State Breast and Cervical Screening Program Receives Komen Funding

“We are delighted with the financial support from this local affiliate,” said Health Commissioner Susan R. Cooper, MSN, RN. “All of the Komen funds will be used to pay for mammograms provided by our community partners, and we know these screening tests can save lives.”

Many counties in the department’s Southeast region, which includes Bledsoe, Bradley, Franklin, Grundy, McMinn, Marion, Meigs, Polk, Rhea and Sequatchie Counties, have higher incidence and mortality rates related to breast and cervical cancer than the state average. Based on the most current data available, 2001-2005, Grundy and Rhea Counties have higher incidence rates than the state. Bledsoe, Bradley and Marion Counties have higher mortality rates that the state as a whole. These five counties will be the primary target for the Komen funded project. Hamilton County is also included in this project.

 

Called The BeST (Breast Screening and Treatment) for Tennessee Women Project, the target group for screening is women between the ages of 50 and 64 who are uninsured or underinsured and have income below 250 percent of the federal poverty level. The project is especially looking for women who have never had a mammogram or have not had one in two or more years.

 

“Women in this target group are the women at greatest risk for breast cancer,” said Susan Merrell, RN, coordinator of TBCCSP services in the Southeast region. “Other risk factors include family history of breast cancer, increasing age and being a former or current smoker. Many women don’t know about or don’t take advantage of the annual screening covered by Medicare and other insurance policies. We urge all women to get these annual exams.” 

 

“This Komen support will help us provide about 250 mammograms to eligible women in the ten county area,” said Dora Coker, RN, TBCCSP coordinator for Hamilton County. “Other funds help us provide both breast and cervical screening services to an additional 1,500 women each year.”

 

Women who think they qualify for the program are urged to call their local health department for more information. A list of county health department locations can be found online at http://health.state.tn.us/localdepartments.htm. For more information on the state’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening Program, visit the Department of Health Web site at http://health.state.tn.us/BCC/index.htm.