Saint Joseph Berea Foundation receives Komen funding for Yes, Mamm! Program - Archived

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For More Information:
Katie Heckman, Manager, Community Relations
859.986.6535
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Saint Joseph Berea Foundation receives Komen funding for Yes, Mamm! Program
Program provides free or reduced cost mammograms for the underserved

Berea, Ky. (April 24, 2015) – The Saint Joseph Berea Foundation, part of KentuckyOne Health, has received a $18,330 grant from the Lexington Affiliate of Susan G. Komen to provide mammograms for the underinsured through the foundation’s “Yes, Mamm! Program.”

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 Mount Sterling. Since Komen Lexington’s inception in 1996, the Susan G. Komen Affiliate has contributed $33,418 to the Saint Joseph Berea Foundation.

The Yes, Mamm! Program provides lifesaving screenings, patient navigation and travel assistance at no cost for those who qualify. Since 2012, the program has provided services to individuals throughout central and eastern Kentucky. One hundred percent of funding for Yes, Mamm! is spent on patient care for women and men across the Commonwealth.

Breast cancer affects 12 percent of women and is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the U.S. Kentucky is estimated to have more than 3,000 invasive breast cancer cases diagnosed this year. Mammograms are the preferred diagnostic test to find breast cancer in its early stages and mammography is a critical tool in this early detection.

“So many women in our community go without regular mammograms and breast screenings because they lack insurance coverage,” said Eric Gilliam, interim president, Saint Joseph Berea. “Through this funding, we’re able to continue to further our mission to bring wellness, healing and hope to those in the Berea area.”

Women receiving screenings at Saint Joseph Berea will do so in the hospital’s digital mammography suite named in memory of Merle M. Davis, who was a beloved nurse.

The Susan G. Komen 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 more than $4.7 million in community breast cancer programs throughout 58 counties to be used for screening, treatment, education, and quality of life programs. Up to 75 percent of net proceeds generated by the Affiliate stays in the Eastern and Central Kentucky area, while the remaining 25 percent funds national breast cancer research at institutions like the University of Kentucky and University of Louisville.

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.

Yearly mammograms are recommended for all women beginning at age 40. Mammography appointments are available by calling Kentucky Cancer Link at 1.877.597.4655 or Saint Joseph Berea Registration at 859.986.6587.