UAB Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery Assistant Professor Robert Hollis, M.D., MSPH, and UAB Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Assistant Professor Patricia Ajayi-Fox, M.D., have been awarded a $120,000 grant for colorectal cancer screening by the Alabama Department of Public Health's (ADPH) Cancer Prevention and Control Division for the third consecutive year.

The previous phase of the cancer screening project ran from February to September 2024 and was designed to provide the opportunity for underinsured individuals in Jefferson County to participate in colonoscopy screenings.

The UAB Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery has launched various initiatives to enhance the surveillance, early detection, and treatment of colorectal cancer. This April, the division has facilitated the enrollment of Butler County residents in colorectal cancer screening.

Hollis is actively engaged in patient care and committed to enhancing community outreach and involving the population in preventing colorectal cancer. He has also recently secured funding to study screening for patients at an elevated genetic risk for colorectal cancer.

"This grant from the Alabama Department of Public Health plays an extremely impactful role in allowing us to offer colonoscopy screenings to low-income, underinsured residents of Jefferson County," says Hollis. “Now in our third consecutive year of receiving this funding, we have developed an amazing team spanning Gastrointestinal Surgery, Gastroenterology, Kirklin clinic endoscopy, and our referring partners at Cooper Green Hospital and local Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) clinics. The program has already had a significant impact on the lives of many Jefferson county residents through removal of colon polyps and identification of several cancers.”