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Press Releases

NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue Recognized as a Champion for HPV Vaccination and Cancer Prevention

Award presented by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American Cancer Society, and Association of American Cancer Institutes

Mar 07, 2019

New York, NY

NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue today announced that its Pediatric Primary Care Clinic has received the “HPV Vaccine Is Cancer Prevention Champion Award” for outstanding efforts to protect adolescents from cancers caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) and achieving high HPV vaccination rates. The national award is a partnership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Association of American Cancer Institutes, and the American Cancer Society. The hospitals’ efforts to reduce the burden of cancer reflects the public health system’s broader multi-year redesign to build a competitive, sustainable organization that will continue to offer high-quality and accessible health care to the people of New York City.

“We are proud to be leader in the fight against cancer by expanding access to HPV vaccination among adolescents,” said William Hicks, CEO, NYC Health+ Hospitals/Bellevue. “Thanks to our innovative approaches to educate patients, we have been able to achieve an 86 percent HPV vaccination rate.”

“Our Pediatric Primary Care Clinic is an early adopter of the HPV vaccine. More than three years ago, we adopted the strategy of promoting the initiation of HPV vaccination at nine years of age, which is a key factor in achieving high rates of immunization. We engage and educate our patients about the importance of the HPV vaccine as cancer prevention and as one of the vaccines in a series of routine child and adolescent vaccines.” said Dr. Arthur Fierman, NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue Pediatric Clinic Chief, Co-Chair of the NYC Health + Hospitals Pediatric Council and Co-Chair of the NYC Childhood Immunization Coalition and CDC Childhood Immunization Champion in 2013.

“I commend Bellevue for expanding their HPV vaccine education and leading the way in the fight against cancer. This is another testament to the commitment of Bellevue and the public health system to provide innovative and high quality health care to New Yorkers. It is another one of the many reasons to make sure we continue supporting our public health system,” said Assembly Member Harvey Epstein.

“A hearty congratulations to NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue for their commitment to innovation and cancer prevention. I am glad New Yorkers and my constituents can benefit from an institution that is on the cutting-edge of vaccinations,” said NYC Council Member Keith Powers.

HPV vaccine protects against cancers caused by human papillomavirus infection. HPV is a very common virus; nearly 80 million people are currently infected in the United States. Every year in the United States, 33,700 women and men are diagnosed with a cancer caused by HPV infection. HPV vaccination could prevent more than 90 percent of these cancers—about 31,000—from occurring. Both boys and girls should start the HPV vaccine series when they are 11 or 12 years old—or earlier—and finish all recommended doses before they turn age 13.The HPV vaccine series can be started as early as age 9.

Every year, the award honors up to one champion from all 50 U.S. states, eight U.S. Territories and Freely Associated States, and the District of Columbia. Immunization programs submit nominations for the HPV Vaccine is Cancer Prevention Champion in their state or territory. Nominees must be a clinician, clinic, practice, group, or health system that treats adolescents as part of their overall patient population and must have an HPV vaccine series completion rate at 60 percent or higher for their adolescent patient population.

In receiving this award, NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue succeeds NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi, the region’s previous winner—demonstrating the ongoing commitment and leadership of the nation’s largest public health system to HPV vaccination and cancer prevention.

To read NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue’s profile on the CDC’s website and to learn more about HPV Vaccine Is Cancer Prevention Champion Award program, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/hpv.