Kukui Ahi Navigator Cancer Screening and Treatment Demonstration Project

This Cancer Prevention and Treatment Demonstration Project funded by the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services awarded six sites across the United States to develop Patient Navigator Programs to eliminate disparities in the rate of preventative cancer screening and timely diagnosis and treatment of cancer for racial and ethnic minorities. This site of Molokai General Hospital are focused on Pacific Islanders and Asian Americans. This program called Kukui Ahi propose to increase screening and early detection for four targeted cancers-breast, cervical, colorectal, and prostate- with lung cancer additionally being included in treatment protocols to improve outcomes and satisfaction by employing a culturally appropriate navigation protocol to facilitate utilization of healthcare services and decrease health barriers. The specific aims of the project is to: 1. Determine if a Navigator Program can reduce the proportion of the targeted cancers diagnosed at a late stage, 2. Determine if the Navigator Program can improve the continuity of health care for cancer patients, 3. Determine if the Navigator Program can improve quality of life and subjective well being of navigated cancer patients, 4. Determine if the Navigator Program is a cost-effective way to reduce cancer care disparities for screenable cancers.