According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in America. The UAB Department of Surgery's Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery seeks to change that.
Starting in 2016, GI surgery supported a partnership with UAB Medicine and UAB Employee wellness and the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable– an organization created by the American Cancer Society and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that spearheads the “80% in Every Community” initiative. Working with hospitals, health systems, clinics, employers and nonprofits, the NCCRT seeks to increase national colorectal screening rates to 80 percent.
At UAB, the initiative plays out in social media campaigns, digital signage across the campus, “Love Your Bum Graphics,” and other clever communication tactics. The efforts all culminate into one giant, inflatable colon at an event known across the UAB community as “Colon on the Corner.”
Each year at Colon on the Corner, the GI Surgery team sets up a table with swag and an interactive element– this year, it was a toilet paper toss. Typically, GI Surgery faculty and providers will be on hand to be a resource. UAB GI Surgery Division Director Gregory Kennedy, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor and Associate Director of Health Services Research Daniel Chu, M.D., and Assistant Professor Drew Gunnells Jr., M.D. all joined in on the Colon on the Corner festivities.
“The colorectal surgeons at UAB will always support any effort to increase awareness of colorectal cancer which is the third most common cancer in the United States,” said Kennedy. “Our mission is to deliver the highest quality surgical care to patients in the state of Alabama, and we believe that begins with avoiding surgery altogether. Screening for colorectal cancer can help patients avoid surgery and we will do anything to increase screening and awareness of this disease.”
Colon on the Corner is always graced by a couple of GI Surgery special guests- Polly Polyp and Patty Poo. GI Surgery's administrative team saw the initiative benefit from the strong partnerships across the campus. 
“Everyone really comes together on this event to make it work,” says Allison Moss, administrative supervisor. “Our GI Surgery booth, activities and characters are something that our team looks forward to coordinating each year, and we’re thankful to play a role in supporting colorectal cancer screenings.”
The hope of Colon on the Corner and the overall campaign is that UAB employees get comfortable with talking about a typically taboo subject and feel safe calling their provider to set up a colorectal screening. And, it’s working.
Colorectal screenings among UAB employees enrolled in a medial plan increased from 54 percent in 2014 to 68 percent in 2019. This year, UAB was the NCCRT National Achievement Award Grand Prize winner. Stephanie Hobbs- GI Surgery office associate II- is already looking forward to next year.
“When you know that what you are doing has a direct impact on increasing colorectal cancer screenings, it’s easy to get excited.” said Hobbs. “We love supporting UAB Medicine and UAB Wellness to help make this positive shift across our campus happen.”
Watch the American Cancer Society follow-up video, featuring Department of Surgery Professor, Perioperative Services Vice Chair, and Birmingham VA Hospital Chief of General Surgery, Melanie Morris, M.D.