Atotal of $737,500 was distributed by the Ozark Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure to 17 programs around Northwest Arkansas during the Promise Circle Luncheon March 13 at Mermaids in Fayetteville.
The grant will help the programs provide women and men with lifesaving breast health screening, education and treatment throughout the next year, according to a press release from the nonprofit.
The 17 grant recipients are: Arkansas Department of Health-Breast Care, $15,000. It serves Carroll, Madison, Boone and Newton counties with free screenings and diagnostic breast services for uninsured women.
Community Clinic Rogers Medical, $43,000;
Community Clinic Siloam Springs Medical, $34,000;
and Community Clinic Springdale Medical, $43,000. Serving Benton and Washington counties, the clinics provide breast care education, breast cancer screening and treatment for low-income, uninsured Hispanic, Latino and Marshallese patients.
Donald W. Reynolds Cancer Support Home, $2,500. It serves Crawford and Sebastian counties with support groups for breast cancer patients and mastectomy supplies.
Hope Cancer Resources, $40,000. It serves Benton and Washington counties with biopsies, pathology and follow-up visits with medical professionals; and genetic testing for the BRCA gene, which provides information related to options that could reduce the risk of a reoccurrence, a secondary breast cancer or ovarian cancer in patients with significant family history.
Madison County Health Coalition, $50,000.
Serving Madison County, the coalition provides a nurse navigator to target low-income, uninsured women to provide lymphedema supplies and connect patients to other resources within the community.
Mercy Breast Center, $35,000. It serves Benton and Washington counties, and it provides a nurse navigator to guide women through their breast cancer journey, beginning with surgical consult, biopsy, diagnosis and education, surgery, oncology services, reconstruction and into survivorship.
Mercy Foundation Fort Smith, $37,000. It serves Sebastian and Crawford counties, providing breast navigation services to increase breast health awareness and participation in breast screening by providing breast health education to women and health care providers in the River Valley.
North Arkansas Partnership for Health Education, $89,000. It serves Boone and Newton counties, providing residents with services including breast screening, mammograms and additional diagnostic services, patient advocacy, and public breast health educational programs.
Northwest Arkansas Free Health Center, $9,000.
It serves Benton and Washington counties, providing clinical breast exams, mammograms and breast health education for women who have not been previously screened.
Skaggs Foundation-Cox Health Branson, $54,000. It serves Stone and Taney counties in Missouri, offering preventive breast health services and breast cancer treatment through the implementation of a new patient navigation program, screening mammograms and diagnostic testing.
The Jones Center for Families, $43,000. A new program will partner with local health care providers and organizations to provide culturally tailored educational outreach and navigation to clinical breast exams, mammography and follow-up services for Latino women in Northwest Arkansas.
The Merlin Foundation, $53,000. It serves Carroll and Madison counties, providing navigational services, mammograms, gas cards and educational outreach.
The Women’s Center at Sparks, $72,000. It serves Crawford and Sebastian counties, offering screening and diagnostic mammograms, breast ultrasound procedures, stereotactic biopsy and surgeon visit and fees.
Washington Regional Breast Navigator Program, $48,000. It serves Washington and Benton counties, providing specialized guidance and support to those recently diagnosed with breast cancer or recurrent breast cancer.
Washington Regional Cancer Support Home, $70,000. It serves Washington and Benton counties, offering screenings, free clinical breast exams and education for women and men in need. The program also provides financial resources for diagnostic mammography, breast ultrasound, biopsies, pathology and breast MRIs to uninsured, underinsured and low-income women.
During the luncheon, Karen Dineen, honorary survivor chairwoman for the 2013 Race for the Cure, also spoke, and the top 24 individual fundraisers and top five corporate teams from the 2012 Race for the Cure were announced. Cyndy Albaugh was the top individual fundraiser, and the top corporate team honorees were Walmart and Sam’s Club, Springdale Schools, Washington Regional Medical Center, Northwest HealthSystems, and MANA and The Breast Center.
Jerri Hood was recognized as the 2012 Jackie New recipient. New was the first race chairwoman for the Race for the Cure in Northwest Arkansas.
The 2013 Race for the Cure will be April 27 at the Pinnacle Hills Promenade.
AT A GLANCE Promise Circle Luncheon Who: Ozark Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure When: March 13 Where: Mermaids in Fayetteville Total amount given to grant recipients: $737,500 Information: 750-7465 or komenozark.org
Northwest Profile, Pages 37 on 03/17/2013