Diane Inch, MPA-C, Honored as SD Cancer Coalition Champion

Diane Inch

Diane Inch, MPA-C, Horizon Health’s provider in Fort Thompson, was recently chosen as the 2024 South Dakota Cancer Coalition Cancer Champion Award winner. 

The award recognizes the work of an individual who reduces incidents of cancer and mortality while improving the quality of life for survivors. Inch received the award at the Fall Meeting of the Coalition held in early October in Mitchell, South Dakota. 

According to her nomination, Inch provides care to many patients that do not have stable living conditions and has been able to leverage her clinic resources to do on-demand fecal testing to screen for colorectal cancer. She has increased her clinic’s colorectal cancer screening rate from a baseline of 35.66% to a 61% screening rate for the 2023 calendar year – an impressive 25.26% increase. 

Screening for colorectal cancer and precancerous polyps is important to detect the disease early when treatment is most effect. 

Inch was nominated by Caleb Nordquist, Cancer Screening Outreach Coordinator for the SD Comprehensive Cancer Control Program and selected from a group of strong nominees by the Coalition Steering Committee. 

“We are so grateful for the dedication Diane Inch has shown in providing accessible, convenient screenings for her patients to decrease their chances of developing cancer and to increase their chances of living long, healthy lives,” Misty Rudebusch, Horizon’s Chief Medical Officer said.