Dr. Shauna Lorenzo-Rivero knew from the time she was a third-grader that she wanted to be in the operating room.
“I looked at trauma. Then craniofacial. Then I discovered colorectal surgery. I could do something good — taking out cancer. That was it,” she says.
But a neuropathy diagnosis sidelined her career as a colorectal surgeon in Chattanooga.
Undeterred, she pivoted to philanthropy with a maximum dose of community education, all in service to reducing colon cancer rates.
The Greater Chattanooga Colon Cancer Foundation is the result, a nonprofit aimed at reversing the Volunteer State’s miserable showing: the state ranks among the lowest for screenings and among the highest for colorectal cancer deaths. That, according to Lorenzo-Rivero, is unacceptable.
“The whole point is to raise money to pay for the screenings and procedures, the colonoscopies,” she says.
The foundation sponsors the Rump Run and the upcoming Rump Rally in the Tennessee Valley (a pickleball tournament). Additionally, Lorenzo-Rivero and volunteers regularly participate in community and employer-based health fairs, church and neighborhood events and health expos. Dozens a year, in fact.
Money raised goes paying for the critical screenings. Referrals are made to physicians who perform the colonoscopies at no charge, she says.
The point is to catch cancers early; colon cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable out there. Catching it early — through screenings — boosts survival rates.
There are plenty of challenges the foundation works on, the biggest being “opening the minds of both givers (hospitals, clinics, health care professionals, public) and receivers (the insured and uninsured regardless of race/ethnicity/language) that access to care is possible and can be affordable,” she said.
But the rewards are worth it.
“There is no greater purpose in life than serving others,” she said.
What are the biggest barriers you see in getting people screened for colorectal cancer, especially in underserved communities?
Lack of trust of the medical community; lack of transportation; lack of access to health care; lack of knowledge; lack of insurance.
How is the foundation helping to close those gaps in awareness and access to care?
Our free colon cancer screening program, which includes the FIT test (stool); colonoscopy, and referral for treatment arranged through Project Access.
What are some typical misconceptions about colon cancer or screening?
The most common one is that colon cancer only affects older people. In reality, it doesn’t discriminate. And many screening options are simple, non-invasive, and can be done at home.
At what age should people start thinking seriously about colon cancer screening — and how has that changed in recent years?
We now recommend that average-risk individuals begin screening at age 45, not 50. If you have a family history or other risk factors, you may need to start even earlier. The key is to talk to your doctor and not wait until symptoms appear — because by then, it may be too late. Colon cancer is often silent until it’s advanced. Screening is about prevention, not just detection.
Greater Chattanooga Colon Cancer Foundation
* Founder: Dr. Shauna Lorenzo-Rivero
* Established: 2010
* Number of volunteers: 29 gastroenterologists from three practices; four colorectal surgeons; three pathologists in two groups; two anesthesia groups; four facilities (CHI Memorial, Parkridge/Parkridge East, Erlanger/Plaza, Chattanooga Endoscopy Center), one retired Galen GI physician at Volunteers in Medicine
* Impact: 130 donated colonoscopies since 2018; 15 health fairs this year alone; 3-5 more planned service 6,199 participants with 62 volunteers
* If you could change one thing about health care, what would it be?: Access to care for all without the financial constraints of reality, including transportation, and restore funding (governmental or private) to the agencies that serve our communities.
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