a-family-doctor-make-an-appointment-with-our-superscreener","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/healthy-tomorrows\/looking-to-get-screened-for-cancer-but-dont-have-a-family-doctor-make-an-appointment-with-our-superscreener\/","title":{"rendered":"Looking to get screened for cancer but don\u2019t have a family doctor? Make an appointment with our \u201cSuperscreener\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Meet Nurse Practitioner Sarah Junkin-Hepworth, the Champlain Screening Outreach Program\u2019s \u201cSuperscreener.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Regular cancer screening can help save lives. But for people without a family doctor, accessing these important services can be a major challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s why the Champlain Regional Cancer Program at The Ottawa Hospital launched the Champlain Screening Outreach Program. The first of its kind in the province, the program offers cancer screening services for people living in Eastern Ontario who do not have a primary care provider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the program began in July 2023, Nurse Practitioner Sarah Junkin-Hepworth has screened hundreds of residents across the region for breast, cervical, colorectal and lung cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPatients have told me they are relieved to finally get the care they\u2019ve been trying to get for some time \u2014 and often have been late to get for many years,\u201d reports Sarah. \u201cFor me, it\u2019s really rewarding to break down a barrier for somebody and open a door for them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want to learn how Sarah can open a door for you? Find out more about the program from the \u201cSuperscreener\u201d herself\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why should I get screened for cancer?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cKeeping up with regular screenings helps detect cancers early, before signs or symptoms develop. And when we catch cancers at an earlier stage, it means two things: Typically, we are able to use less invasive treatments to manage the disease, and the second thing is that we have better success rates with those treatments. I\u2019ve found that about 43 per cent of the tests I\u2019ve ordered are for people who were overdue for their screening.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How does the program work?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe first step is to book a 30-minute phone call with me (more on how to book an appointment below). During our call, I\u2019ll ask you about your lifestyle, personal history and family history to find out which cancer screening tests you\u2019re eligible for. I screen for the four cancers that have organized provincial screening programs: breast, cervical, colorectal and lung cancer. I\u2019ll then make the referrals for the tests and update you on the results when they come back. And if you need a Pap test, I can perform the test myself.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Sarah
Sarah organizes some Pap test kits for one of her Pap clinic days.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What if I don\u2019t live in Ottawa?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo problem! Though I\u2019m based in Ottawa, I can provide referrals for tests that can take place anywhere throughout the Champlain region. Let\u2019s say you live in Pembroke and want to receive a mammogram in your own community. You can book a virtual appointment with me, and I can refer you for the test at the Pembroke Regional Hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you need a Pap test, I mostly perform them at The Ottawa Hospital\u2019s Hampton Park Plaza breast screening clinic, but if you\u2019re outside Ottawa, I still may be able to see you at one of the Pap test clinics that the Champlain Screening Outreach Program runs throughout the region. Or I can direct you to a clinic run by our community partners who can see you closer to home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do I know if I qualify for this program?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou must reside in the Champlain region, have an Ontario Health Insurance Program (OHIP) card, be without a primary care provider (family doctor or nurse practitioner) and meet the age or family history requirements of Ontario\u2019s cancer screening programs. Check out the table below for more details.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Type of cancer<\/strong><\/td>Who should be screened<\/strong><\/td>Test<\/strong><\/td>How often<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Breast<\/td>Age 40+, for women, two-spirit, trans and non-binary people with breasts  <\/td>Mammogram<\/td>At least every 2 years

<\/td><\/tr>
Cervical<\/td>Age 25 to 70, if you have a cervix<\/td>Pap test<\/td>Every 3 years<\/td><\/tr>
Colorectal<\/td>Age 50 to 74<\/td>At-home stool test, also called a fecal immunochemical test (FIT)    <\/td>Every 2 years<\/td><\/tr>
Lung<\/td>Age 55 to 74, if you were\/are a smoker<\/td>Low-dose computed tomography (low-dose CT scan)<\/td>Annually<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe above table is for people at average risk of developing these cancers \u2014 for example, no family history of these cancers. When we have our phone chat, I\u2019ll ask you some questions to see if you qualify for high-risk cancer screening. So, if you have a close family history of one of these cancers, you may need to be screened more often and at a younger age and even have a different test, which I can also order for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do I make an appointment with you?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s super easy! First, please take a moment to review our consent form<\/a>. Then you can book your appointment online<\/a>. And if you have any more questions about the program, I\u2019m happy to answer them during our call.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Regular cancer screening can help save lives. For people living in Eastern Ontario who do not have a primary care provider, the Champlain Screening Outreach Program offers screening services for breast, cervical, colorectal and lung cancer. Find out how to book your appointment with Nurse Practitioner Sarah Junkin-Hepworth, our \u201cSuperscreener.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":81338,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[13,412,410],"class_list":["post-81335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy-tomorrows","tag-cancer","tag-population-health","tag-screening"],"acf":[],"wps_subtitle":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81335","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81335"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81335\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/81338"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ottawahospital.on.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}