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Komen Grant Helps HHC Expand Breast Cancer Screening and Education to Underserved Women in the Bronx
May 30, 2014
New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) Segundo R. Belvis Diagnostic and Treatment Center (Belvis) in the Bronx has received a $74,637 grant from Susan G. Komen® Greater New York City to expand access to breast cancer screenings and education to women in the South Bronx.
The grant will fund a “Healthy Breast” program that will aim to improve breast cancer screening and education for women with high risk factors for the disease, including women between ages 40-49 years with a family history of breast cancer, women in medically underserved communities, women lacking health insurance, women with limited literacy, and women from minority groups that traditionally have lower rates of breast cancer screening.
“Years of research suggests that African American and Latino women often aren’t diagnosed with breast cancer until they are in the late stages of the disease, and women of African descent, particularly from West Ghana and Nigeria, have been found to have higher breast cancer rates and more aggressive breast cancers,” said Amanda Ascher, MD, Medical Director of Segundo R. Belvis Diagnostic and Treatment Center. “West Ghana and Nigeria ethnicities are some of the fastest growing in the South Bronx, which means the need for prevention screenings and education are vital.”
The grant will support a full-time Breast Navigator who will provide screening navigation for new and current patients, contacting patients who are due for breast screenings, conducting outreach and education at Belvis and in the community targeting hard-to-reach groups of women, and increasing breast cancer awareness.
To further extend the reach of the program, Belvis will partner with community organizations such as the Bronx Cancer Service Program (Bronx CSP) at HHC’s Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center to provide uninsured women with free mammograms. Women diagnosed with breast cancer can access treatment regardless of their ability to pay at Lincoln Medical Center through the Medicaid Cancer Treatment Program (MCTP).
This month HHC launched its annual breast cancer awareness campaign to remind women throughout New York City that mammograms can be a lifesaver, and to urge women 40 and over to schedule a mammogram every one to two years. HHC’s five facilities in the Bronx are hosting breast cancer screening and informational events through the end of the month. Visit HHC’s website for a list of dates in the Bronx and to schedule an appointment (mammograms are offered year round at HHC facilities).
“At Komen Greater NYC, we conducted a needs assessment of our community and discovered that Belvis serves a quickly growing and underserved community of women in the south Bronx,” said Anita R. McFarlane, MPH, Komen Greater NYC Director of Grants & Public Policy. “We are confident that Belvis’ Healthy Breast Program will provide all women in the south Bronx with the low-cost or free healthcare services they need.”
For more information about the Belvis Healthy Breast Program call 718-579-4031.
About Segundo R. Belvis Diagnostic and Treatment Center
Belvis Diagnostic and Treatment Center, located at 545 East 142nd Street, Bronx, NY, is part of Generations+/Northern Manhattan Health Network. In 2012, Belvis and 38 other community based health practices operated by HHC across 3 New York City boroughs became part of Gotham Health, a separately incorporated entity with a majority consumer Board of Directors that provides stewardship and administrative oversight of HHC’s Diagnostic and Treatment Centers. The Healthy Breast Program is one of many Gotham Health initiatives that align with the Patient Centered Medical Home Model of Care and aim to create healthy families and communities through community engagement.
Contact: Press Office (212) 788-3339
About the Greater New York City Affiliate of Susan G. Komen®
Since 1990, Komen Greater NYC has raised over $60 million and awarded $43 million in grants. In the last five years alone, we have helped more than 875,000 women, men and families in New York City, on Long Island, and in Westchester and Rockland Counties. In that time, we have provided 76,870 mammograms, 87,271 clinical breast exams, support services (including transportation, meals, legal services) to 76,434 people, breast health education to 214,740 women, among other services.
Donations in Action Twenty-five percent of every dollar raised funds national breast cancer research while seventy-five percent of the net monies raised goes right back into the communities to help the women, men and families in our service area.
For more information, please visit www.komennyc.org or call 212-293-CURE.
About NYC Health + Hospitals
The NYC Health + Hospitals health care system is a $6.7 billion integrated healthcare delivery system, the largest municipal healthcare organization in the country, and one of the New York area’s largest providers of government-sponsored health insurance, MetroPlus Health Plan, the plan of choice for nearly half a million New Yorkers. The NYC Health + Hospitals health care system serves 1.4 million New Yorkers every year and more than 475,000 are uninsured. The system provides medical, mental health and substance abuse services through its 11 acute care hospitals, five skilled nursing facilities, six large diagnostic and treatment centers and more than 70 community based clinics. NYC Health + Hospitals/Home Care also provides in-home services for New Yorkers. The NYC Health + Hospitals system was the 2008 recipient of the National Quality Forum and The Joint Commission’s John M. Eisenberg Award for Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality. For more information, visit www.nychealthandhospitals.org or find us on https://www.facebook.com/NYCHealthSystem or twitter.com/NYCHealthSystem.