PINELLAS PARK, Fla. -- Community Health Centers of Pinellas recently received a combined $80,000 from an NFL CHANGE grant and the Tampa Bay Super Bowl LV Host Committee to expand its cancer screening efforts.

"We are grateful to the partners in the community, such as the NFL and Super Bowl committee, who have dedicated dollars to facilities such as this to be able to ramp up their efforts and really get the word out," said Christopher Swink, vice chair of the board of the American Cancer Society of Tampa.

According to the American Cancer Society, it was among the organizations that recommended delaying routine screenings at the beginning of the pandemic to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

That guidance, along with fear of catching the virus, are believed to be the reason for the steep decline in screenings. Information from the ACS on COVID-19 and cancer cites data from an electronic medical records company that reported an 80% to 90% drop in screening for breast, colorectal, and cervical cancers in March and April of 2020 compared to the same time the previous year.

In an editorial published in the journal Science in June, Norman E. Sharpless, director of the U.S. National Cancer Institute wrote that an additional 10,000 deaths from breast and colorectal cancer could be seen during the next decade due to screenings delayed by COVID-19.

Community Health Centers of Pinellas are among the providers seeing these impacts.

"Throughout the pandemic, we've seen a decrease in the number of patients coming into the office even for routine visits, but particularly for preventive screenings," said Dr. Nichelle Threadgill, chief medical officer for the centers. "I think it's a scary fact that we're looking at the potential for missed diagnoses or diagnoses that we could have detected earlier that we are late in diagnosing, because it absolutely will have a significant impact in patients' lives."

That's something Jennifer Daley, patient engagement specialist lead for the centers' Pinellas Park and Lealman offices, said she knows all too well.

"People need to get their cancer screenings done. One of my biggest mistakes that I made is I waited," said Daley.

Daley said she put off getting a mammogram for two years. When she finally got the exam in 2018, it revealed stage 3 breast cancer.

"If I would've gone when I was supposed to, it probably wouldn't have been that bad," she said. 

Now in remission, Daley said there were some scary moments during the course of her treatment.

"The quicker you find out, the easier the road's going to be for you," Daley said is her message to anyone putting off screenings.

Threadgill estimated the funding from the NFL and host committee will help the centers expand screening to hundreds of patients who otherwise would not have had access. Anyone interested in learning more about screenings with Community Health Centers of Pinellas should call (727) 824-8181. You can also learn more by visiting their web site: