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Katie Couric, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and its Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health, and the Entertainment Industry Foundation's (EIF) National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance (NCCRA) want you to "Make That Call" to your doctor for colon cancer screening if you are 50 or older or otherwise at high risk for colon cancer.

The annual citywide "Make That Call" campaign to increase colon cancer screening will run throughout March in recognition of Colon Cancer Awareness Month.

"With appropriate screening, colon cancer is often preventable and, when detected early, highly curable," said Couric. "Colonoscopies save lives. That's what 'Make that Call' is all about — understanding you can take charge of your health. So make that call, for yourself or someone you love."

Collaborating on this initiative are the Colon Cancer Alliance, the New York Citywide Colon Cancer Control Coalition (C5), the American College of Gastroenterology, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the New York Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the New York Public Library, Duane Reade, Equinox, the Food Emporium, Starbucks Coffee, and TD Bank. Participants will display educational posters and fact sheets.

"We applaud our friend and founder of the Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health, Katie Couric, for her extraordinary efforts to educate the public on the importance of colon cancer screening," says Dr. Steven J. Corwin, CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. "An integral part of our patient care mission as an academic medical center is to promote health and wellbeing, and we're confident that with Katie's leadership and the support of all of this year's collaborators, the 'Make that Call' campaign will again help save lives."

Reasons to Make That Call to Your Doctor

• Colon cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in the United States.
• Colon cancer is often preventable and when detected early, highly curable.
• Colon polyps and early cancers often cause no symptoms.
• Early screening saves lives!

"This monthlong campaign complements what really represents a daily effort to increase awareness about and compliance with colon cancer screening. We are very appreciative of all the support from our campaign collaborators and participating businesses and organizations for helping us to spread the 'Make That Call' message," says Dr. Felice Schnoll-Sussman, acting director of The Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health.

As part of the program, a dedicated call line has been established to assist callers with questions about colon cancer screening and to assist in arranging a screening. For assistance or for more information about the "Make That Call" campaign, call 877-902-2232 or visit MakeThatCall.org. Follow @nyphospital and @katiecouric for more information.

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, based in New York City, is the nation's largest not-for-profit, non-sectarian hospital, with 2,409 beds. The Hospital has nearly 2 million inpatient and outpatient visits in a year, including 12,797 deliveries and 195,294 visits to its emergency departments. NewYork-Presbyterian's 6,144 affiliated physicians and 19,376 staff provide state-of-the-art inpatient, ambulatory and preventive care in all areas of medicine at five major centers: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian/The Allen Hospital and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Westchester Division. One of the most comprehensive health care institutions in the world, the Hospital is committed to excellence in patient care, research, education and community service. NewYork-Presbyterian is the #1 hospital in the New York metropolitan area and is consistently ranked among the best academic medical institutions in the nation, according to U.S.News & World Report. The Hospital has academic affiliations with two of the nation's leading medical colleges: Weill Cornell Medical College and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

The Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center

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, gallbladder, stomach 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. For more information, visit https://weillcornell.org/monahanctr .