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National and local health partners hosts Free Flint Community Cancer Screening and Health Fair on MLK Jr. Day with special guests!

WASHINGTON, D.C. (January 5, 2023) — The National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF), a
national nonprofit leading the Cancer Stage Shifting Initiative aligned with President Joe
Biden’s Cancer Moonshot 2.0, hosted the Flint Community Cancer Screening and Health Fair
on Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service on Monday, January 16.

NMQF hosted the event with Exact Sciences Corporation, a molecular diagnostics company
with an emphasis on the detection of early-stage cancers, and Meridian of Michigan, a
Michigan-based provider of government-sponsored health plans, whose goal is to help individuals
live better, healthier lives along with support from health institutions and community groups.

The event offered free cancer screenings, COVID/influenza vaccinations, health screenings as
well as complimentary lunch from 12:30- 5 p.m. at Berston Field House in Flint, to promote early detection of cancer and better health.

Berston Field House is located at 3300 Saginaw Street, in north Flint.

Free health services offered included COVID-19 vaccinations, behavioral health, oral health and vision
screenings. A free bag of food produce compliments of the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan was
available for participating in screening evaluations.

“Dr. King once said that injustice in health was the most inhuman form of inequality because it
leads to death that could have been prevented,” said Dr. Gary Puckrein, president
and CEO of the National Minority Quality Forum.

“Earlier detection of cancer should be accessible to everyone, not just those who can afford to pay out-of-pocket,” Puckrein added.

“This day of service honoring Dr. King offers the opportunity to help people prevent and learn
about cancer,” said Kevin Conroy, chairman & CEO, Exact Sciences.

“As a Flint native, I’m passionate about this cause and community,” Conroy added. “Together with local organizations and healthcare systems, we’re building support for Flint’s cancer prevention and detection efforts and look forward to helping decrease the community’s cancer burden.”

“At Meridian, we understand the value and potentially life-saving nature of preventive cancer
screenings, which improve the health and wellbeing of our members and local communities,” said
Patty Graham, plan president and CEO of Meridian of Michigan.

Graham said Meridian was proud to partner with the National Minority Quality Forum and other local partners to bring a fun, educational event to the Flint community on such a historic day,

The Flint Community Cancer Screening and Health Fair was made possible with the participation
of national and local partners – Hurley Medical Center, McLaren Flint Hospital, Hamilton
Community Health Network, St. Mark Community Outreach Center, Michigan United, Genesee
County Health, MI-CARES, American Cancer Society, Colorectal Cancer Alliance, and Fight
Colorectal Cancer.

Initiative to Increase Awareness & Access to Early Detection Cancer Screening in Flint
Special guests joined NMQF President and CEO Dr. Gary Puckrein, Exact Sciences CEO Kevin Conroy, Meridian CEO Patty Graham and local community leaders to raise awareness of the need to increase cancer detection and diagnosis in Flint.

The mission of the Cancer Stage Shifting Initiative is to move medical standards in the country
from late-stage to early-stage detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer; improving cancer
care and reducing the incidence of cancer deaths for all, with a particular focus on health equity
in underrepresented populations.

In 2022, the White House Cancer Cabinet identified priorities to close the screening gap as well
as understand and address environmental exposure. In the coming year, the Cancer Stage Shifting
Initiative will support efforts to increase cancer screening for at-risk communities in Flint,
Michigan, support community-based engagement to increase awareness of cancer risk and
treatment, improve clinical trial diversity as well as support efforts to understand the impact of
the water crisis on cancer risk in the community.

For more information, visit  http://shiftcancer.org

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