Research Abstract
Dr. Sanja Percac-Lima is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and a primary care physician at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Chelsea Community Health Center. The primary focus of her research and innovation is improving equity in cancer screening and care in low-income, ethnic and racial minorities. Since 2008, as Physician Leader for Cancer Outreach Programs at MGH Cancer Center, she is developing, overseeing and evaluating patient navigation (PN) programs to improve cancer care in underserved populations. In 2011, she received the Prevent Cancer Prevention Foundation Laurel for Innovative Programs for developing the Colorectal cancer screening PN program that eliminated disparities in CRC screening at MGH Chelsea Health Center. The National Cancer Institute recognizes this program as an evidence based program to improve CRC screening. With support from Susan G. Komen MA Affiliate, she designed the first breast cancer screening PN program for women refugees.To reach out to all underserved patients within MGH primary care network, she embedded patient navigation into the Partners TopCare population management system for comprehensive cancer screening. The results of randomized control trial of this large comprehensive cancer screening program were published in JAMA Internal Medicine. In 2013, she received CCCD Award for Primary Care Physicians from American Cancer Society enabling her to develop and evaluate the first lung cancer screening PN program for high-risk smokers at five MGH community health centers. The program nearly tripled the lung screening rates in this vulnerable population. Her most recent program is Merck/MGH Alliance PN to improve patient-centered care during cancer treatment for low-income and minority patients newly diagnosed with cancer.