News 2022
Seriously, though - When do I really need to get a colonoscopy?
Great question! Dr. Folasade P. May, director of the Melvin and Bren Simon GI Quality Improvement Program, provides the answers in a interview.
Living with late-stage colorectal cancer: Advice for patients and their caregivers
An estimated 50-60% of Black people don't get screened for colorectal cancer at all, either because they put it off or have competing medical illnesses to address, says Dr. May, director of the Melvin and Bren Simon GI Quality Improvement Program. Read in Black Health Matters.
Early detection is essential to surviving the "silent killer"
Actress Kirstie Alley died this month at age 71, reportedly after a short battle with colon cancer. Folasade P. May, MD, PhD, MPhil, director of the Melvin and Bren Simon GI Quality Improvement Program, was interviewed by Jim Moret on Inside Edition and discussed the warning signs of colorectal cancer, rising rates in young adults and the importance of screening.
Five reasons you're pooping more than usual
Was it that big holiday meal, or something else? Folasade P. May, MD, PhD, MPhil, director of the Melvin and Bren Simon GI Quality Improvement Program, provides in The Healthy on why you're experiencing frequent bowel movements and when to seek medical help.
Folasade P. May, MD, PhD, MPhil, receives Fierce Healthcare's 2022 Women of Influence Award
honored 10 women who are making a difference in pushing health care to the future. This year's honorees cover the breadth of the industry, from providers to payers to health tech, and represent some of the industry's largest companies as well as up-and-coming innovators. Each has been pivotal in helping their organizations — and their patients — navigate some of the most complicated years that we've ever faced. Dr. May, director of the Melvin and Bren Simon GI Quality Improvement Program, was recognized for her research to improve prevention of colon cancer.
Study questioning colonoscopy screening's benefits stirs controversy: Folasade P. May, MD, PhD, MPhil, comments in STAT News
Voicing her reactions to a New England Journal of Medicine publication of interim trial results that cast doubt on accepted views of colonoscopy's efficacy, Dr. May of the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Vatche & Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, told , "I have patients texting and calling me and saying, 'should I come in for that colonoscopy on Thursday?' That's a devastating result of this publication. The reality is that every day, there are people with polyps and cancer growing because colorectal cancer is so asymptomatic and it'll grow for years. You will never know. Hopefully we get the message through that colorectal screening saves lives.”
Folasade P. May, MD, PhD, MPhil, recognized at Dodger Healthcare Appreciation Night
Dr. May, director of the Melvin and Bren Simon GI Quality Improvement Program, was among six UCLA Health physicians honored on the field at Dodger stadium during Dodger Healthcare Appreciation Night. Other UCLA physicians included Drs. Tamara Horwich, cardiology; Sarah Larson, oncology; May Nour, neurology; Marissa Vasquez Machuca, sports medicine; and Karol Watson, cardiology.
Folasade P. May, MD, PhD, MPhil, selected as Rising Star of Southern California
Super Doctors are selected in a rigorous, multi-step process designed to identify health care providers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process for Rising Stars is the same as for Super Doctors, except to be eligible for inclusion in Rising Stars candidates must be active and fully-licensed to practice for approximately 10 years or less. While approximately 5% of the doctors within the respective state or region are named to Super Doctors, no more than 2.5% are named to the Rising Stars list.
For months, a new mom was told her stage 4 colon cancer symptoms were in her head
Folasade P. May, MD, PhD, MPhil, director of the Melvin & Bren Simon GI Quality Improvement Program added expert commentary on the rise of colorectal cancer in young people in an article published in Today.
Addressing barriers that make Black Americans more vulnerable to colorectal cancer
“We can't eliminate disparities until we acknowledge the social barriers and provide support, better insurance, and improved access,” says Folasade P. May, MD, PhD, MPhil, director of the Melvin & Bren Simon GI Quality Improvement Program. in care for Black Americans and shares how this became her mission in this Everyday Health article.
Stand Up To Cancer's® (SU2C) Colorectal Cancer Equity Dream Team wins LA Business Journal's Health Care Leadership Award
UCLA Health was named a key partner and major grant recipient in an initiative launched by Stand Up To Cancer® (SU2C). The initiative aims to improve colorectal cancer screening rates in underserved populations nationwide. Folasade P. May, MD, PhD, MPhil, director of the Melvin & Bren Simon GI Quality Improvement Program, serves as co-leader of the new Colorectal Cancer Health Equity Dream Team, which received an $8 million grant in 2021. This collaborative effort with Exact Sciences, Providence St. John's and UCLA Health won the outstanding collaboration category in the Los Angeles Business Journal's Health Care Leadership Awards.
Folasade P. May, MD, PhD, MPhil, awarded $2 million NIH R01 grant
Dr. May and a multidisciplinary UCLA team that includes informatics, health services, pathology and health economics have been awarded an NIH grant to evaluate a multilevel health system intervention to increase guideline-concordant surveillance colonoscopy for UCLA Health patients with high-risk colorectal polyps. The intervention uses artificial intelligence and natural language processing to identify the patients at highest risk for developing colorectal cancer, and intervention components directed at the patients, their doctors and the UCLA Health electronic health record to ensure timely surveillance colonoscopy. Dr. May is director of the Melvin and Bren Simon GI Quality Improvement Program, associate director of the UCLA Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Equity in the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, and assistant director of the UCLA Specialty Training and Advanced Research Program.
Folasade P. May, MD, PhD, MPhil, quoted in EveryDay Health on health disparities
Black Americans have a 20 percent higher incidence of colorectal cancer than white Americans and are 40 percent more likely to die of it, according to the American Cancer Society. Dr. May, director of the Melvin and Bren Simon GI Quality Improvement Program, discussed . EveryDay Health also interviewed Gloria Riley, a UCLA African-American patient who had a cancerous polyp removed after her screening colonoscopy.
Heart Behind the White Coat: Diverse Health Hub interviews Folasade P. May, MD, PhD, MPhil
Dr. May shares how her upbringing influenced her medical career choice on (HBWC). Watch as Dr. May explains how her experiences observing medical missions had an impact in her decision to pursue a career in medicine, places where she connects with patients, and her advice for BIPOC students considering the study of medicine. Dr. May is the director of the Melvin and Bren Simon Gastroenterology Quality Improvement Program and assistant professor of medicine.
Folasade P. May, MD, PhD, MPhil, awarded 2022 AGA Distinguished Service Award in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) honored Dr. May, director of the Melvin and Bren Simon GI Quality Improvement Program, with this year's Distinguished Service Award in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. This award honors members who have promoted diversity, equity and inclusion within AGA and the broader gastroenterology community. Dr. May has a strong track record of health equity research in gastroenterology and hepatology and has made significant contributions to AGA and the broader community through advocacy, mentorship and public service. Dr. May is frequently called upon to discuss health disparities in the media and has also spoken to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) on AGA's behalf on strategies for combating disparities. Her early-career research focus on Black-White disparities in colorectal cancer resulted in several manuscripts that characterized patient, provider, system and health-policy barriers to participation in screening among Black individuals. This work led to the development, implementation and evaluation of interventions in the Veterans Health Administration and in underserved communities to improve colorectal cancer screening rates and colonoscopic follow-up after abnormal stool-based screening. Dr. May has been actively involved in AGA since her gastroenterology fellowship and, most notably, was selected for both of AGA's prestigious leadership development programs: the AGA Future Leaders Program and AGA FORWARD Program. Dr. May is a board member and co-founder of the Association of Black Gastroenterologists and Hepatologists (ABGH). As the associate director of the UCLA Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Equity, Dr. May continues to address colorectal cancer inequities throughout the U.S. She will be honored at the 2022 Digestive Disease Week®.
Folasade P. May, MD, PhD, MPhil, discussed colorectal cancer on Black News Channel
Dr. May, director of the Melvin and Bren Simon GI Quality Improvement Program, was interviewed by Tashanea Whitlow, anchor, . Dr. May discusses colorectal cancer risk and prevention among Black Americans, factors leading to low screening participation among Black individuals and ways we can reduce the burden of this largely preventable disease.
Folasade P. May, MD, PhD, MPhil, discussed colorectal cancer on Black News Channel
March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and Dr. May joined Dr. John Torres, medical correspondent on to talk about updated colorectal cancer screening recommendations, risk factors, the increase in colorectal cancer in younger people and screening options. Dr. May is the director of the Melvin and Bren Simon GI Quality Improvement Program.