Since its launch in 2022, the FOCUS Program has awarded more than $4.5 million to over 75 organizations throughout the United States

MADISON, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Exact Sciences, a leading provider of cancer screening and diagnostic tests, announced today that it awarded a total of $1.5 million to 28 organizations through its Funding Opportunities for CRC Screening Uptake Strategies (FOCUS) Program. Grant recipients are committed to improving colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates and making health care more accessible, with a focus on medically underserved populations.

CRC is one of the most preventable and treatable cancers if caught in early stages.1,2 Yet an estimated 60 million average-risk adults remain unscreened in the United States,3 which is one reason more than 50,000 people die from this disease each year in the U.S. alone.4 In part because of low screening rates, CRC remains the second-leading cause of cancer death in this country.1

Nearly half of premature CRC deaths are related to racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic inequalities.5 The most vulnerable patient populations often go unscreened for CRC,4 which is one reason these communities are up to 11% more likely to be diagnosed with CRC in later stages,6 when the disease is less treatable.

"Exact Sciences is committed to helping eradicate colorectal cancer, and to do that, we must break down barriers to ensure that the most vulnerable populations have access to effective screening options," said Paul Limburg, Chief Medical Officer, Screening, at Exact Sciences. "We are proud to support these dedicated organizations that are addressing screening disparities in their communities."

Exact Sciences' FOCUS Program provides grant funding to community organizations, health foundations, public health organizations, and advocacy groups working to increase access to CRC screening and awareness.

Since its launch in 2022, the FOCUS Program has awarded more than $4.5 million to over 75 organizations throughout the United States. Across the country, FOCUS grant awardees have created a lasting impact in their local communities. For example, after receiving a FOCUS grant in 2022, Community Health Network, Inc., has increased screening rates in their uninsured New York patients by 20% and in their patients ages 45-55 by 15%; the Nebraska Cancer Coalition was able to grow screening awareness among more than 400,000 rural Nebraskans; and Access Community Health Centers, which serve a racially and ethnically diverse patient population with high poverty rates in Wisconsin, have increased screening rates from 37% to 55%.

2024 Awardees

African American Male Wellness Agency
Columbus, Ohio
The agency will focus on growing awareness of the high incidence of CRC in communities that are less likely to receive preventive care and screening education, focusing on the holistic health of African American men and their families.

Alliance Medical Center
Healdsburg, Calif.
The center will enact targeted outreach to increase CRC screenings with a focus on patients ages 45-49, patients who have never been screened, and the Hispanic/Latino community.

Anthony L. Jordan Health Corporation (dba Jordan Health)
Rochester, N.Y.
Using grant funding, Jordan Health aims to increase CRC screening rates from 23% to 50% for patients ages 46-55 by employing shared decision-making and offering multiple screening options.

Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS)
Detroit, Mich.
Through transportation services and bilingual CRC screening education, ACCESS intends to increase the awareness of CRC morbidity and access to equitable health care to low-income Detroit-area residents of Middle Eastern and North African descent.

Bingham Healthcare
Blackfoot, Idaho
Bingham Healthcare will use this grant to educate the southeastern Idaho Hispanic community on the benefits of CRC prevention and early detection. Through education, financial support, and language assistance, Bingham Healthcare aims to increase screening rates in the Latinx community.

Blue Ridge Health
Hendersonville, N.C.
Blue Ridge Health will focus on increasing CRC screening rates for never-screened patients ages 45-75 and increasing access to screening for low-income and uninsured patients.

Charter Oak Health Center, Inc.
Hartford, Conn.
Charter Oak Health Center, a federally qualified health center (FQHC) in Hartford, CT, aims to improve CRC screening rates by 10% among patients, 87% of whom identify as Hispanic/Latino or Black/African American.

Colorectal Cancer Prevention Network at University of South Carolina
Columbia, S.C.
To decrease screening barriers among the Hispanic population, the network will increase bilingual patient navigation services and provide evidence of the need for bilingual health care support to South Carolina legislators for future funding of the program.

Enloe Health Foundation
Chico, Calif.
Enloe Health Foundation plans to combat CRC in Butte County, which ranks among the highest in California for both incidence and late-stage diagnoses, by increasing targeted education for screening and offering financial assistance for underserved populations.

Family Centers Inc.
Greenwich, Conn.
Using grant funding, the organization's FQHC aims to increase screening rates to 45% in ages 45-49 and to 50% for uninsured/underinsured individuals.

Genesis Community Health
Boynton Beach, Fla.
Genesis Community Health will use funding to partner with local community providers to promote screening options and reduce barriers to follow-up colonoscopy adherence. The organization provides care for the underserved and uninsured populations of South Florida, including unhoused patients and patients living below the federal poverty level.

Glenns Ferry Health Center, Inc., dba Desert Sage Health Centers
Mountain Home, Idaho
The FQHC will offer uninsured patients more screening options to address the significant CRC screening disparities between insured and uninsured patients in rural southwest Idaho.

Henry J. Austin Health Center
Trenton, N.J.
By promoting patient-validated education, shared decision-making, and multiple screening options, the center aims to increase screening rates in patients ages 45-75.

Horizon Health and Wellness
Apache Junction, Ariz.
By addressing the barriers facing the rural patient population, such as access to and availability of screening options, Horizon Health and Wellness aims to increase CRC screenings by 25%.

Medlink Georgia, Inc.
Colbert, Ga.
Medlink will collaborate with patients to ensure an equitable approach to screening access, increasing CRC screening rates from 44% to 60% with a focus on medically underserved, low-income, and uninsured adults.

Merakey Total Health and The National African American Male Wellness Agency
Philadelphia, Pa.
The agency will utilize grassroots community engagement and partner with community health workers to increase screening rates in the Philadelphia community, with a specific emphasis on the African American community, never-screened Philadelphians, and individuals ages 45-50.

MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital
Yakima, Wash.
Washington State University and MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital will collaborate to address the imbalance of CRC-related deaths in the predominately Latino community by using tailored, evidence-based electronic messaging focusing on cultural identity, cultural empowerment, and overcoming screening barriers.

Northwell Health
New Hyde Park, N.Y.
Using grant funding, Northwell Health will aim to reduce barriers to CRC screening with a focus on females over age 45 to address the screening rate among female patients, which is 10% lower than the screening rate in male patients.

Operation Samahan, Inc., dba Opsam Health
National City, Calif.
Opsam Health intends to increase screening rates in its approximately 14,000 FQHC clients. Of the population served, about 90% live under 200% of the federal poverty level, 85% are racially or ethnically diverse, and 42% are better served in a language other than English.

Real Dads Network
Peekskill, N.Y.
The network aims to address the disproportionate burden of CRC on Black men by destigmatizing screening and spreading awareness through entertaining community engagement, such as comedy shows, spoken word performances, book discussions, film screenings, and health discussions.

San Fernando Community Health Center
San Fernando, Calif.
Serving a population where 87% live under 200% of the federal poverty level and 90% are using Medi-Cal or are uninsured, the FQHC will provide transportation to health centers and offer one-on-one education on CRC screening to increase awareness and adherence among its most vulnerable population.

Southern California Medical Center
Van Nuys, Calif.
The center aims to provide accessible health care regardless of race, LGBTQ+ status, socioeconomic standing, age, gender or non-binary identity, cultural background, language spoken, or ability to pay, offering interpreters in over 200 languages. By offering transportation services and patient navigation protocols, the center aims to screen at least 2,500 individuals annually.

The Brooklyn Hospital Center
Brooklyn, N.Y.
To improve overall screening rates from 68% to 82% by November 2025, the hospital will use funding to educate providers and clinical support staff, promote shared decision-making, and implement patient outreach reminders.

The HealthCare Connection
Cincinnati, Ohio
The HealthCare Connection, Ohio's first Community Health Center, will focus on expanding screening accessibility and ensuring affordable follow-up appointments for its patient population, which includes over 50% from minority backgrounds and 30% needing language assistance programs.

The Los Angeles Free Clinic dba Saban Community Clinic
Los Angeles, Calif.
The "Screen Early/Stay Healthy" project will improve awareness and accessibility of CRC screening among low-income and vulnerable patients with a focus on supporting those ages 45-49, aiming to increase overall screening rates by 10%.

The Regents of the University of California at UCI Health Family Health Center
Irvine, Calif.
The FQHC will use funding to increase CRC screening rates roughly 14% over the next 18 months by developing best practices on interventions for unscreened populations.

Visiting Nurse Association of Central Jersey Inc. (VNACJ) Children and Family Institute
Neptune, N.J.
The nonprofit aims to demystify screening and remove barriers for their more than 55,000 medically underserved, low-income patients, through community-based support and increased bilingual navigational services.

Westside Family Health Center
Culver City, Calif.
The center serves patients from more than 173 ZIP codes, 97% of whom live at or below 200% of the federal poverty line and 33% who are uninsured. WFHC intends to increase screening rates for its patient population, which is 49% Hispanic/Latino, through awareness and outreach campaigns.

About the FOCUS Program

Launched in June 2022, Exact Sciences' Funding Opportunities for CRC Screening Uptake Strategies (FOCUS) Program provides grant funding to community organizations, health foundations, public health organizations, and CRC advocacy groups to expand access to colorectal cancer screening and create affordable pathways to follow-up diagnostic care. FOCUS reflects Exact Sciences' ongoing commitment to meet people where they are and offer solutions to overcome barriers to care, regardless of a patient's race, ethnicity, gender identity, socioeconomic status, or geographic location. Submissions are reviewed via Exact Sciences' corporate grants process, which is fully independent from sales and marketing activities. Funding decisions are based solely on the strength of the application and alignment with FOCUS Program objectives, without regard to any actual or potential commercial relationships with potential grantees. Learn more about the FOCUS Program.

About Exact Sciences Corp.

A leading provider of cancer screening and diagnostic tests, Exact Sciences gives patients and health care professionals the clarity needed to take life-changing action earlier. Building on the success of the Cologuard and Oncotype tests, Exact Sciences is investing in its pipeline to develop innovative solutions for use before, during, and after a cancer diagnosis. For more information, visit ExactSciences.com, follow Exact Sciences on X (formerly known as Twitter) @ExactSciences, or find Exact Sciences on LinkedIn and Facebook.

NOTE: Exact Sciences and Cologuard are trademarks or registered trademarks of Exact Sciences Corporation. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements concerning our expectations, anticipations, intentions, beliefs, or strategies regarding the future. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that we have made as of the date hereof and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, conditions, and events to differ materially from those anticipated. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties that may affect our forward-looking statements are described in the Risk Factors section of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and in our other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments, or otherwise.

References:

1 Siegel RL, Giaquinto AN, Jemal A. Cancer statistics, 2024. CA Cancer J Clin. 2024;74:12-49.

2 Itzkowitz SH. Incremental advances in excremental cancer detection tests. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2009;101(18):1225-1227. doi:10.1093/jnci/djp273

3 Ebner DW, Kisiel JB, Fendrick AM, et al. Estimated Average-Risk Colorectal Cancer Screening-Eligible Population in the US. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(3):e245537.

4 American Cancer Society. Colorectal Cancer Facts & Figures 2023-2025. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2023.

5 Jemal A, Siegel RL, Ma J, et al. Inequalities in premature death from colorectal cancer by state. J Clin Oncol. 2015;33(8):829-835

6 Ho C, Kornfield R, Vittinghoff E, et al. Late presentation of colorectal cancer in a vulnerable population [published correction appears in Am J Gastroenterol. 2013 Jun;108(6):1020]. Am J Gastroenterol. 2013;108(4):466-470.

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