The HRRMC Foundation is hosting a lunch & learn on colorectal health and screening on Thursday, March 8, at noon in the Shavano conference room at Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center, 1000 Rush Dr., Salida.
HRRMC surgeon Karen Johnson, M.D., FACS, will discuss what colorectal cancer is, who it affects, and the different types of colorectal screenings available.
The program is sponsored by a grant from Colorado’s Cancer Prevention and Early Detection (CPED) program. The HRRMC Foundation administers the grant locally.
Dr. Johnson is board certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Wound Medicine and Surgery. She has provided general and trauma surgery services at the hospital since 2012.
Dr. Johnson earned her medical degree from Texas A&M University and completed her residency in general surgery at the Hospital of Saint Raphael in New Haven, Connecticut. Before joining the HRRMC medical staff, she was affiliated with Yale-New Haven Hospital.
March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths every year in the U.S.; yet with regular screenings, it is preventable and survivable. In Colorado, 1 in 19 men and 1 in 24 women will develop colorectal cancer in their lifetimes. Of Coloradans over age 50, only 66 percent have received a colorectal screening, which leaves approximately 500,000 in need of colorectal screening, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).
The lunch & learn is free and open to everyone. No reservations are required and attendees are welcome to bring their lunch. Beverages will be served.
For more information, call (719) 530-2417.
