The Danville City Council meeting Tuesday night kicked off with a visit from Susan Mathena, the community health education coordinator for the VCU Massey Cancer Center’s cancer needs assessment project.
Mathena told City Council members the Danville-Pittsylvania County area has a higher rate of several types of cancer than the rest of the state, with 276 residents dying of cancer each year; 13 new cases are diagnosed each week and five people die every week of cancer in the Dan River Region.
“The goal the VCU Massey Cancer Center is to outreach to the entire commonwealth with programs that will reduce risk and improve cancer outcomes,” Massey said.
As a result of the early assessment results, the Cancer Resource Center of Southern Virginia has been set up at the Institute of Advanced Learning and Research, where Mathena has an office.
We are hoping that the individuals, organizations and businesses will be inspired to address the cancer-related needs of the district by developing programs and strategies which will be culturally sensitive and beneficial to the community,” Mathena said. “I am available to act as a consultant, a liaison with Massey or in any capacity I am needed.”
Some of her goals are improving care locally, bringing more oncologists to the region and better utilization of local health services.
Mathena can be reached at (434) 766-6649. Charlotte Litzenberg, the resource center’s coordinator, is also located at the Institute and can be reached at (434) 766-6650.
In other action during the regular meeting, council members voted to allow Danville Utilities to transfer funds from the telecommunications department’s unreserved account to its regular capital account, to give it enough money to provide services to new businesses for the rest of the budget year.
Proposals to accept grants for fire department equipment and to preserve circuit court records were read and will be voted on at the March 6 meeting.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement