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by Derrick Vander Waal
SIOUX CENTER, IOWA – Women do not need to worry if they do not have the insurance or the money to cover the cost of lifesaving breast cancer screenings.
SIOUX CENTER, IOWA – Women do not need to worry if they do not have the insurance or the money to cover the cost of lifesaving breast cancer screenings.
Promise Community Health Center of Sioux Center can offer them at no charge, thanks to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Siouxland Affiliate.
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| Emily Tuschen (second from left) and Nancy Dykstra (second from right) of Promise Community Health Center of Sioux Center receive a check for $17,606 from representatives of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Siouxland Affiliate during a grant ceremony Tuesday at M’s on 4th in Sioux City. The grant will support Promise’s Sister to Sister/Hermana a Hermana breast health awareness and cancer prevention project. |
The Siouxland Affiliate awarded Promise a $17,606 grant during an awards ceremony Tuesday evening in Sioux City during RACEfest, which marked the kickoff for the annual Komen Siouxland Race for a Cure. This is the sixth straight year that the Komen organization – which combats breast cancer through research, community education, and preventative care and treatment – has supported Promise’s Sister to Sister/Hermana a Hermana project. The new grant year began April 1.
The project’s goals are to increase breast health awareness and education and reduce the incidence of breast cancer in the region. Community outreach events and group sessions will be offered. Free mammograms and follow-up diagnostic procedures will be provided for women who qualify. Rides will be made available to screenings for those who lack transportation.
“It is such an honor to receive the Komen grant,” said Emily Tuschen, clinic manager for Promise and project director. “We are excited to partner with Komen Siouxland again and bring this back to our community. This grant allows Promise to promote breast health, including patient education, preventative care and diagnostics, making it available to women who might not be able to afford it otherwise.”
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| One of the breast cancer awareness events that Promise presented last year was a Pictures of Promise evening when moms could get photos taken with their families. |
A portion of the grant funding will be used for awareness and education efforts in English and Spanish about breast health and lifesaving screening opportunities in the target area of Sioux and Lyon counties. Community education events and small-group sessions will be arranged for women throughout the year. Partner organizations, such as Community Health Partners of Sioux County, Sioux County Latino Health Coalition and Health Services of Lyon County, will be instrumental in bringing groups of women together and assisting in those outreach efforts.
During well-woman visits, Promise’s providers will educate every woman between the ages of 40-65 about breast health, teach them how to do self breast exams, emphasize the importance of annual mammograms and provide clinical breast exams. Trained interpreters will be used to reach Spanish-speaking patients.
Promise also will schedule free mammogram screenings for women ages 40-65 who do not have health insurance coverage or are underinsured for that service. Sioux Center Health and Hegg Memorial Health Center Avera of Rock Valley will serve as locations for Promise’s participants to receive their mammograms. Free follow-up diagnostic procedures also will be provided to women who have abnormal screening results or breast cancer symptoms.
As another focus of the program, transportation will be provided to women who need it to initial clinical breast exams, mammograms and follow-up diagnostic services. Komen’s Siouxland Affiliate had identified transportation as a particular barrier for Lyon County women, who have a higher incidence rate for breast cancer. Promise’s outreach team will use its experience in arranging for transportation and its network of volunteers and partner organizations to provide those rides. The grant will provide mileage reimbursement to transportation volunteers.
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| One of the signature events of Promise Community Health Center’s Sister to Sister/Hermana a Hermana project is the Pink Out Breast Cancer Awareness night hosted with the Dordt College volleyball team during October. Various educational and awareness activities will be offered in Lyon and Sioux counties. |
The Pink Out Breast Cancer Awareness night that Promise has co-hosted with Dordt College’s volleyball team has become a signature outreach event supported through the Susan G. Komen grant. That volleyball match will be during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.
Promise has been awarded more than $150,000 over six years through the grant program. In the first five years, nearly 300 women have received mammograms. If not for the grant, cost likely would have prevented many of them from being served.
“This grant is important to Promise because it directly affects so many of our patients,” Tuschen said. “Breast health is important, and this grant encourages and allows us to be proactive in care.”
Komen’s Siouxland Affiliate has granted more than $1.25 million over the past 11 years to organizations in a seven-county service area in Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota to combat breast cancer. In addition to Promise, June E. Nylen Cancer Center of Sioux City was awarded a $44,970 grant this year.
Promise Community Health Center of Sioux Center is the only Federally Qualified Health Center serving the far northwest corner of Iowa. Promise provides medical, prenatal, dental, vision and behavioral health services. To learn more, visit www.promisechc.org and watch this video.
NEED TRANSPORTATION?
Do you need transportation to breast cancer screenings? Or, are you interested in providing transportation for women to screenings?
If so, contact Jessica Mora, outreach coordinator for Promise Community Health Center, at 712-722-1700 for more information.
Mileage reimbursement will be provided for volunteers.
