Breast health care now available locally for low-income women

The Summit Community Care Clinic (SCCC) is pleased to announce the award of a community grant from the Denver Metropolitan Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The grant designates funds for the provision of breast health care to qualifying women. Women who qualify may receive breast health education, clinical breast exams, and/or screening mammograms at no cost.

Breast health services will be provided in collaboration with Summit Medical Center. Summit Medical Center has historically provided mammograms at a significantly reduced rate for low-income SCCC patients enrolled in grant-funded programs. This donation of services by Summit Medical Center is critical to the success of the project.

Qualification for these services is based upon income, age and health insurance status. The grant will allow Summit Community Care Clinic/Family Planning to provide breast health services for 130 low-income women 40 to 50 years of age who do not have insurance coverage for mammograms. Income criteria are variable depending on how many family members are supported by the total household income. There is also funding available for screening of men with breast symptoms who meet income criteria.

This grant will assist uninsured, underinsured, and low-income women in gaining access to preventive breast health care in accordance with American Cancer Society Guidelines. The American Cancer Society recommends screening mammograms yearly for women over 40 and older.

The Family Planning program within SCCC provides women's healthcare services for women of any age, color, income level, race, creed, religion, sexual orientation, handicap, and national origin. Services include comprehensive well woman exams, pelvic exams and Pap smears, contraceptive services, pregnancy testing and sexually transmitted infection testing and treatment.

Since its inception, the Denver Affiliate has contributed more than $14 million to Denver area not-for-profits focusing on breast cancer education, screening and treatment programs, with a focus on underserved and uninsured individuals. This year, a record $2.7 million was awarded in the Denver area. In addition, the Denver Affiliate has provided more than $5 million to fund breast cancer research.

Nancy Brinker established the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in 1982 in honor of the memory of her sister, Susan G. Komen. The foundation is an international organization with a network of volunteers working through affiliates and Komen Race for the Cure events across the country. Its mission is to eradicate breast cancer as a life threatening disease by advancing research, education, screening and treatment.

For more information on the program, please call Jenniffer at (970) 668-4189.