The Western North Carolina Colorectal Cancer Screening Initiative, housed within the Western Carolina Medical Society, was selected as a 2027 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy HANDS Distinguished Impact Award recipient.
The HANDS Award recognizes individuals and organizations whose work is creating lasting change in the field of digestive health.
WNC CRCSI was founded by Dr. Michael Newcomer of Digestive Health Partners, who continues to serve as its medical director.
“I am incredibly grateful to all the individuals who invest their time and talents to ensure that uninsured patients in western North Carolina have access to colorectal cancer screening. We are seeing an increase in positive screening tests, indicating a high impact on the population being screened,” he said.
Screening includes both early cancer detection and cancers prevented with the removal of advanced colon polyps. By providing no-cost screening access for low-income, uninsured patients, Digestive Health Partners has been able to decrease the burden of colon cancer in our region.
“I am honored to accept the ASGE HANDS award on behalf of the WNC CRCSI team and our community partners,” he said.
Karen Wallace-Meigs, executive director of WCMS, adds, “If anyone is deserving of such recognition, it is Dr. Michael Newcomer. He retired from a paid position to run this program full time and believes in it with his whole heart. He is a true humanitarian. The CRCSI program is a powerful model of partnership to bring care to those who need it but typically cannot access it.”
Dr. Michael Newcomer has been invited to speak at Digestive Disease Week in Washington DC to share the work of WNC CRCSI with an international audience.
Pictured top: (from right to left) Niki Duff, WCMS senior director, and WNC CRCSI Program Manager Lynn Lewis.