November 3, 2025
The Valley Hospital is proud to announce it has received the SCOPY “Staying Strong & Scoping On” Award by the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG). This award recognizes excellence in colorectal cancer outreach and prevention.
This award was presented during the ACG 2025 Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. During this meeting, the team also presented four research posters highlighting Valley’s focus on furthering gastroenterology care.
ACG’s SCOPY – “Service Award for Colorectal Cancer Outreach” – recognizes the achievements of ACG members in their community engagement, education, and awareness efforts for colorectal cancer prevention. ACG members submit examples of projects and programs to be considered for the award.
Throughout February and March of 2025, Valley held several events to promote awareness and further education of colorectal cancer. This included tabling events at local grocery stores, middle schools, malls, and The Valley Hospital, as well as presentations to high school students. The project, titled “Prevent Young, Protecting Lifelong: Educating Younger Populations on the Importance of Colorectal Cancer Screening,” focused on the younger population due to the increased risk of colorectal cancer among younger individuals.
“Studies by the American Cancer Society have shown that those born in 1990 have twice the risk of colon cancer and four times the risk of rectal cancer than those born around 1950,” said Haleh Pazwash, MD, Subspecialty Department Director of Gastroenterology for The Valley Hospital. “It is crucial to educate younger populations. By engaging with schools and organizing events geared toward younger audiences, we can work toward shifting the trajectory of colorectal cancer and reducing its overall prevalence.”
“We are honored to receive this award for the work we are doing to educate individuals about colorectal cancer, especially the younger generation,” said Sita Chokhavatia, MD, gastroenterologist. “Valley Health System looks forward to continuing to educate the community about the importance of colorectal cancer screening and prevention.”
The Valley Hospital offers a Fast-Track Screening Colonoscopy program, where eligible patients can schedule a colonoscopy without having a pre-procedural visit with a gastroenterologist. Patients are screened over the phone by an advanced practice provider (APP) to ensure they are eligible for the program. If deemed eligible, the APP matches the patients up with a physician based on an insurance match, availability, and the patient’s personal preference. Since its inception in 2018, the Valley’s Fast Track Screening Colonoscopy program has proudly screened more than 1,800 patients.
Colorectal cancer outreach at Valley Health System is led by Antoneta Lamo, PA-C, physician assistant navigator for the Fast-Track Screening Colonoscopy program. Antoneta, along with key services at Valley, including Community Health and endoscopy, plays a vital role in delivering essential education and resources to the community. Their collective efforts are instrumental in promoting the early detection and prevention of colorectal cancer and in making preventive screenings more accessible to those who need them.
“A colonoscopy is one of the most important tools we have to prevent colorectal cancer,” said Antoneta. “Colonoscopies have the ability to significantly reduce the risk of cancer and save lives. The Fast-Track Screening Colonoscopy program makes it easy for patients to schedule this proven form of prevention.”
For more information about Valley’s Fast-Track Screening Colonoscopy program, please visit ValleyHealth.com/FastTrack.