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For HHC, expanding life-saving screenings is a cornerstone of the strategy to intervene early and aggressively in the treatment of disease.
Early detection of cancer continues to be a top priority. Last year, HHC facilities performed nearly 90,000 mammograms and 150,000 cervical cancer screenings. Hundreds of pre-cancerous polyps were removed by performing four times as many colonoscopies as had been done just two years before. Since breast, cervical, and colon cancer are all highly treatable if detected early, this major cancer screening outreach has had a powerful impact on the lives of New Yorkers.
AIDS continues to be the third leading cause of death for people under age 65 in New York City, and early detection is crucial, both in terms of treatment and in preventing additional infection. HHC now takes the position that everyone-including women, seniors, and teens-should know his or her HIV status, and has incorporated the HIV Rapid Test into regular preventive care. Routine HIV testing has expanded beyond the prenatal and HIV clinics, and is reaching patients who come in for broken bones, a flu shot and other outpatient services.
In FY 2006, HHC tested 92,000 patients for HIV, an increase of 63% over the number screened in FY 2005. Of those tested, 1,514 showed positive results, more than double the number the previous year. Almost all have been successfully linked to care.
Diabetes, the fastest growing disease in the world, has reached epidemic proportions in New York City. Through free screenings, and increased attention to early diabetes detection in clinical visits, HHC is able to treat patients earlier in the disease cycle and now is helping a community of 50,000 diabetics to get healthy.
Clinical depression-suffered by more than 19 million Americans in any given year-is also overrepresented in HHC's patient population. In recognition of National Depression Screening Day, HHC offered free, confidential screenings for depression and related illnesses including bipolar disorder, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Click here to locate an HHC
facility near you, for preventive health screenings.
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