Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation Receives Grant to Fund Yes, Mamm! Program - Archived

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David McArthur, Senior Manager
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Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation Receives Grant to Fund Yes, Mamm! Program
Program provides mammograms and breast care for underserved

Lexington, Ky. (March 10, 2015)—The Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation, part of KentuckyOne Health, has received a $20,000 grant from the Kentucky Breast Cancer Research and Education Trust Fund to provide mammograms for the uninsured through the foundation’s “Yes, Mamm! Program.”

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 more than 600 individuals, with 100 percent of funding spent on patient care for women across the Commonwealth.

The trust fund, administered by the state Department for Public Health in the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS), recently announced the grant awards, which also includes $20,000 grants for Saint Joseph London Foundation and Saint Joseph Berea Foundation, both part of KentuckyOne Health.

“Yearly mammograms are recommended for women beginning at age 40, but because of financial restrictions, many forgo this vital test,” said Sherri Craig, Interim President, Saint Joseph Hospital Foundation. “Through the Yes Mamm! Program, we’re able to make sure that cost doesn’t prevent women in the Lexington area from getting the screenings they need.”

Kentucky Breast Cancer Research and Education Trust Fund grants are funded through proceeds from state income tax return designations and the sale of Kentucky breast cancer awareness license plates.

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. Still, more than 570 Kentucky women will die of invasive breast cancer this year. Access to screening mammograms through programs like Yes, Mamm! is vital to improving these statistics among the underserved. 

Kentucky nonprofit groups, educational institutions and government agencies offering breast cancer awareness, education, treatment and/or screening programs and services were eligible to apply. Awards recognize programs that best demonstrate sustainable and effective efforts to reduce the breast cancer mortality rate in Kentucky.

For more information about the Yes, Mamm! program, or to learn how you can help, call 859.313.1705.

About KentuckyOne Health

KentuckyOne Health, the largest and most comprehensive health system in the Commonwealth, has more than 200 locations including, hospitals, physician groups, clinics, primary care centers, specialty institutes and home health agencies in Kentucky and southern Indiana. KentuckyOne Health is dedicated to bringing wellness, healing and hope to all, including the underserved.  The system is made up of the former Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare and Saint Joseph Health System, along with the University of Louisville Hospital and James Graham Brown Cancer Center. KentuckyOne Health is proud of and strengthened by its Catholic, Jewish and academic heritages.

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