Annapolis, MD / PRWeb / April 14, 2015 – Preventing Colorectal Cancer (PCC) announces the recipients of the 2015 PCC Champion Award for Colorectal Cancer Prevention, an honor the not-for-profit organization established in 2011 to recognize individuals, groups and companies that provide either exceptionally high standards of care or that most effectively advocate for the prevention and early detection of colorectal cancer.

PCC is proud to honor Michael R. Mills, MD and Ernestine Hambrick, MD as the recipients of this year’s Champion Awards. These individuals exemplify PCC’s mission to educate both public and private stakeholders about the opportunities to reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer through promoting effective screening, prevention and care options for patients.

“We want to spotlight those who share PCC’s deep commitment to high-quality screening and show exemplary support of the fight against colorectal cancer,” says C. Taney Hamill, chair of the PCC Champion Awards committee and Vice President of the Visiting Nurse Associations of America. “The clinical and financial benefits of a colonoscopy are well supported in the health care industry as a reliable screening tool to reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer.”

About the 2015 Champion Award recipients:

• Michael R. Mills, MD: Dr. Mills is a dedicated advocate for the prevention and early detection of colorectal cancer through his community outreach programs, including St. Vincent de Paul Medical Clinic, where he volunteers regularly, and the CDC-AGA “free colonoscopy” awareness day in Arizona that he leads. In addition to community outreach efforts, Dr. Mills is the program director for two gastrointestinal electives at the University of Arizona, College of Medicine, where he instills in his students how to best win the fight against colorectal cancer.
• Ernestine Hambrick, MD: Dr. Hambrick was the first woman board-certified colon and rectal surgeon in the U.S. After 25 years at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago, she left her practice in 1998 to create the STOP Colon/Rectal Cancer Foundation, a national education initiative. STOP remains a partner of National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, which takes place in March. In addition to her advocacy, Dr. Hambrick has published 20 articles on colorectal surgery and cancer. She is a member of relevant professional societies, including the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons, and has received many distinct honors, such as “100 Women Making a Difference” and the “Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare”.

“The selection committee felt that Dr. Mills and Dr. Hambrick have gone above and beyond to promote colorectal cancer screenings in an effort to save lives,” says Stanford R. Plavin, MD, vice chair of PCC and president and managing partner of Ambulatory Anesthesia of Atlanta. “Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in minority populations, and this year’s winners have achieved results consistent with the highest national benchmarks while serving a very large community.”

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About Preventing Colorectal Cancer (www.preventingcolorectalcancer.org)

Headquartered in Annapolis, MD, Preventing Colorectal Cancer (PCC) preserves the tradition of safe, comfortable and quality-based medicine. PCC is a not-for-profit 501(c) 6 advocacy organization with the primary mission to educate both public and private stakeholders about the opportunities to reduce the incidence of colorectal cancer through promoting effective screening, prevention and care options for patients. Membership is open to all individuals and groups.