Coalition Activities
Oral Cancer Screening and Education Initiative A Success
The Monmouth Cancer Coalition successfully completes its first Oral Cancer Screening and Education Initiative.
The Monmouth Cancer Coalition successfully completed its Oral Cancer Screening and Education Initiative by offering free oral cancer screenings from April 24 through May 1, 2008. Twenty-five screening and referral sites - consisting of hospitals, community health centers and private dental and physician practices - will participate in this groundbreaking effort.
A total of 100 patients were screened across the county of whom 14 were referred for follow-up exams. The Coalition and the Monmouth County Health Department maintains communication with each patient referred to a specialist to assure proper care.
The Initiative was led by Michael A. Meddis, MPH, Public Health Coordinator of the Monmouth County Health Department. He was supported by a clinical team directed by Kayvon Haghighi, DDS, MD of Red Bank Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery. Dr. Haghighi is the President of the Monmouth County Dental Association and a member of the Governor's Task Force Workgroup on Oral and Oropharyngeal Cancer.
The screening period began April 24th which is coincided with Oral Cancer Screening Day sponsored by the Oral Cancer Consortium. To recognize the event and to lend support to the Monmouth Cancer Coalition's Initiative, the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders issued a proclamation at its April 24th meeting. See http://www.visitmonmouth.com/pressrelease.asp?newsid=76.
The Initiative included a presentation in December 2007 by David Lederman, DMD on the importance of prevention and early detection of oral cancer. Dr. Lederman is an acknowledged champion and recognized expert on the oral cancer prevention. He is a member of the Governor's Task Force on Treatment, Prevention and Early Detection of Cancer in New Jersey, and he chairs the State's Workgroup on Oral and Oropharyngeal Cancer.
Pictured above are Freeholder Barbara McMorrow, Michael Meddis, Dr. Haghighi and Terry Beck, Chair of the Monmouth Cancer Coalition..
For more information about the Monmouth County Oral Cancer Screening Initiative, please contact the Monmouth Cancer Coalition Coordinator at pvirga@newsolutionsinc.com