Over the past decade, we've witnessed substantial declines in cancer prevalence nationwide. However, the reduction in cancer mortality and incidence has been notably slower in rural areas of the United States. To mitigate the rising trend of cancer incidence and prevalence in these regions, it's important to place emphasis on cancer prevention. In this week's episode, we delve into the importance of prevention in the context of cancer. Joining us on Rural Health Leadership Radio is Bill Couzens, the founder and president of LessCancer.Org. Bill shares with us the story behind creating one of the first organizations committed to cancer prevention and how LessCancer.org is contributing to the reduction of cancer rates in rural communities.
“Nobody was talking about preventing cancer...So it’s a conversation that we started as an organization”
-Bill Couzens
William U. (Bill) Couzens is an American advocate, blogger, speaker, and founder of the Next Generation Choices Foundation, also known as LessCancer.org charitable organization dedicated to cancer prevention. The loss of loved ones inspired him to provide free mammograms and establish LessCancer.org in 2004, focusing on reducing preventable cancer cases. Bill's commitment led to the creation of National Cancer Prevention Day in 2012, coinciding with World Cancer Day, and the bipartisan Congressional Cancer Prevention Caucus. He also partnered with the Children’s Hospital of Michigan Foundation to educate families on reducing diseases and cancer risks associated with the environment. Bill's innovative initiatives extend to organizing the "Split the Mitt" bicycle ride and collaborating with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Health.