Morehouse School of Medicine Partners with Black Women’s Health Imperative to Improve Access to Cancer Screenings

Research study will examine barriers to breast and cervical cancer screening for Black women in Georgia

ATLANTA, GA – August 26, 2025 – Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) is partnering with the Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI) on a new research study to examine multi-level barriers to quality breast and cervical cancer screening and detection for Black and Latina women in Georgia. MSM Associate Professor of Community Health and Preventive Medicine Dr. Desiree Rivers will serve as the study’s principal investigator.  Grady Memorial Hospital will serve as the host site for the cancer screenings.

“Morehouse School of Medicine’s longstanding commitment to improving access to health care, especially in communities with limited resources, makes us the perfect fit for this project,” said MSM President and CEO Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD, FACOG. “Dr. Desiree Rivers and our Cancer Health Equity Institute are excited to collaborate with BWHI to determine ways for more Black and Latina women to receive lifesaving cancer screenings.”

The study has the following aims:

• Identify barriers to breast cancer and cervical cancer screening and detection among Black and Latina women in Georgia by investigating the perspectives of women, healthcare providers and navigators.
• Develop the research strategy that will ultimately aim to create policies at the institutional (academic and health care organization), state and federal levels to address multi-level barriers in breast and cervical cancer screening, treatment and follow-up care among Black and Latina women.
• Evaluate the outcomes of the navigation component of the project.

“We are proud to partner with the historic Morehouse School of Medicine in this shared commitment to listening to Black and Latina women, and ensuring that care is accessible, compassionate and timely,” said Ifeoma C. Udoh, Ph.D., Executive Vice President of Policy and Research, Black Women’s Health Imperative. “Black women are 40% more likely to die from breast cancer than White women due to being screened and diagnosed at a later stage. This important study is possible with the generous support of Hologic and can help inform how we can scale up screenings and improve health outcomes for all women.”

BWHI is the oldest national organization dedicated solely to improving the health and wellness of our nation’s 21 million Black women and girls – physically, emotionally and financially. Its mission is to solve the most critical health issues that Black women and girls face through innovative programs, transformative research and life-saving policies.

For more information about Morehouse School of Medicine, please visit MSM.edu.

About Morehouse School of Medicine

Founded in 1975, Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) is among the nation’s leading educators of primary care physicians, biomedical scientists and public health professionals. An independent and private historically-Black medical school, MSM was recognized by the Annals of Internal Medicine as the nation’s number one medical school in fulfilling a social mission — the creation and advancement of health equity to achieve health justice. MSM faculty and alumni are noted for excellence in teaching, research and public policy, as well as exceptional patient care. MSM is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of

Colleges and Schools to award doctoral and master’s degrees. To learn more about programs and donate today, please visit MSM.edu or call 404-752-1500.

ABOUT BLACK WOMEN’S HEALTH IMPERATIVE

The Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI) is a national non-profit organization with more than 40 years of impact, dedicated to solving the most critical health issues facing the nation’s 21 million Black women and girls through innovative programs, transformative research, and life-saving policies.