Prevention and Early Detection
We are committed to helping American women with less means be able to secure their required mammograms through the network of partner institutes that we support. Mammograms are a diagnostic procedure to detect breast cancer at its earliest stage and one which we feel each and every American woman should be entitled. As community/state guidelines and services differ in each state, gaps in services and access can also vary from state to state. This BCRF national program is assisting women across the nation, through our Mammogram Access Program. We will continue to expand our network and area of program coverage across the map, with a goal that no women in America will ever go without a required mammogram because she lacks insurance or financial means. This program is growing and we feel that access to mammograms should be a right, not only for a privileged few, but for every woman. Thank you for supporting our efforts to ensure mammogram access for all Americans.
The Breast Cancer Relief Foundation (BCRF) is pleased to support access to mammograms in communities across America. Some of our recent sponsored initiatives include:
Wilcox Memorial Hospital, Lihue, Hawaii
BCRF is pleased to partner with Wilcox Memorial Hospital to provide direct mammogram screening services to underserved women in the area of Lihue, Hawaii. The target population includes women from diverse ethnic cultures that are uninsured or underinsured.
Women’s Way, First District Health Unit in Minot, North Dakota
BCRF is providing support to Women’s Way in Minot, North Dakota. These funds will be used to provide mammograms to the underserved women in their seven county service area located in north central North Dakota.
Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center/The Johns Hopkins University
BCRF is supporting the Baltimore City Breast Care Initiative Program at Johns Hopkins within the Cancer Disparities Program at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center. This program will provide breast cancer education and outreach, screening and patient navigation to uninsured, underinsured and other low income Baltimore City residents.
The Rex Hospital Foundation
BCRF is providing financial assistance to the Rex Hospital Foundation to support the Rex Mobile Mammography Certificate Program. This program provides free screening and/or diagnostic mammograms and ultrasound tests to women who are without insurance or have a financial need. Rex serves women from Wake and surrounding counties through their Mobile Mammography Unit.
Siteman Cancer Center/Barnes Jewish Hospital
BCRF is supporting the Siteman Cancer Center/Barnes Jewish Hospital in its efforts to provide breast screenings and follow-up care to women the Bootheel region of Southeast Missouri. The women in this region have extremely limited resources and depend upon the visits from this mobile mammography unit for breast screenings.
Nevada Cancer Institute (NVCI)
BCRF is pleased to assist with Mammograms in May, conducted on the mobile Hope Coach, which is a program of the Nevada Cancer Institute. This program will provide mammograms to uninsured and underinsured women over the age of 40 who do not have health insurance for mammograms and reside in southern Nevada. Prior to the scheduled mammogram screening event, a specially-trained breast health educator from NVCI will provide educational sessions.
The Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute
BCRF is supporting the Modular Mammography Program at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, which serves counties in Arkansas that lack FDA approved mammography facilities. This effort will focus on the Delta Region providing access to initial digital mammograms and if necessary further diagnostic procedures to women who would not otherwise have access to this health service.
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center BCRF is enabling increased breast cancer screening to underserved and uninsured women in the nine county region of great Tampa Bay, by supporting the Moffitt Cancer Center’s Mobile Lifetime Screening bus. Significant portions in the region are federally designated as Medically Underserved Areas. Poor and uninsured individuals are more likely to have cancer diagnosed at a later stage and are more likely to die of cancer. The breast cancer mortality rate in Florida is the third highest in the United States. The overall goal of our joint program is to reduce morbidity and mortality due to breast cancer among underserved women.
Seattle Cancer Care Alliance BCRF is supporting the mobile digital mammogram van program of the Seattle Cancer Care Alliances, which is a partnership of three internationally renowned research institutions: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, University of Washington Medical Center, and Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center. Women in the state of Washington have among the highest rates of breast cancer anywhere in the nation. This distressing statistic is especially of concern to underserved and uninsured women in Washington who are not able to access mammograms. These women are being supported by BCRF, which will now enable them access.
Pittsburgh Cancer Institute BCRF is supporting a program at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (PCI) to provide improved mammogram access to poor and underserved women in rural Somerset County, Pennsylvania. These women currently have limited access to transportation so that they can not access their required mammograms examinations. The grant award will allow these women to be transported to nearest hospital in Meyersdale to gain access to a mammogram.
