The Virgin Islands Department of Health (DOH), through a $418,000 grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Interior in 2012, and in collaboration with Lake Mary, Florida-based Reflectx Oncology Resources, Inc., will develop and implement the first cancer registry in the Virgin Islands.
A cancer registry is a systematic collection of data about cancer and tumor diseases. The data is collected by cancer registrars. Data collected by local cancer registries enable public health professionals to understand and address the area’s cancer burden more effectively.
Reflectx Oncology Resources, Inc., through information on its website, says it “provides cancer registry services to private, public and government hospitals, state cancer registries, comprehensive community cancer centers, ambulatory surgical centers, radiation centers” and like businesses. The company also claims that its “screening and hiring criteria results in a dynamic team of experienced Certified Tumor Registrars (CTRs) available for placement and service provision nationally.”
While making the announcement of the registry, Health Commissioner Darice Plaskett, said, “The VI Cancer Registry Program will be a central population-based registry that will maintain data on cancer incidence (morbidity) and death from cancer (mortality) within the Virgin Islands to better understand and more effectively address the territory’s cancer burden.”
She continued, “I am so pleased that our efforts to establish a Virgin Islands Central Cancer Registry Program is finally progressing forward. Reflectx Oncology Resources will provide the Department of Health with the technical support and guidance in the development of cancer registry operations, policies and procedures, training, education, and other support to ensure a sustainable and effective Cancer Registry Program in the Virgin Islands.”
Once created, the V.I. Central Cancer Registry Program will be a component of the DOH’s Chronic Disease Program.
Tags: cancer registry
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