• EGCC--29 county diverse region
  
  
• 955,034 citizens with a distinctive mix of rural/urban, black/white, rich/poor, educated/uneducated, young/old with a growing Hispanic population
  
  
• Rural Areas--non-diversified economic structure with historic dependence on agricultural economy
  
  
• High intergenerational poverty
  
  
• Low educational attainment levels
  
  
• Cancer is the 2nd leading cause of death in GA (21.4% of all deaths from 2000--2004)
  
  
• The region represented close to 13% of the total deaths due to cancer in GA, however, the 29 county region only accounts for 9.4% of the state's total population.
  
  

• Cancer outreach activities and programs must involve the entire community: government, schools, the faith community, the private sector, and the media.
  
  
• Flexibility and innovative planning must be an integral part of the region's health care initiatives
  
  
• Need to provide:
  
  
  • Culturally-appropriate information regarding prevention, detection, & treatment
    
    
  • Local access to state-of-the-art services & treatment; clinical trials
    
    
  • Continued research progress and encouragement of new research (e.g. genetics)
    
    
  • Identification & elimination of community risk factors (e.g. unhealthy behaviors)
    

*click here to download the above information
as a one-page fact sheet*