NEW YORK, June 6, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Colon Cancer Coalition is collaborating with The Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health and Center for Advanced Digestive Care at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center to create the Amy Covey Lecture Series: Digestive Disease Prevention and Treatment in Young Adults. The $50,000 grant for the program is provided through money raised at the Colon Cancer Coalition's 2010 and 2011 Get Your Rear in Gear 4-Mile Run/Walk in New York City.
The Get Your Rear in Gear Amy Covey Lecture Series is a series of four lectures discussing serious gastrointestinal diseases in young adults. Each educational session will feature an expert physician, clinician or researcher in the field of gastrointestinal disease biology, screening, prevention, and/or treatment. Two of the four lectures will be provided to the medical community, while the other two will be offered to young adults in the corporate setting. While many serious digestive diseases, such as colorectal cancer, occur largely in men and women age 50 and older, they can occur in younger people as well. This lecture series will aim to increase knowledge in this area and help to ensure the prompt diagnosis and treatment of serious digestive diseases in younger adults. The lectures will be held annually with the first expected this fall, given by Dr. Felice Schnoll-Sussman, Acting Director of The Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health.
"We are grateful to the Covey family and Colon Cancer Coalition for making this lecture series possible. We believe it will be very beneficial in increasing knowledge and helping to ensure the prompt diagnosis and treatment of serious gastrointestinal diseases in younger adults," said Dr. Schnoll-Sussman.
"We are excited to create this educational program with the Jay Monahan Center," stated Kathy Covey, local event director for Get Your Rear in Gear New York City. "We hope the creation of this educational series will help educate the medical community about gastrointestinal issues in young people, specifically colorectal cancer and precursors to that disease."
Amy Covey passed away in 2009 from colon cancer at the age of 33. Amy's parents Kathy and Dick Covey, along with her sister Sarah and several friends, started Get Your Rear in Gear - New York City in 2010. Their goal has been to raise awareness of the disease with the hopes of making a difference for young patients like their daughter who are facing a diagnosis of colorectal cancer or other serious gastrointestinal disease.
A presentation ceremony will be held on Saturday, June 10, at the Get Your Rear in Gear 4-Mile Run/Walk at Prospect Park in Brooklyn.
For more information, or to register for the event, please visit GetYourRearinGear.com/events.
About the Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health
The Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center is a world-class gastrointestinal cancer and wellness center. The Monahan Center serves as a unique model of coordinated and compassionate care, dedicated to public education and the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of gastrointestinal cancers, including cancers of the colon, rectum, pancreas, esophagus, liver, gallbladder and small intestine. The Monahan Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell is located at the corner of 70th Street and York Avenue in New York City.
About the Colon Cancer Coalition / Get Your Rear in Gear
Get Your Rear in Gear events are presented nationally by the Colon Cancer Coalition, a non-profit organization based in Minneapolis. The events are 100% volunteer-driven in communities throughout the United States. To date the Colon Cancer Coalition has distributed nearly $1.5 million from the Get Your Rear in Gear events back into local communities for colon cancer education, prevention, and screening. By making the words colon, colorectal and colonoscopy a part of the everyday language, we believe we can overcome the fear and decrease deaths from this largely preventable cancer. A history of the organization, upcoming events, and a list of programs receiving funding from the Colon Cancer Coalition can be found at GetYourRearinGear.com.
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