HOUSTON The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) awarded $3.5 million to five Houston area organizations to fund cancer prevention programs that will reach underserved populations and geographic areas of Texas.
Representative Ellen Cohen who served as the House sponsor of the bill creating the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas was especially pleased that so many institutions in District 134 and the Houston area were awarded grants.
The Houston recipients include:
- Baylor College of Medicine (for a statewide web-based childhood cancer survivorship project)
- Hope Clinic (for a cancer prevention education and outreach initiative serving Fort Bend and Harris counties)
- The Rose (for a breast cancer screening and cervical cancer education initiative serving Brazoria Burleson Chambers Fort Bend Galveston Harris Liberty Montgomery Waller and Wharton counties)
- The University of Houston (for a cervical cancer education initiative focused in Harris county) and
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (for a cancer prevention education and navigation project serving Austin Brazoria Cameron Chambers Colorado Fort Bend Galveston Harris Hidalgo Liberty Matagorda Montgomery Starr Wharton Willacy Walker and Waller counties).
Seeing the vision we had initially for the CPRIT come to fruition is so exciting" said Rep. Cohen whose district includes the Texas Medical Center. And the impact is incredibly far-reaching. First and foremost the emphasis on cancer prevention will save lives. Secondly institutions like Baylor College of Medicine UT Health Science Center and The Rose will extend their outreach and their knowledge base."
The grants are part of a $6.8 million slate approved to fund twelve new cancer prevention programs through local clinics health districts community-based organizations and academic institutions across the state of Texas.
CPRITs twelve cancer prevention grants cover a broad spectrum of preventative services and programs such as screening for breast cervical and colorectal cancers; health promotion and education programs aimed at increasing screening and vaccination rates and improving the quality of follow-up care for pediatric cancer survivors. The twelve awards were selected from 56 prevention applications submitted to CPRIT.
Texas voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment in 2007 establishing the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) and authorizing the state to issue $3 billion in bonds to fund groundbreaking cancer research and prevention programs and services in Texas.
CPRITs goal is to expedite innovation and commercialization in the area of cancer research and to enhance access to evidence-based prevention programs and services throughout the state. CPRIT accepts applications and awards grants for a wide variety of cancer-related research and for the delivery of cancer prevention programs and services by public and private entities located in Texas. More information about CPRIT and the funded awards is available at its website
www.cprit.state.tx.us.
State Representative Ellen Cohen represents District 134 which includes all of Bellaire West University River Oaks Rice University and the Texas Medical Center along with parts of Meyerland and Montrose. Rep. Cohen is serving her second term in the Texas State Legislature.
