Saint Joseph Berea Foundation Receives Funding to Provide Mammograms for Uninsured - Archived

Saint Joseph Berea Foundation Receives Funding to Provide Mammograms for Uninsured

Berea, Ky. (July 21, 2014) – The Saint Joseph Berea Foundation, part of KentuckyOne Health, has been awarded funding from the Lexington Affiliate of Susan G. Komen to help fund mammograms for the underserved and underinsured in the community.

In addition to Saint Joseph Berea, three other KentuckyOne Health facilities received funding from Komen Lexington—Saint Joseph Hospital, Saint Joseph East and Saint Joseph London. These facilities are among 15 Kentucky-based organizations to receive funding to provide lifesaving screening, patient navigation, treatment support and treatment programs.

Through the “Yes Mamm!” program, more than 500 women will receive free or reduced cost mammograms at Saint Joseph Hospital, Saint Joseph East, Saint Joseph Berea and Saint Joseph London.

“So many women in our community go without regular mammograms and breast screenings because they’re cost-prohibitive,” said Kimberly Stigers, M.D., radiologist “Through this funding, we’re able to continue to further our mission to bring wellness, healing and hope to those in the Berea area.”

Breast cancer affects 12 percent of women and is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the U.S. According to the American Cancer Society, nearly 40,000 women will die of breast cancer this year alone. Death rates from breast cancer have been declining since 1989, which is believed to be the result of earlier detection through screening, increased awareness and improved treatment. Access to mammograms through programs like “Yes Mamm!” is vital to improving these statistics among the underserved.

Women receiving screenings at Saint Joseph Berea will do so in the hospital’s new digital $350,000 mammography suite named in memory of Merle M. Davis, who was a beloved nurse. The Davis family’s gift was partnered with funding from the Saint Joseph Berea Foundation to cover the cost of new mammography equipment.

Since the Affiliate’s inception in 1996, Komen Lexington has helped fund $4.5 million for local programs, funding potentially lifesaving services for the underserved and the uninsured men and women. Komen Lexington raises money locally to help people. Approximately 75 percent of net funds raised stay in the community to invest in programs to support the local mission work, 25 percent is then invested into research to find the cure for breast cancer.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest breast cancer organization, and the Lexington Affiliate is one of 122 Affiliates on the front lines dedicated to ending breast cancer in their communities. Komen Affiliates fund innovative programs that help women and men overcome the cultural, social, educational and financial barriers to breast cancer screening and treatment.

A large portion of the Lexington Affiliate’s funding, including the work to be done at Saint Joseph Berea, will be geared toward outpatient services along with patient navigation. Patient navigation is defined as a service that provides breast health education guidance to patients, families and caregivers to make informed decisions while collaborating with a multi-disciplinary team to ensure timely breast cancer screening, diagnostics, treatment, and supportive care. It ensures that no person is lost in the healthcare system and it is only one way Komen Lexington is addressing the alarming mortality disparities facing Kentucky’s men and women.

Yearly mammograms are recommended for all women beginning at age 40 and continuing as long as they are in good health. Mammography appointments are available by calling 859.986.6587.

Those interested may also call Kentucky Cancer Link, an organization that’s primary purpose is to provide support by reducing and/or eliminating barriers to screening, diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer patients. They can be reached at 877.597.4655.

About KentuckyOne Health
KentuckyOne Health was formed when two major Kentucky health care organizations came together in early 2012. KentuckyOne Health combines the Jewish and Catholic heritages of the two former systems – Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare and Saint Joseph Health System. In late 2012, the organization formed a partnership with the University of Louisville Hospital | James Graham Brown Cancer Center.  The nonprofit system is committed to improving the health of Kentuckians by integrating medical research, education, technology and health care services wherever patients receive care. KentuckyOne Health has more than 200 locations including hospitals, physician groups, clinics, primary care centers, specialty institutes and home health agencies across the state of Kentucky and southern Indiana.

About Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and the Komen Lexington Affiliate
Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever, and in 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The Lexington Affiliate is part of the world’s largest and most progressive grassroots network fighting breast cancer. Through events like the Komen Lexington Race for the Cure, the Lexington Affiliate has invested $1.5 million in community breast cancer programs in 58 counties. Up to 75 percent of net proceeds generated by the Affiliate stays in the Lexington area. The remaining 25 percent funds national breast cancer research. For more information, call 859.368.7133 or visit www.komenlexington.org

 

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