Grants for Cancer Screening and Community Outreach Announced
Komen Funds Vital Public Health Programs
Susan G. Komen for the Cure - Madison Affiliate recently approved two grants to Public Health Madison and Dane County (PHMDC) to support local efforts to provide breast cancer screening services and education. One grant supports an exciting new community outreach initiative. It provides funding for breast health education and outreach for local African American communities. These outreach activities include a collaboration with the Center for Patient Partnerships and the Allied Wellness Center. The grant will be used to hire a part time outreach specialist to work among African-American women in the community in an effort to increase the number of African American women being screened for breast cancer. "This is an important position that will help us reach more African-American women with crucial cancer screenings," Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said. "I'm pleased that PHMDC will be able to partner with organizations in the community to make this program happen." "Thanks to the generosity of the Susan G. Komen organization, we'll be able to improve the health of more women in our community," County Executive Kathleen Falk said. The other grant supports the Treatment Access Fund (TAF) which offers financial assistance for breast cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment for eligible women and men in Dane County. The Treatment Access Fund has assisted more than 400 individuals in Dane County over the last decade. According to Kari Sievert, Program Coordinator for the Wisconsin Well Woman Program in Dane County, "The new outreach position allows us to begin to address and reduce the racial and ethnic disparities in the fight against breast cancer." For more information on these programs including details on eligibility, check out the following link: http://www.publichealthmdc.com/WWWP/programs/taf.cfm -END-
