$11,500 Grant for “Project Pink Cleveland” 2020

The HealthCare Foundation of Cleveland County has made a grant to provide mammograms, including follow-up visits for at risk, uninsured women over the age of 40 in Cleveland County. The $11,500 “Project PINK Cleveland” project will fund mammograms through Levine Cancer Institute Cleveland for women who apply and meet the risk criteria. This funding comes on the heels of a $10,000 grant the HealthCare Foundation of Cleveland County made in 2018 for a similar initiative.

“We are very pleased to provide these screenings and the response clearly indicated the need to continue after funds from the initial grant were exhausted,” said Dick Baker, Executive Director of the HealthCare Foundation of Cleveland County. “Early detection is the key to prevention and many women who need these screenings, simply cannot afford them,” he added.

Project PINK Cleveland provides free mammograms to uninsured women in Cleveland County so breast cancer can be detected at an earlier stage when survival rates are highest. Breast cancer remains one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers in Cleveland County. Unfortunately, many women are diagnosed at a later stage because of lack of health insurance and high out-of-pocket costs for services and treatment. Through the program, Levine Cancer Institute (LCI) Cleveland plans to provide an estimated 80 women with a screening mammogram and diagnostic imaging if recommended. Additional funding through the grant will provide patients in need with transportation to screening, a barrier that prevents many women from getting life-saving care. In addition to screening, highly skilled health educators provide cancer prevention education, referral to other free cancer screenings and connections to community resources.

“The HealthCare Foundation of Cleveland County has been such a blessing. Had it not been for their assistance, I would not have been able to get a mammogram through Levine Cancer Institute. The people who helped me were warm and friendly. I have no insurance and I would have had to pay a large deposit to have it done. I am a cancer survivor and being seen every year is a must,” said Mariann Clark, a Project PINK Cleveland patient from Shelby. “I am so grateful for everything they did for me. I would recommend them to everyone. And they made sure my needs were met so I could get to my appointment.”

The power behind the phrase ‘early detection saves lives’ can sometimes be underestimated. According to the American Cancer Society, the 5-year relative survival rate for women with stage 0 or stage I breast cancer is close to 100%. For women with stage II breast cancer, the 5-year relative survival rate is about 93%. There is a continuous decline in survival rates as the cancer progresses.

To catch breast cancer in its earliest stage possible, routine breast cancer screenings must be done. Typically, very early stage breast cancer is best identified through mammography, the gold-standard for breast cancer screening. At the age of 40, it is recommended for every woman to begin getting routine screening mammograms.

This is a lot easier said than done for many women in Cleveland County. Both the Go Pink Cleveland and Project PINK Program were created to bridge the gap for uninsured women in Cleveland County, so that life-saving mammography screening can be available to every woman, regardless of the ability to pay.

“Being on the front line of this program I get to witness firsthand the impact it has on the lives of women. Providing a free mammogram to an uninsured woman provides life-saving early detection or simply peace of mind knowing they have a clear scan and one less worry. Both are tremendously important. I get all the tears, all the hugs, all the gratitude – and I wish I was able to translate that to words for all to see how much this means for women who may not otherwise have the opportunity to receive this service,” said Tiffany Williams Crank, MPH, Cancer Program Development Specialist with Levine Cancer Institute.

Since 2018, HealthCare Foundation of Cleveland County grants have provided screening mammograms for 89 uninsured women in Cleveland County which included one breast cancer diagnosis in stage 2A. Of those:

• 55 White (61.8%)
• 28 African American (31.5%)
• 6 Hispanic (6.7%)
• 16 (18%) – Never had a mammogram before.
• 89 (100%) – Uninsured

“This program will continue to provide routine breast screening opportunities to women that need it the most, as it is proven that early detection does indeed save lives,” said foundation Executive Director Dick Baker, “as our community healthcare foundation, this is a very tangible effort to improve health and wellness in Cleveland County.”