Active Mammography and Counseling

The Puerto Rico Community Engagement Alliance (PR-CEAL) is an NIH-funded initiative which aims to improve health literacy and healthcare access across Puerto Rico. In 2024, the program developed a new study which goal is to improve breast cancer screening rates in Puerto Rico titled Monitoreo Activo de Mamografía y Orientación (MAMO). This multi-level study will recruit non-adherent women based on residence, age (40 to 74 years old), and having had two or more years since their last breast cancer screening. The intervention will focus on 39 municipalities with screening rates below the median, through three different levels: educational, navigation, and integration. At the educational level, the intervention will employ a community-based recruitment strategy led by Community Health Workers (CHWs), who will identify eligible women at community venues and conduct follow-up via telephone to provide educational support. Drawing on findings from a previous pilot study and addressing barriers specific to non- adherent women, the navigation-level intervention will incorporate the role of a Community Navigator to deliver tailored support and facilitate breast cancer screening uptake through collaboration with local networks and partnerships. The integration-level intervention will build upon the educational and navigation components by enhancing knowledge, attitudes, skills, and organizational processes within Federally Qualified Health Clinics (FQHCs). This component is designed to foster a supportive healthcare environment that encourages routine mammography screening. The integration-level intervention will be implemented in four FQHCs across PR.